Well well well. Less than 4 months out from the release of perhaps the biggest film they have ever attempted to make, Disney and Lucasfilm have decided to bless us with yet another incredibly gorgeous trailer that seems to be making even the biggest haters foam at the mouth. This trailer (and marketing campaign) seems eerily familiar to something we have seen recently before...and therefore begs comparisons to be drawn. In this breakdown, I will discuss the finer details of the new deceivingly short teaser trailer for Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker....
...as well as attempt to answer the inevitable question of whether it is, indeed, a bigger cinematic event than Avengers: Endgame.
Let's get this party started.
Avengers Assemble
The first half of this trailer spends its time reminding us fans that the roots of the Star Wars Universe do indeed run deep (perhaps deeper than any film franchise in cinematic history), and it acts as a tribute to truly display how far we have come since Luke's Moisture Farming days under the twin suns of Tatooine. It was refreshing to see the prequels finally acknowledged as some of the most iconic scenes in all of Star Wars flashed across the screen to a tender, yet eerie rift of Yoda's theme from Empire Strikes Back. Luke's voice can be heard over the beautiful music...repeating the same words he spoke at the beginning of the first trailer.
"We've passed on all we know. A thousand generations live in you now...but this is your fight."
I think this speech coming from Luke is much more significant than a pre-fight pep-talk to Rey...but more on that later.
It seems that Disney and Lucasfilm are (smartly) utilizing the endless nostalgia generated by the first two Star Wars trilogies in the marketing campaign for The Rise of Skywalker, and that strategy...as well as the format of the second trailer itself...seems at least vaguely familiar. Haven't we seen something like this before? Wasn't it also a massive cinematic culmination years in the making? Wasn't it also financed and marketed by Disney?
Oh yeah! I remember now! Avengers: Endgame! They did the same thing! Watch both trailers below and decide for yourself.
Plot twist: The Star Wars Galaxy exists within the Marvel Cinematic Univ....
You know what? I'm not even gonna go there.
Instead, let's move past the comparisons to Endgame (for now) and take a moment to acknowledge the beautiful fact that the gang is finally together in this film, and they are set out on what looks to be perhaps the greatest (and most dangerous) adventure ever seen in the Star Wars Universe.
Pairing these images together with the ones seen in the first trailer for Rise of Skywalker seems to point towards a grand adventure 3 films....check that... Nine Films...in the making. One of the biggest complaints by fans and haters alike thus far in the sequel trilogy is that there is very little (if any) interaction between the supposed "heroes" of the story...with Poe and Rey meeting for the first time in the final scenes of the second film. Alas, based on the first two trailers, it seems they have saved the best for last with an adventure chalk full of action, sandy planets, jet troopers, back flips, clashing lightsabers and even the Death Star. Besides the inevitable "twists" and "big reveals" that this film looks to offer, this very well may prove to be one of the biggest highlights of the entire trilogy. It'll be super interesting to see how these very diverse group of rag-tag heroes play off each other and work together to reach their destinations. Let's hope that it does indeed live up to the very lofty standards we the fans have demanded from Lucasfilm. If the Russo brothers can do it, then so can you JJ! I believe in you!
Oh yeah....and General Leia. Glad to see her back.
The Meat and Potatoes
The next few sequences of the trailer are the ones that begin to show us something we haven't seen yet...hence the reason I am calling them the "meat and potatoes" of this trailer....and boy are they juicy.
Right after the words: "The Story of a Generation" flash across the screen we see back-to-back-to-back shots of what seems to be the space battle to end all space battles. Seriously, if these shots are part of the same scene/battle then we really are in for a treat.
The actors and the creative team behind The Rise of Skywalker have made it no secret that this film will feature an "all out war" between good and evil, but where most people (myself included) took this to be a simple marketing ploy to get us hyped for the film, Disney and Lucasfilm showed us otherwise. I cannot stress enough how much this film just oozes epicness. I know this because my personal hype level for this film cannot possibly exceed the hype I experienced for The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi...it can only be matched. I am looking forward to this film just as much as the previous two...but there is something about this one that seems different than anything previously seen or experienced in the first two films of this culminating trilogy. There is a glow to this film. There is something magical...something epic-feeling about it, and I can't wait to find out why.
After the incredibly gorgeous shots of what can only be the Grand Sith Armada, we see a quick shot of Finn and the new character introduced at Star Wars Celebration this past May (Played by Naomi Ackie). They appear to be looking out upon the massive sith army with expressions that look like a healthy mix of shock, awe, and horror. I don't blame them. I'd be pooping my pants too. Let's just hope that Finn has evolved somewhat between his enlightenment at the end of Episode 8 and whenever this takes place on the Star Wars Timeline. At least make him an officer of the rebel army for gosh sake.
