Hidden Details You Missed In The Rogue One Trailer
We finally have our first look at Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and it's a doozy. Here's our rundown of all the new characters, plot hints, and hidden details you might have missed in the first trailer for the next chapter in the saga, due in theaters December 16.
Yavin 4
During the period leading up to A New Hope, the Rebellion operated out of a base on the moon Yavin 4, and that's where we see Jyn Erso, the lead character played by Felicity Jones, in the opening moments of the trailer. Look quickly, and you can see an X-wing fighter and an R5 droid in the background.
Mon Mothma
First spotted in Return of the Jedi, this Rebel leader (originally played by Caroline Blakiston) hasn't received a ton of screen time in the Star Wars movies, even though hardcore fans know she played a pivotal role behind the scenes. Genevieve O'Reilly, who played the character in Revenge of the Sith in a scene that was ultimately cut from the final film, returns for Rogue One. And although she isn't mentioned by name, Mon Mothma can be seen here giving Jyn Erso her mission to help destroy the Empire's mysterious new weapon. If you look particularly closely during this segment, you might see a man who looks an awful lot like General Dodonna, the Rebel general who was credited with coming up with the plan to destroy the first Death Star in A New Hope. Spoiler alert: shoot a missile in that one hole and you're good to go, Rebels.
Diego Luna
You can't have a good Star Wars movie without a rakish Rebel fighter who plays by his own rules. While we still don't know the name of the character Luna's playing, this closeup shot makes it clear he could be right up there with Han Solo and Poe Dameron by the time the Rogue One end credits roll. It may also be worth noting that Luna bears a certain resemblance to Garrick Hagon, who played Luke's old friend Biggs Darklighter in A New Hope. And in fact, Luna's been heavily rumored as actually playing Biggs in Rogue One.
A cool new droid
We never get a great look at it, but Jyn is spotted twice with a droid companion in the trailer: that's the 'bot's back you see here during a shot cut from a chase scene. Whatever its name is, this character is heavily rumored to be voiced by American Dad and Zootopia star Alan Tudyk. And given that it's seen by Jyn's side in a couple of hairy situations, we're assuming it's been built for more than just protocol.
The completion of the Death Star
Loosely speaking, Rogue One is an expanded retelling of the story that's told during A New Hope's opening crawl, specifically that bit about how the Rebellion has earned its first victory against the Empire and stolen plans for the evil dictatorship's "ultimate weapon," the Death Star. Given all that, it comes as no surprise that we'd see the iconic battle station here, but this shot of the Death Star's final assembly—with a fleet of tiny-looking Star Destroyers for scale—is still too awesome not to include.
Ben Mendelsohn
As with Diego Luna's character, we aren't sure who Ben Mendelsohn will be playing in Rogue One. But from what little we see of him in the trailer, he's obviously high enough in the Empire's ranks to feel comfortable striking a badass pose on the bridge of the Death Star—and striding into the flaming remnants of a battle that claimed the lives of more than a few Stormtroopers.
New Stormtroopers
And speaking of the Emperor's foot soldiers, although we do see plenty of the grunts in their classic armor during the Rogue One trailer, we also spot several who sport a different design—like this guy, who looks like a variation on the Dark Troopers from the (now non-canonical) Expanded Universe game Star Wars: Dark Forces. And it's hard to tell, but is that a moisture vaporator, like the ones we saw on Tatooine in A New Hope, burning in the background of this shot?
The Emperor
At the time Rogue One takes place, Darth Vader and the Emperor were the Empire's biggest players. It remains to be seen how heavily they'll figure into the onscreen events of this film, but based on the Imperial Guards in this shot—which looks an awful lot like it takes place inside Vader's private chambers—we're betting the characters will get more than a couple of cursory mentions. In fact, is that the Emperor striding into the chamber here?
All-out war
Rogue One has been described as a gritty war movie, and there are a number of sequences in the trailer that look ready to deliver on that promise. That includes a glimpse of a beach battle featuring a marching squadron of AT-ATs laying waste to everything in their path.
Forest Whitaker
Whoever he is, Forest Whitaker's character promises to play a major part in Rogue One. And judging from his scarred and heavily armored appearance, he's someone who's suffered during the ongoing galactic civil war. In fact, he can be heard quite a bit in voiceover, giving what seems to be a few bits of hard-earned counsel to Jyn, including a warning that fighting against the Empire threatens to turn her into what she most despises.
Donnie Yen
We don't know who Yen's playing, and we can't wait to find out. In fact, we wish we could hang with this character, who's ready and able to dispatch a squad of Stormtroopers with nothing more than a staff. And what's going on with that X-wing wreckage in the background?
Wen Jiang
The Empire might have the power of the Dark Side in their favor, as well as enough money to build a weapon as incredible as the Death Star. But the Rebellion has always had the advantage when it comes to borderline maniacs with battle skills galore and nothing left to lose. This brief shot of Wen Jiang's character rushing into the fray has our adrenaline surging already.
Jyn Erso
Which brings us to Felicity Jones' character, Jyn Erso. She's carrying the hopes of the entire fledgling Rebellion on her evidently capable shoulders in Rogue One, but we're led to believe that her moral code might be a tad flexible, and it's hinted that she isn't everything a Star Wars hero's usually cracked up to be. She starts off the trailer in handcuffs, for one thing, and then there's this shot, which suggests a betrayal. Is she an Imperial defector? Will she be tempted by the Dark Side? Or is this just a classic piece of trailer misdirection? Remember how the trailers leading up to The Force Awakens suggested the lightsaber-wielding Finn was actually our new Jedi? We're guessing it's the latter, but we'll have to wait until December to find out. Until then, may the Force be with us all.