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Despite the large gaps between new movie releases, there's never a dull moment in the Star Wars universe.
This week, I'm covering three exciting developments coming to us from a galaxy far, far away, including the connection between Rogue One and the original trilogy, a beloved fan theory that a Star Wars Rebels writer seemed to confirm, and a new Star Wars VR attraction coming to the Disney Parks. New Marvel comic will connect Rogue One and the original trilogy
Before we went into the theater and found out every character in the film died, most of us were wondering what became of the Rogue One characters in Episode IV and beyond. Even after the movie was released, the question remains--how do the events of Rogue One impact the future of the galaxy and the characters in the fight against the Empire (outside of the obvious implications of the Alliance's possession of the Death Star plans)? Are the heroes that died on Scarif honored in any way?
The newest issue of Marvel's Star Wars comics will explore this question.
Issue #38 of Star Wars will have Luke, Leia, and Han all travel to Jedha, the Imperial-occupied moon featured prominently in Rogue One, at some point between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. In the film, the Death Star decimated the holy Jedha City as a test of the super-weapon's power. Writer Kieron Gillan says their visit is a moving moment of realization for the Rebellion's leaders of the sacrifices made for their cause.
“Luke took a million to one shot [blowing up the Death Star], but he didn’t realize in a very real way how many people died to let him take that shot. And that’s a really inspiring thing,” Gillen said, according to ABC News. “That’s going to drive him harder than ever.” Of Leia, Gillen reveals that seeing another planet devastated by the Death Star will be an important moment for her after seeing her home planet of Alderaan destroyed. The comic is set to be released some time later this year. Did one Star Wars Rebels writer just confirm a beloved fan theory?
Earlier this week, Star Wars Rebels writer Steven Melching caused a stir on the Internet when he sent out this since-deleted tweet:
(credit: i09)
Many fans, since Captain Rex was introduced to the Star Wars Rebels TV series, had begun to speculate that Captain Rex and Nik Sant (pictured above, right), a Rebel fighter in the Battle of Endor, were the same person, due to their similar bushy, white beards. This theory also seemed to satisfy the question of what happened to the clone troopers after the fall of the Republic. And for a moment, it seemed as if this much-loved fan theory was confirmed.
Well, not so fast. After deleting the above tweet, Melching seemed to backtrack:
Nonetheless, he did not confirm that Nik Sant was not Captain Rex. In a later tweet, he said, "So are Rex and Nik Sant one-in-the-same? Truthfully, I do not know the answer. I wish I had made that clear originally." Thus, the theory, still being officially unanswered, stays alive...for now. I do find it interesting how there seems to be no serious enquiry on Melching's part to actually discover if this theory is true or not, perhaps on purpose. Is Disney staying tight-lipped for a reason? We'll have to see as Star Wars Rebels progresses into its final season this fall.
Star Wars VR experience is coming to a Disney Park near you
In a last, and equally exciting, bit of news, Disney announced this week that a new, fully immersive, Star Wars-themed, virtual reality attraction would be opening later this year. One will be opening in Downtown Disney in Anaheim, while the other will be located in Disney Springs in Orlando. The venture is a collaboration between Lucasfilm, ILMxLab, and The Void, a company that specializes in immersive VR.
(credit: Lucasfilm)
Aside from the title of the attraction, Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, details are somewhat slim at the moment. What we do know is that, frankly, it's gonna be awesome. The Void's chief creative officer, Curtis Hickman, stated, "At THE VOID, we combine the magic of illusions, advanced technology and virtual reality to create fully immersive social experiences that take guests to new worlds. A truly transformative experience is so much more than what you see with your eyes; it’s what you hear, feel, touch, and even smell. Through the power of THE VOID, guests who step into Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire won’t just see this world, they’ll know that they are part of this amazing story.” I would be interested to see if Disney expands this VR experience to their other franchises in the future, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Regardless, I, for one, am already mentally planning a trip to Disney World later this year just for this. Whether the trip will actually happen is debatable, but I can dream, right?
Comment below: What are your thoughts on Issue #38 of Marvel's Star Wars comics? Is Nik Sant Captain Rex? Do you think Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire will be any good? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments!
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