The next shot is one that is confusing many people, based off the initial social media reaction to the trailer. At first it seems to be a simple shot of C-3PO, however upon second glance, his eyes appear to be red...hence the confusion. Is 3PO bad? Has be been hacked or corrupted? Is he a....gasp....sith!?!?
Short Answer? No. Not even close. If you haven't been paying attention to the leaks making their way onto reddit over the past few months, then you would probably already know why 3PO's eyes are red...but alas, sifting through the hundreds of "leaks" put online every day and trying to decipher which of them are real and which of them are being hyped by internet trolls desperate for attention has become an arduous task to say the least. Only the truly insane are strong enough to take such a mental beating. That's why I do it. So you don't have to.
Take a look at this poster that was leaked a few months back. It was all but confirmed by many high profile workers within the industry to be accurate...or at least the artwork seen on the poster was accurate. Whether Disney would decide to actually release this is another question entirely.
Now take a closer look a C-3PO....
Yes...that is indeed what you think it is. C-3PO holding a bowcaster. When this image first circulated the internet, people went into a frenzy trying to find out why on earth the stiffest and most spineless character in all of Star Wars would look like he's ready to go full Rambo mode all over the First Order. Eventually, the amazing detectives of the internet came across someone who has supposedly worked on the film, and they claim that deep within 3PO lies a program that turns the usually shy and bashful robot into a golden shit-talking can of pure whoop-ass. If you're having trouble visualizing this...just think of Spider-Man's "Instant Kill Mode" seen in Avengers: Endgame. This is why I think 3PO's eyes are red in this shot. He's about to kick some serious First Order butt.
FINALLY...
Before advancing to the final few (and best) shots of the trailer, we see what looks like the all-too-familiar sights of a planet being destroyed by a super weapon. I don't really know what to make of this shot. There was a plot leak a while back claiming that Kylo was searching for another super weapon, but when I saw the Death Star in that first trailer...that's what I took the "super weapon" to be. However, with this new shot, it appears that either Kylo and the First Order have somehow gotten their hands on yet another super weapon...or it's a flashback to the construction and testing of Starkiller Base (seen in The Force Awakens). I am personally hoping for the latter, as destroying a super weapon is literally the last thing this film needs to focus on.
Now let's talk lightsabers.
The first of the four final breathtaking shots of this trailer depicts Rey training in a forest and mastering a familiar technique that is normally attributed to the one and only grand pappy of them all...Darth Vader. The move I'm referencing, of course, is the famous lightsaber throw...known among gamers to be one of the most satisfying moves to pull off successfully in any given Star Wars game.
It's nice to finally see some variety in regards to lightsaber-wielding within this trilogy (or any lightsaber-wielding at all for that matter). It looks like JJ has decided to finally take the action of this film back to the fast-paced, acrobatic, and highly choreographed ways of the prequels, which will make many fans (myself included) very happy. The slow and clunky battle of the first film was justified by Rey being new to the whole thing and Kylo having been hit with a blast that should have cut him clean in half. However, the lack of lightsaber action in the second film has made the sequel trilogy a bit stale in that department. Hopefully there's enough in this one to make up for it.
The next two shots depict a lightsaber duel between the two main characters themselves, on what appears to be the crashed Death Star seen in the first trailer. Before that, however, there was a quick shot of Kylo storming away from his parked ship while aggressively igniting his famous cross-bladed lightsaber. I think it's important to point out that these two scenes take place at different points in the film due to the snowy background in the first shot, and the stormy, water-filled shot of the second. Take a look.
Now I could be wrong about that (it could just be fog/steam that I'm seeing and not snow) but I'm fairly confident as the lighting doesn't match either. I would imagine that the first shot takes place close to the scene we saw in the first trailer with Kylo body-slamming some poor chap with his laser-sword.
The fight itself looks absolutely gorgeous and intense as we see Kylo and Rey absolutely going at it with mile-high waves crashing into the platform around them. Although I'm super stoked to see this fight...I'm convinced it takes place rather early in the film and is one of many we will see throughout. If you thought the throne room scene in The Last Jedi was cool...just wait till you see the firework show that ol' JJ has in store for us.
The one thing that jumped out to me while witnessing this gorgeous scene for the first time, was the fiery passion that both Kylo and Rey were using to fight one another. The exaggerated movements, desperate lunges, and powerful swings that they were both exhibiting tells me that these fights will be filled with emotion. Love, anger, hatred, jealousy...the whole nine yards. Remember...Rey isn't a jedi. At least not in the classical sense. She allows herself to feel the full range of emotions as the first jedi masters originally intended. These battles are going to be absolute death matches.
The Jaw-Dropper
We have finally reached the final shot of the trailer, and it's the one everyone is talking about.
You know the one.
Now again, I pay attention to leaks...so I knew this was going to be in the trailer due to a spoiler-filled leaked description of it from fans who were in attendance at D23. However, I have watched with glee throughout the day as the internet absolutely exploded with emotional reactions, theories, and excitement. All I gotta say is one thing....
