If you've been thinking that chatter about Rogue One has been relatively muted lately, Disney's head honcho begs to differ, while simultaneously suggesting that we shouldn't be expecting a Force Awakens-size smash, either. Mixed messages? Sure, but at least no Bothans died bringing them to us. Meanwhile, the future of Star Wars looks strong, and its past is about to be revealed, too. Welcome to the important Star Wars news of the past couple of weeks, my little Jawas.
Source: Disney CEO Bob Iger
Probability of Accuracy: Well, technically, he's expressing an opinion, so...
The Real Deal: Speaking during an appearance at Goldman Sachs Communacopia last week, Disney CEO Bob Iger talked about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the expectations for that movie, in both critical and financial terms. "It’s really interesting in terms of Star Wars storytelling. Star Wars has only been told as a saga, and this is a moment in time," Iger said during an investor presentation this week, adding that the studio execs "love what we’ve seen" of the movie to date. He then went on to say that no one at Disney expects Rogue One to match Star Wars: The Force Awakens in terms of success. "We never felt it would do the level that Force Awakens did [but] the level of interest [in Rogue One] is as high as it was for Force Awakens." So… is that downplaying the movie's chance of success or not? We genuinely can't tell.
Source: Bob Iger, again
Probability of Accuracy: This one was fairly obvious all along, surely?
The Real Deal: Also during Iger's investor talk he revealed that a third Star Wars Story movie is being planned for 2020 (potentially the retooled movie that Josh Trank was once attached to, but Iger didn't reveal what the focus of the new standalone would be), and that discussions are already taking place for what happens to Star Wars "in 2021 and beyond." Does this mean fans should be anticipating a fourth trilogy of core movies, or will everything shift to Star Wars Story installments for awhile following Episode IX? Iger dropped no hints, only saying that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy isn't "just making a Star Wars movie, she’s making a Star Wars universe, of sorts." B-but... it's a Star Wars galaxy! One that's far, far away!
Source: Lupita Nyong'o herself
Probability of Accuracy: If she wouldn't know, then who would?
The Real Deal: Responding to rumors that, despite what director Rian Johnson had said, Episode VIII had yet to finish shooting because Lupita Nyong'o hadn't shot her scenes for the movie yet (which also led to the rumor "Oh, maybe Lupita's not in the next movie"), Nyong'o set the record straight during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "I shot my scenes," she said. "You never really know, when you shoot your scenes in a movie, which ones are gonna make it and all that. So, it's always, 'Fingers crossed!' But as far as I know, I'm in it!" The rumors to the contrary, she said, "hurt my feelings." So, whoever started those rumors? Double shame on you.
Source: EA's Star Wars: Battlefront PR
Probability of Accuracy: 100 percent accurate, unlike the targeting of Garven Dreis.
The Real Deal: Look, if the news that you can play Chewbacca in the new Star Wars Battlefront DLC doesn't make you want to visit the Death Star any time soon, then perhaps you'll be excited to learn that you can also pilot Darth Vader's TIE fighter and Luke Skywalker's X-wing as part of the new content. That's not doing it for you? Well, there's always this trailer, which, let's be honest, is oddly reminiscent of the Battlestar Galactica reboot, but no less awesome for that:
C'mon, it looks like that and you get to be Chewbacca? Seriously.
Source: Lucasfilm and writer Jason Aaron
Probability of Accuracy: It's right on the nose.
The Real Deal: Those wishing that the new canon of Star Wars would look to an era beyond the original trilogy for material should pick up Star Wars #26 comic when it's released in December. "This story takes place before the Clone Wars and it’s set in a world we’ve never seen before," writer Jason Aaron told StarWars.com about the issue. "I was always just intrigued by that idea. You know, we’ve seen Yoda as the teacher, as the wise Jedi Master, but I wanted to see Yoda just as the Jedi." Yoda won't be the only familiar face in the issue, which will be illustrated by Darth Vader artist Salvador Larroca; Aaron said that the story, which takes place before Episode I: The Phantom Menace, includes "a brief appearance by Qui-Gon and young Obi-Wan," as well. As if that's not enough comics news, Marvel will be replacing the sadly concluding Darth Vader series with a new mystery comic also in December, written by *Vader'*s Kieron Gillen. The title remains under wraps for now, but we can only hope it's a Doctor Aphra ongoing.
