Click the poster to embiggen. Trust me, you’re gonna want to do that:
Before I get into speculating about all the stuff on this poster, I have to admit that it’s a poor imitation of what Drew Struzan brought to his Star Wars posters. The poster itself isn’t bad, but it lacks any real charm or magic. Oh well, who cares about that? On with the analysis!
The big reveal here is the Death Star-ish object in the upper right corner. For those of us who haven’t been spoiler-averse during this movie’s production, that’s most likely the Starkiller Base that Domhnall Gleeson’s General Hux is in command of. If the rumors are true, it’s pretty much a Death Star on space steroids, capable of annihilating entire solar systems (possibly by just destroying suns? That would give the name a little more significance beyond a cutesy reference to Luke Skywalker’s original character name). If that’s the case, I wonder how such a derivative concept will go over with fans, especially since Death Star II in Return of the Jedi was pretty dumb. However, fellow Chewer Travis Newton pointed out that the superweapon is located on the Resistance’s side of the poster. Is it the good guys who have a super destructive weapon this time around? Now that’s a compelling and morally complex idea, and seems to fit in with what we’ve heard about this film challenging our preconceived notions of good and evil. For a better look at the superweapon, here’s a wide variant of the poster (click to embiggen):
We’ve also got a new alien friend hanging out next to R2-D2. Is that Maz Kanata, the character Lupita Nyong’o is playing? I’d bet money on it.
We also get our first glimpse of Carrie Fisher as Leia Org- what is going on with her hair? She looks like Gary Oldman’s Dracula. I cannot wait to see that on the big screen.
Probably the most telling aspect of this poster is Daisy Ridley’s Rey being put smack dab in the middle. If there were any doubts that she’s going to be our main character, consider those crushed. It’s also interesting how her staff and Kylo Ren’s lightsaber blade are perfectly aligned. The possibility of these two being Skywalker spawn seems more likely than ever.
Speaking of Skywalkers, where is Luke? I find his lack of presence disturbing.
Any other revelations you’ve garnered from staring at this poster like it’s a magic eye picture? Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think.
UPDATE! The official Star Wars Instagram accounts have released some eensy weensy little bits of footage from tomorrow night’s trailer. See ’em below. — Travis Newton
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