I called it.
About eight months ago, I wrote an article titled Has Disney and Lucasfilm Been Playing Us All Along!? where I detailed my insanely complex theory on who Snoke was, and how it tied the entire saga together. Now while my theory wasn't exactly correct, keep in mind this was before the Palpatine reveal in the first trailer...which I can honestly say was a shock. I expected him to be referenced in the film...but him being a full-blown character in it was something nobody saw coming. We all wanted it, but didn't expect it.
Anyways, in my theory I proposed the idea that Snoke was capable of using essence transfer to preserve his lifeforce within various objects or people. I went on to assume that Snoke's true identity was someone like Valkorion/Darth Vitiate of the old republic...and although I still might be right, I highly doubt it. After digesting these first two trailers for episode 9, I'm almost positive that Snoke was really Palpatine the whole time. He was using the body of Snoke (who is probably just some random alien) as a vessel to train and groom his next vessel...which has been his goal since the very beginning.
Think about it.
We know that it has been all but confirmed that Palpatine manipulated the midichlorians in Anakin's mother to create him. We know that Palpatine's real goal wasn't to train and raise an apprentice to eventually replace him as the Sith Lord...it was to train and raise the most powerful force being in the universe so that he could use him/her as a vessel. He wanted what every sith wants. Ultimate and everlasting power.
Obi-Wan interrupted and delayed the Emperor's plans for everlasting domination with his defeat and maiming of Anakin during their duel on Mustafar. With his perfect vessel irreparably damaged, Palpatine had to start looking for another option. Knowing Anakin's children survived, Palpatine used this information to his advantage...lying to Vader and securing himself a loyal lapdog for the rest of his days. Palpatine then just had to bide his time until Luke was of age and was inevitably trained in the ways of the force and came looking for his daddy. Luke was Option #1 for Palpatine...but like every evil mastermind, he needed a backup plan. This is where Rey comes in. Rey is Anakin 2.0. It's clear as day. No relevant parents (Like Anakin), Raised on a desolate desert planet and shielded from the truth until she was ready (just like Anakin), and she wields an enormous amount of natural power and ability that can only be matched by a Skywalker (The other line of humans created by Palps). It all fits.
Rey was never meant to be anything other than Palpatines backup vessel. Snoke/Palpatine knew this. It's why he states that he "cannot be betrated...cannot be beaten" at the end of The Last Jedi. He knows Kylo is going to kill him in that moment. He hopes he does. Now that there's two potential vessels for him to inhabit...all he has to do is sit back and watch them destroy each other and tear the whole galaxy apart in the process so that he can swoop in and posses whoever come out on top. By the looks of it...he chooses Rey.
Still Don't believe me? Fine. I guess we will find out in a few short months. However, here is one more thing to consider in regards to Palpatine possessing Rey and my theory for the over-arching plot of the most brilliant evil mastermind in cinematic history. That lightsaber Rey is wielding is dual bladed, but unlike typical dual-bladed lightsabers, this one looks like it can be separated into two individual ones. If this is true...and I suspect it is...the style would be eerily similar to Palpatine's as seen in the animated Clone Wars series. Take a look.
Could this new hybrid lighsaber be a perfect combination of Rey's staff fighting style, and Palpatine's dual-blade style? I guess only time will tell.
One last thing to note in this final shot is that the actual blades themselves are unstable and crackley...just like Kylo's. This would mean that she's using some sort of cracked/ancient lightsaber crystal. Super Interesting and revealing if true.
Clash of the Titans
So to answer the original question posed in the title of this article: Will Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker be bigger than Avengers: Endgame?
Probably not.
Monetarily, most certainly not. I don't think this will be the highest-grossing film of all time...but in terms of cultural impact, I don't think it's fair to compare the two. They both impacted society in much different, but powerful ways. Star Wars has been a tradition for literally decades, with multiple generations having their own set of films to adore. This has been the focus of their marketing campaign for The Rise of Skywalker and rightly so. They have earned it. Whereas the MCU was a much more recent phenomenon taking place in a completely different genre. I think that, at the end of the day, they will both reserve their own spots atop the cinematic marvels of our time. You can compare all the numbers you want...box office sales...merchandising...the number of hashtags used...all of it. But nothing can measure the love we all feel for both of these franchises and the work they have put into making sure they give us something we will never forget.
It's important to remember how far we have come as fans of these franchises and for these studios to remind us.
We sure have come a long way from the sandy farms of Tatooine.
Oh and Luke's speech at the beginning of both trailers? I think he's speaking to Kylo...not Rey. The Rise of Skywalker. This has always been about him. This has always been about the Skywalkers.
But hey! Who Knows? Like I said...only time will tell. Until then...
-SAF