The box office behemothStar Wars: The Force Awakensfinally brought fans back to their beloved galaxy far, far away, set 32 years after the events ofReturn of the Jedi. Anticipation is growing by the minute for the next sequel,Star Wars: Episode VIII, which is currently filming at Pinewood Studios in the U.K., and set for release next December. Later this year, though, fans will be transported back in time with the first spinoffRogue One: A Star Wars Story, which is set betweenRevenge of the Sithand the classic that started it all, 1977’sA New Hope. While we recently got to see the first trailer, there are still several unanswered questions about this spinoff, but thankfully, Lucasfilm’sPablo Hidalgogave fans one surprisingly definitive answer about this adventure, confirming that a certainStar Warsvillain definitely won’t be seen in the movie.
Star Wars: The Force Awakensintroduced fans to the next iconic villain in theStar Warsuniverse,Supreme Leader Snoke, portrayed through motion capture byAndy Serkis. Snoke is essentially the new trilogy’s version of The Emperor, seducing young Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) to the dark side of The Force, which ultimately lead to Kylo Ren killing his father, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in one ofStar Wars: The Force Awakens' most iconic scenes. Even thoughRogue Oneis set decades beforeStar Wars: The Force Awakens, some had theorized that Snoke may make an appearance in this movie due to one shot in the teaser that shows a mysterious cloaked figure appraoching a tank flanked by the two Emperial Royal Guards, a rumor which Lucasfilm creative executivePablo Hidalgoshot down. Here’s what the executive had to say in a brief statement on his Twitter page.
“Snoke is not in Rogue One. Like, in any way, shape or form. This is a standalone movie.”
Of course, Snoke’s exclusion certainly makes sense, considering whenRogue Oneis set, but there have often been rumors that the movie will feature the iconic Darth Vader in some way. A report from January teased that Darth Vader and his Death Troopers will have pivotal roles in theRogue Onestory, and the trailer’s mysterious cloaked figure could either be Vader or possibly the Emperor. While he wouldn’t reveal any specifics,Rogue OnestarMads Mikkelsenteased in a recent interview that fans will be reunited with a few “iconic characters,” along with plenty of new faces. Here’s what he had to say when asked if it was possible that we’ll get to see anyone familiar inRogue One.
“Some of them - but I would reveal too much. There are iconic characters in our film and also characters you have never heard of. It’s a mix.”
This interview comes just one day afterMads Mikkelsendropped quite the bombshell in another interview, revealing that his character is actually the father ofFelicity Jones’Jyn Erso. The actor also dropped another spoiler during a convention appearance last year, where he signed a fan’s poster that revealed his character name is Galen, which many have speculated is actually Galen Marek, a character from the video gameStar Wars Unleashed. In the game, Galen Marek was an apprentice to Darth Vader before switching sides and joining the Rebel Alliance, but it hasn’t been confirmed ifMads Mikkelsenis playing this character or not.
Other reports have likedMads Mikkelsen’s character toRobert Oppenheimer, who helped create the atomic bomb. These reports claim thatMads Mikkelsenis playing a scientist who is working on the Death Star, before leaving the Empire to make things right, by enlisting the help of his daughter, Jyn Erso. Naturally, none of this has been confirmed, but it does fall in line with the revelation that the actor is playing Jyn’s father. We’ll be sure to keep you posted with more onRogue One: A Star Wars Storyas soon as we have more information, as we get closer and closer to the December 16 release date.
