There are a lot of rumors surrounding the production, casting, characters and plot of Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi. Some of the rumors are so off-base that they cannot possibly have an iota of truth to them, but other more believable rumors have been proven true, thanks to information released through interviews and toy announcements. After all, Star Wars is probably the largest movie franchise of all time and has a fanbase that is rabid about learning more about the upcoming film, which releases on December 15th, 2017.
So how do fans know if a rumor is true or not? Some rumors that were mostly educated guesses are now confirmed, while other rumors still remain, especially those involving the secretive plot points of the film. Some of the rumors coming out of the production are those that many fans probably hope are not true, but until the movie comes out, they will not know.
For those fans who don't wish to read spoilers, you might not want to proceed. But for those fans wanting to know which rumors are actually true, keep reading. There is also a list of rumors that most hope get proven false.
Here are Star Wars: 10 Last Jedi Rumors Confirmed To Be True (And 5 We Hope Aren’t).
Confirmed: It will address Rey’s parentage
Another huge mystery left in the wake of The Force Awakens concerns Rey and where she originally came from. That movie suggested that she was left on Jakku by her parents for some reason or another. But who were her parents? And why did they leave her? She, obviously, has some sort of link to the Jedi, as she is one herself. So many rumors keep circulating about Rey's parents, as well as about how that will play into The Last Jedi. Fortunately, fans will get those answers soon.
"It’s something that is absolutely going to be addressed…" Johnson said to GMA about the subject of Rey's parentage. "The other part of it is there are lots of surprises in this movie and lots of twists and turns, and I really want people to experience those when they see the movie for the first time. How we address that and how you feel about it and what happens with that is one of them."
Confirmed: Princess Leia plays a bigger part in this film
The recent death of Carrie Fisher, who portrays the iconic Leia in the movies, left many fans wondering about her role in upcoming movies. There were already rumors about a larger role for Leia in the new films, especially after the news broke that Fisher had filmed all of her scenes for The Last Jedi. This rumor was basically confirmed by all the work Fisher did on the movie, especially after fans learned that she had to cut a New York Comic Con appearance short because of filming on The Last Jedi.
"Carrie gives a really beautiful performance in the film," director Rian Johnson said in an interview with GMA. "We obviously didn’t make the movie to be her final Star Wars movie. Given that though, I think there are scenes that she has that are going to mean a lot to people and there are scenes that we have with her where now not having her around I watch them and I think I’m really thankful that we have that and we can give that to people."
Not confirmed: Kylo Ren will wear Darth Vader’s cape
It's no secret that Kylo Ren has a serious fanboy crush on his grandfather, Darth Vader. He even keeps around his grandfather's old helmet, which he talks to on a regular basis. Kylo even likes to dress all in black like Vader, and spends a lot of time doing everything he can to live up to Vader's terrifying reputation. So, obviously, there is a rumor running around out there that Kylo will wear Darth Vader's cape in The Last Jedi, because that's what slightly psychotic fanboys do. A low-resolution photo from some upcoming Star Wars Battlefront II DLC makes it seem like Kylo is wearing his grandfather's cape, but there is no real confirmation that this is the case. Let's hope it's not true because it seems a little too cheesy for the character.
Confirmed: There won’t be any more information on Snoke’s back story
One of the biggest mysteries left by The Force Awakens has to do with the identity of Supreme Leader Snoke, a man that both Kylo Ren and First Order General Hux bow to. Who is he? Where does he come from? What does he, ultimately, want? And although fans want answers to these questions, the rumors that the answers weren't coming ran rampant because Snoke is a lot like The Emperor in the original films, another man of power that viewers never learned much about in the original trilogy. Johnson confirmed that although moviegoers will get a better look at Snoke's actual physical appearance, forget finding out about who he is or where he comes from.
"[The Emperor is] a dark force: the scary thing behind the thing," Johnson said to The Hollywood Reporter. "That was entirely how I approached Snoke. I wasn't interested in explaining where he came from or telling his history, except where it serves this story.”
Confirmed: There will be evil BB-8 like units
Where there is a light side, there is always a dark side, right? But does that actually apply to the robot characters in the Star Wars franchise? Many rumors suggested that the adorable robot on the light side BB-8 had a dark side doppelganger, a robot designed to work for the First Order. Although many fans originally shot down that idea, recent reveals of toy merchandise from The Last Jedi proved the rumors as true. The dark version of BB-8 is the BB-9E. However, fans can only guess as to what role the little black robot will play in the new movie, but the merchandise hints that he'll work for Kylo Ren as the Sith's personal droid. Here's hoping that fans will get a good scene featuring both robots.
Not confirmed: The return of the Death Star
One thing that the Star Wars universe does not need another of is the Death Star. Sure, it seems cool to have a super huge weapon capable of taking down a planet, but that weapon always seems to have a simple flaw that makes it easy to destroy. That is such a "been there done that" story, that fans can only hope that the rumor of a third Death Star just isn't true. But packaging art for the film suggests that the Death Star could make yet another comeback. The artwork seems to feature the first Death Star from the original trilogy, so here's hoping that it isn't an indicator of things to come. Would the First Order really go down that path again? They're not entirely stupid, so it's doubtful.
Confirmed: Snoke’s Super Star Destroyer
Although fans won't get to learn more about Snoke's background, they will see a lot more of him in The Last Jedi, which seems like a pretty good trade-off. But what kind of spaceship does Snoke have? How does he travel around the galaxy? Rumors began about his spaceship long before it ever got revealed, but once more details got released about The Last Jedi toy merchandise, fans got their first look at Snoke's Mega Star Destroyer. The ship, called "The Supremacy," is a massive triangular-shaped beast of a vehicle that spans 60 kilometers from tip to tip. It's obviously large enough to handle ships docking on it, but it also probably serves as a repair station for ships, as well as a place where ships get built.
