Star Wars Episode 8: Will Darth Vader’s Castle Feature In The New Movie?
Following the success of Rogue One and The Force Awakens, fans of Star Wars and movie buffs are speculating about the plot of the up and coming Episode 8. One major source of this speculation is that Darth Vader’s castle will play an important role, according to International Business Times.
Darth Vader’s castle has existed in the Star Wars universe for some time but the Sith lord’s getaway didn’t feature on the big screen until Rogue One brought it to life in 2016. The castle featured in a short scene involving Vader and the architect of the Death Star, Orson Krennic.
A member of Lucasfilm’s story development team has fueled rumors that the castle will return in Star Wars: Episode VIII on Twitter. Pablo Hidalgo confirmed that the dark tower surrounded by lava in Rogue One was Darth Vader’s castle on the planet Mustafar.
Fan theories have emerged arguing that the story team would not have introduced Darth Vader’s castle just for a single, brief scene. Star Wars: Episode VIII is expected to explore Kylo Ren’s further studies of the dark side of the Force. This will almost certainly involve Ren’s grandfather, Darth Vader.
Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver, is a budding Sith lord whose move to the dark side remains a mystery. However, Driver’s character appears to have an obsession with Darth Vader and even has one of Vader’s helmets. This leads some fans to believe Ren will seek out his grandfather’s castle and whatever artifacts might be inside it.
Driver has praised the new movie, which is eagerly expected by Star Wars fans and average moviegoers. Driver called Star Wars: Episode VIII ‘remarkable’, according to Newsweek. Driver’s portrayal of the brooding, estranged son of Han Solo and Princess Leia helped to seal The Force Awakens’ success.
Driver praised Star Wars: Episode VIII’s writer and director Rian Johnson but he gave no hints about possible plot lines involving Darth Vader or his castle.
“He’s a brilliant filmmaker,” Driver told Newsweek.
“And he wrote the script also, and he understands the importance of ambiguity and nuance. He wrote something that I think is remarkable”
Another reason Star Wars fans are optimistic about Darth Vader’s Mustafar retreat featuring in Episode VIII is the number of references to the Star Wars Rebels cartoon series that appeared in Rogue One. Many fans believe these nods to the popular TV series indicate that the new movie will use elements of the show.
Star Wars Rebels features Darth Vader as a distant villain who makes irregular appearances. The cartoon Vader has red eyes, a departure from his usual on-screen portrayal. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story showed Vader with red eyes in his castle, an obvious nod to Rebels.
Star Wars Rebels has also featured locations similar to Darth Vader’s dark castle. The shows Jedi characters, Ezra Bridger, and Kanan Jarrus, have visited Jedi and Sith temples that have similarities to Vader’s tower in Rogue One. Many fans would like to see Driver’s Kylo Ren explore similar locations.
The first trailer for Star Wars: Episode VIII is not due until next year and it is unclear whether it will show Darth Vader’s castle or any other key location that fans will be able to identify. All locations in Star Wars: The Force Awakens were new to fans, though some areas in the trailer were misidentified by fans as planets from earlier Star Wars movies.
There is no guarantee that Darth Vader’s castle will appear in Star Wars: Episode VIII but fans of the franchise will continue to speculate about its inclusion in Rogue One. The official confirmation that the scene took place in Vader’s castle on the fiery planet Mustafar has Star Wars fans begging for more.
[Featured Image by Andrew Estey/Invision for DisneyConsumer Products/AP Images]
