What Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker Trailers Are (Probably) Lying About
The trailers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker include several major plot reveals -- but are they really what they seem? Chances are, what's really happening in the movie is quite different than what the marketing suggests.
After 42 years, Disney and Lucasfilm is bringing the celebrated Skywalker Saga to an end with the third film in the current trilogy and the ninth film in the series, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Directed by J.J. Abrams, The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters in December of this year. Based on the ending of The Last Jedi, the trio of heroes (Daisy Ridley's Rey, Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron, and John Boyega's Finn) will finally be united after being scattered for so long. The movie picks up one year after the events of The Last Jedi, which saw the defeat of Andy Serkis' Supreme Leader Snoke.
With Snoke gone, a much older threat will emerge in the form of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Other Star Wars veterans coming back for the final film are Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, and Carrie Fisher who has top-billing as Leia Organa. Where all these characters fit into the story and exactly what it entails is for the most part a mystery, but the trailers are packed with clues. The problem with discerning these clues is that some may be misleading in order to hide what the film actually has in store for audiences. Here's what the trailers may be lying about when it comes to the plot of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
The final trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has grim implications for one of the franchise's most beloved characters, C-3PO (Anthony Daniels). C-3PO's arc in the movie was previously teased in the D23 footage. The worrisome droid with a knack for complaining is apparently being reprogrammed by droidsmith Babu Frik. Now the latest trailer shows C-3PO telling the other main characters that he wants to take one last look at his friends. It's an ominous line that indicates a sad end for the droid. What the trailers appear to be telling viewers is that when C-3PO is reprogrammed, his memories will be removed, and his personality will be reset. C-3PO losing his identity would essentially mean death for an iconic character.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker killing off a character who's been a part of the franchise since 1977 and has appeared in every single installment would be a huge moment for the series. In fact, it seems so important that it's hard to believe Lucasfilm would want to spoil it in the film's marketing material. It would make much more sense to keep this one a secret. An alternate explanation for C-3PO's line is that it reflects something that's going on with all the characters in the scene, and not just C-3PO. It could be this scene takes place ahead of a mission where the odds aren't in their favor, and they may be about to split up for the last time.
A turn to the dark side for the main protagonist of the new Star Wars trilogy, Rey, was first teased when footage from D23 showed her wielding a double-bladed red lightsaber. This, combined with her black robes and stoic demeanor certainly make it look like Rey has made a turn to the dark side, despite the direction that Star Wars: The Last Jedi took the character. Daisy Ridley's own comments have reinforced the idea that this scene isn't a trick of some kind. Rey wouldn't be the first good-natured character to let go of her principles and become a Sith, but is this really what Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is doing with its hero?
Rey turning evil feels highly unlikely, no matter the circumstances. Furthermore, as with C-3PO, this isn't the sort of twist that Lucasfilm would give away in a trailer. So why does Rey look like a Sith Lord? One possible explanation is that this is an illusion or a vision. The fear of turning to the dark side is a common theme in Star Wars movies, so it could be that someone is showing Rey the consequences of making the wrong decisions. Alternatively, this may not be the actual Rey. Instead, she (and the real Rey) are clones, which could relate directly to the scene in The Last Jedi where Rey looks into a mirror and sees multiple versions of herself. Or, Rey is being possessed by Emperor Palpatine. A Sith can survive death by transferring his or her essence to a relic, which could come into the possession of Rey. Rey could be a vessel for the return of the franchise's primary antagonist.
In August of 2018, it was reported that former Doctor Who star Matt Smith would appear in Star Wars 9 in a key role, though nothing official was ever announced. The report seemed accurate, even though it wasn't backed up by anything from Disney or Lucasfilm. Smith himself has claimed that he's not in Star Wars 9. This comment cast doubt on the report, but then there's another detail that makes the situation regarding Smith even more mysterious. His name was included on a cast list for the movie and later removed without explanation. Also, Smith is missing from all the trailers. By all appearances, one might assume that Matt Smith isn't in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker -- but that may be just what Disney wants fans to think.
Matt Smith's character could be integral to a major plot twist, so revealing his identity could spoil something of great significance. It's been theorized that Matt Smith is playing a young Palpantine, and if this is true, this feels like something that Lucasfilm would want to hide. Either way, the mystery surrounding Matt Smith, like much of the secrecy around Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, will likely persist for quite some time.