Confirmed: Luke initially rejects Rey
Luke has been on that planet by himself (supposedly) for a really long time. Of course, fans still don't know what drew him there, but, eventually, Rey found him and, at the end of The Force Awakens, fans were left wondering how Luke would receive her. Because of Luke's isolation, many fans believed that he would initially reject the young Jedi and it seems that this is one theory that is true in the new film. In an interview with EW, Rey actress Daisy Ridley described Luke as "this grumpy guy on an island who doesn’t want me here." That doesn't sound like a warm welcome, does it?
"I don’t think one girl, who he doesn’t know, turning up with a lightsaber is gonna make him go, ‘Oh, s—, yeah, of course I’ll get back into the action,’” she said.
Not confirmed: Luke goes to the Dark Side
Thanks to the new trailer for The Last Jedi, fans got a good at a Luke Skywalker, who seems a lot less hopeful and optimistic than he did in Return of the Jedi. He did choose to leave all his friends behind in search of something, and he now lives on a planet by himself surrounded by villages of Porgs. That means that Luke has had a lot of time to think about things, as well as time to get drawn to the Dark Side. The rumors really began, though, when photos of Luke turned up in a dark costume, something that seems to say Sith more than Jedi. Sure, Luke is probably a lot more bitter and cynical now, but fans really don't want to see him go Dark Side because that just doesn't really fit the character they know and love.
Confirmed: Luke is searching for the first Jedi temple
Luke isn't just on that isolated planet doing nothing, or at least that's what most fans think. Luke is not the type of guy to cut and run. He's there for a very specific reason. But what is that reason? There was previously a lot of speculation that Luke is, in fact, searching for the last Jedi temple (Han actually mentioned that in The Force Awakens). And it seems that we'll learn more about that in The Last Jedi. Fans got confirmation that Luke is currently on the planet Ahch-To, the home planet of the temple. Novels in the Star Wars canon also suggest that this is what Luke is searching for, so it's safe to say that the status of this rumor is true.
Confirmed: More Captain Phasma
Captain Phasma proved an interesting character in The Force Awakens, mostly because of the actress beneath that suit, Game of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie. There wasn't a lot of her in that movie, but rumors began circulating that Christie shot a lot more scenes for The Last Jedi. These rumors are true, as Phasma will play a larger role in the new movie.
“Gwendoline Christie is one of my favorite people, and you get to see her in action which I think is going to be really fun,” Johnson said to EW. “That character is just so damn cool looking. Like, okay, let’s see what we can do with her. Let’s put her in action and see what happens.”
Fans will also get two new books about the character.
Not confirmed: Rey will get a double-bladed lightsaber
Because Rey is really good with a staff, which is a lot longer than a traditional single lightsaber, fans think that Rey might actually get a double-bladed lightsaber in the new movie. Only one character, Darth Maul in the movies, has really sported such a weapon, so some fans think that Rey could show off her staff skills with something a little more extraordinary than Luke's old lightsaber. These rumors stem from the fact that many fans think that Rey will build her own lightsaber, so it sort of makes sense that she wants something similar to her staff. But many prefer that Rey keep and train with Luke's lightsaber, probably because they believe there's some kind of family connection there. Of course, Disney could double-charge for replicas of a dual-bladed lightsaber, so whose to say what will happen?
Confirmed: The Last Jedi picks up right after The Force Awakens
During the final scene of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Rey approached Luke Skywalker atop a high cliff and handed out the lightsaber to him. Everything faded to black, leaving the ending of that film with a huge cliffhanger. Rumors began running rampant that the next movie would pick up exactly where that one left off, and fortunately, that rumor proved true. It makes sense because audiences left The Force Awakens with a lot of questions: will Luke take the lightsaber from Rey? Will he tell her to keep it so that she can train with it? What will he say? What will he do? How will he react to this new Jedi approaching him? The rumor, though, of his first words being "Who are you?" is still not confirmed, though.
Confirmed: Maz Kanata will appear in The Last Jedi
Maz Kanata played a pretty important role in The Force Awakens, as the matronly pirate who basically suggested to Rey that the girl was a Jedi after she felt something in touching Luke's old lightsaber. Rumors ran in two directions about her appearance in The Last Jedi, though. Many suggested that Maz would not appear in the new film, while other rumors shot that down because of the character's importance to the story in the previous movie. Maz will certainly make an appearance in The Last Jedi, though, as confirmed by the actress who voices her, Lupita Nyong'o.
“Because I shot my scenes, so yeah, Star Wars 8, it’s coming out," the actress said to Radio Times. "You know, you never really know when you shoot your scenes in a movie which ones are going to make it and all that, so it’s always: ‘Fingers crossed!’ But as far as I know, I’m in it.”
Not confirmed: It’s basically a remake of The Empire Strikes Back
Some Star Wars fans found disappointment in watching The Force Awakens because it was, almost literally, a remake of A New Hope. Some fans loved that about the movie, though. So it only makes sense that once the trailer for The Last Jedi came out, rumors started that the new movie would basically act as a remake of The Empire Strikes Back, the second film in the original trilogy. Let's hope that this is just a rumor, though and that The Last Jedi feels more like an original film than parts of The Force Awakens. Part of the huge success of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story had everything to do with its original story, so here's hoping that Disney decided to go down that path for The Last Jedi, too.
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