The latest trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi ended with a hint that Rey and Kylo Ren will unite, and the odds of it being a sneaky misdirect to throw fans off the scent are slim. Fans of the galaxy far, far away were more than excited to get another look at writer/director Rian Johnson's film earlier this month when the theatrical preview debuted online, and it's safe to say there were a few surprises in the footage. Perhaps the biggest moment came at the very end, when a lost Rey says, "I need someone to show me my place in all this." The next shot was a closeup of Kylo Ren, who held out his hand to his one-time nemesis, setting the stage for a very unlikely partnership.While a team-up between heroine and villain is a jaw-dropping prospect, it would be somewhat unwise to take the trailer at face value. Marketing is known for the occasional tricky edit, and without the context of the finished film, it's impossible to say what will definitively happen. After all, trailers and TV spots for The Force Awakens depicted Finn wielding the lightsaber, but that proved to be a red herring of sorts (to be fair, he did use it) when it was revealed Rey is the Force-sensitive protagonist and rightful owner of the weapon. Because trailers can't always be trusted, some are convinced that this Rey/Kylo Ren interaction doesn't actually happen in the movie, though that argument doesn't hold much water.
Lucasfilm Knows What They're Doing
The question of whether or not Rey and Kylo Ren are in the same location during this stinger (and it looks like they are) is a fair one to ask, though it's largely irrelevant to the bigger picture. Since the beginning of this new Star Wars era, Lucasfilm has demonstrated a mastery of controlling the release of information, dictating when and where the general public uncovers more details about their highly-anticipated films. Their trailers, then, operate not as random out-of-context shots designed to sell a spectacle blockbuster, but strategically-selected montages that present overarching thematic elements to set expectations for the finished product.
Related: Is Rey Part of Supreme Leader Snoke's Plan?
One only has to look at the final trailer for The Force Awakens to see this concept in action. Though light on plot details, it establishes the main arcs of three of the principal characters. Rey was a self-proclaimed nobody destined for greater things. Finn was raised for a single purpose, but had a crisis of conscious and is left with nothing to fight for. Kylo Ren, seemingly committed to the dark side, pledged to finish what Darth Vader started. Granted, some of these exchanges and passages of dialogue did not appear in Episode VII, but this is very much how the actual movie played out. Lucasfilm also purposely withheld Luke Skywalker from Force Awakens marketing materials, making "Where's Luke?" a key talking point during the pre-release phase. As it turned out, the film's story was all about finding the missing Luke.
The Last Jedi, which has brilliantly replicated the Force Awakens advertising strategy beat-for-beat to this point, is following the playbook to a tee. Even if there are differences between the trailer and the film (there most certainly will be), the greater ideas the preview presents will be there. Rey, after learning about her extreme Force sensitivity, is in need of guidance to control her powers. Luke, haunted by what happened to Ben Solo, is scared to pursue training Rey, possibly abandoning her. Kylo Ren, once again, is going to struggle between the light and the dark, as evidenced by his apparent reluctance to kill General Leia Organa in a space battle. While this is probably an extreme illustration of Kylo's mindset in The Last Jedi, it plants the seeds for his continued development. Killing Han Solo only made things worse, and he's on the verge of having a breakdown.
Kathleen Kennedy and crew are quite savvy when it comes to the Star Wars fan base. They are well aware that even the tiniest quote about a new movie will generate a multitude of theories about what's in store, and what is (or isn't) in the trailers makes for the perfect way for the studio to engage viewers on a big stage and give them content to chew over. Given the massive popularity of the Star Wars brand, marketing for the modern films is simply a formality. The property sells itself just with its name. The objective of promotion, then, isn't to sell a movie the public has already bought into. It's to provide viewers with fodder for speculation to tide them over until the premiere date. Showing Kylo reaching out to Rey was a very conscious decision that sets the table for the next couple of months.
