J. Abrams is sorry you had to go through that.
The teaser trailer for Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker feels strangely apologetic — even the film’s title appears to be an apology, a confirmation that Luke’s legacy didn’t really evaporate in the sun like a mud puddle.
“We’re sorry Luke drank alien breast milk,” the trailer seems to be saying. “Hope you like Force ghosts, because we’ve got a lot of damage control to do. Hey, remember Palpatine?”
The titular Skywalker is a mystery, seeing as the Skywalker blood runs through several characters; is it Leia, Luke, Kylo, perhaps even Rey? It wouldn’t surprise me if Rey’s humble origins undergo a dramatic revision.
It’s hard not to watch this trailer and feel cynical, especially after seeing Kylo’s Darth Vader cosplay helmet soldered back together again. The shattering of said helmet marked a major moment of character development for Kylo, the moment when the angry young boy realized he had to become his own man, to stop living in the shadow of his grandfather.
In short, it was one of the things that Rian Johnson got right. As underwhelming as The Last Jedi was, half of it was a good movie, and I hope that J. Abrams isn’t too keen to undo the plot points of that film in order to appease the angry fans.
It’s strange to hear Mark Hamill’s voice narrate this trailer; it’s a strong hint that Luke is returning, (in some form or another) right after his story concluded, admittedly with a damp fizzle rather than a bang, but still, an ending.
The trailer proudly boasts Lando Calrissian, the last original trilogy character, and a glimpse of what appears to be the ruins of the Death Star — let’s hope the First Order refrains from building yet another version.
The trailer ends with the unmistakable cackle of Emperor Palpatine. Really? I know Snoke was nothing more than an echo of Palpatine, but that doesn’t mean the franchise has to return to the original big bad.