Lucasfilm Wouldn't Blatantly Lie To Audiences
Misleading trailers are nothing new in the film industry. They happen more often than cinephiles would like to see, and there are clear business reasons for this. Some movies, in particular smaller works without the luxury of a built-in audience, need to find a way to connect with the mainstream so they post solid numbers at the box office. This is why previews for Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds positioned the Best Picture nominee more as an action/thriller with Brad Pitt murdering Nazis rather than the deeper drama it really was. But, as we've already said, Star Wars is in a different boat compared to most movies, so the trailers are about something else besides appealing to casual viewers looking for a fun sci-fi film over the holidays.
Simply put, there is no way Lucasfilm would sign off on a Last Jedi trailer ending in the manner this most recent one did if it was not at the very least somewhat representative of where the story is headed. The studio knew hundreds of millions of people would watch the trailer and knew the stinger would be a massive talking point. Rey and Kylo joining forces is now an idea firmly entrenched in the minds of many, and if the movie doesn't deliver on this tease, several viewers will be disappointed (regardless of how Episode VIII turns out). It's worth keeping in mind that Johnson himself had a hand in the marketing campaign, meeting with Lucasfilm brass to discuss what would be unveiled when. He very likely made the choice to conclude the trailer with that specific imagery, understanding what the reaction would be. Seeing that a primary goal of a trailer is to excite the target audience while also being indicative of the film's content, it would be curious for Johnson and company to include the sequence if something similar doesn't happen in the movie.
Related: Will Snoke Sacrifice Kylo Ren To Turn Rey Dark?
The genius thing about Star Wars trailers is that even when they drop seemingly big spoilers on the audience (like Rey teaming with Kylo), it raises more questions than what viewers might have had before. Just an inkling of the two young Force users going off hand-in-hand is enough to make people wonder about Luke (is he a villain?), Supreme Leader Snoke (does he have his eyes on Rey?), and what exactly Rey and Kylo would be hoping to achieve as partners. There are several directions for this thread to go, so it doesn't truly ruin a major plot twist. All it does is send fans into a frenzy, flocking to their keyboards as they impatiently count down the days to December. Domhnall Gleeson told us Lucasfilm knows how to market Star Wars, and he is right on with that assessment.
It would be one thing if the shot of BB-8 being electrocuted during the space battle isn't in the final film, as that's just a generic action beat. Rey's statement that she needs someone to help her find her place is a lynchpin for the entire narrative. It ties into the themes of The Last Jedi as she takes her next steps into an even larger world. Lucasfilm has set up the Rey/Kylo dynamic as an integral part of Episode VIII, as evidenced by their placements on posters and IMAX standees. It's easy for the die-hard fanatics to forget that the trailers aren't just there for them to overanalyze; they raise awareness for casual audiences who aren't tuned into every minuscule bit. The average moviegoer has now adjusted expectations accordingly based on this footage.
Conclusion
Now, this isn't to say there aren't any misdirects in the Last Jedi trailer. It's unclear if Snoke is talking to Kylo or Rey in his opening voice over, and Luke's commitment to training Rey is fluid. In some scenes, he's showing her the ways of the Force, while in another, he turns his back on her. These are pieces of the puzzle that will fall into place once everyone gets a chance to see the film in its finished form. The same can be said for other items of promotion, such as details about Benicio del Toro's enigmatic DJ and Rose Tico's secret mission with Finn.
Even if Rey's apparent conversation with Kylo Ren plays out differently in the movie when compared to the trailer, what this moment represents still has a place in the film. Especially after the criticisms following Rogue One's previews (which included several shots not in the movie and hinted at character arcs left on the cutting room floor), Lucasfilm was going to be very conscious about what was in materials for The Last Jedi. Rey and Kylo Ren are the yin and yang of the sequel trilogy, arguably its two most important characters moving forward. There's absolutely no reason for Lucasfilm to lie about this. Star Wars is arguably the most viable franchise in Hollywood, so they don't need to resort to bait-and-switch trickery in order to sell tickets. If Rey and Kylo Ren are contemplating a truce in the trailer, there most likely will be one in the movie.
