Editorial: Should a Major Character Die in Star Wars: The Force Awakens?

618_movies_star_wars_luke_leia_han1-300x2001

With the latest reports on a potential major character death making the rounds, hit the jump to see our opinion on whether or not a major character from the Original Trilogy should die in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

 

 

POTENTIAL HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD

 

 

Many of you reading this may have seen MSW’s report regarding a rumored death of one of the major returning characters from the OT (you can read the huge spoiler at your own risk HERE). Even if you have not, the idea of killing off one of the original heroes has been one of the primary points of speculation since the announcement of Episode VII. The question of whether or not MSW’s report is accurate will not be discussed here, personally it is a theory I have bought into since very early on in speculation. I will address why I believe a major death will occur with the following points-

 

 

Obi-Wan

 

1. Campbell’s Monomyth

 

Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Pantheon Books, 1949) put forth the idea of the archetypal “Hero’s Journey” that is found in myths and legends across many cultures. It is well known to have been a major influence on George Lucas who gave this quote in an interview for a biography on Joseph Campbell (Joseph Campbell: A fire in the Mind)

 

“it came to me that there really was no modern use of mythology…so that’s when I started doing more strenuous research on fairy tales, folklore and mythology, and I started reading Joe’s books. Before that I hadn’t read any of Joe’s books…. It was very eerie because in reading The Hero with a Thousand Faces I began to realize that my first draft of Star Wars was following classical motifs”

 

The stages of The Hero’s journey can be found in places such as Wikipedia but in the original work by Joseph Campbell you won’t find one of the well known moments found in many Hero’s journeys, that is the “death of the mentor.” In both Episode I and Episode IV we experienced this heart wrenching moment as Qui-Gon faced his demise at the hands of Darth Maul in Episode I, and Obi-Wan at the hands of Darth Vader in Episode IV. Their deaths were meant to symbolize a new period of growth for the hero (Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker respectively). With their mentor gone the hero had to now step forward and face the world on their own. It is a key point of growth for both characters, it is the first step on the road to Jedi Master for Obi-Wan and the first step on redeeming his father for Luke.

 

 

Now what does this have to do with Episode VII? By most indications now, Han Solo will be the elderly figure attached to Rey and Finn. While Han isn’t the classical mentor archetype it doesn’t preclude him from serving in that role for our two heroes. Thus the death of Han could serve as a driving force of character development for both Finn and Rey. If the speculation of Rey being Han’s daughter is accurate, the would be even more gut wrenching, having her see her father cut down before her.

 

 

I do admit that the call for a mentor’s death doesn’t have to be Han, it could easily be Luke Skywalker or even Max Von Sydow’s character assuming his position as a mentor to Rey is accurate. Luke fulfills the archetype of the mentor more so than Han and he fits the archetype of a martyr, another reason it could be Luke’s death we see. While I favor the death of Han I can see a solid argument towards Luke’s death. Max Von Sydow’s death is possible assuming his position as mentor to Rey is true but I personally consider him the least likely choice. The reason I support the death of Han over Luke will be addressed in my second point, and the reason I support the death of Han or Luke will be addressed with my third point.

 

 

han solo

 

2. Fruition of Character Arcs

 

One of the greatest moments of the Original Trilogy was watching the characters develop as the films went along. Luke Skywalker began as an innocent and naive farm boy in IV, to a brash and reckless hero in V, to a calm and collected Jedi Master in VI. Princess Leia went from an arrogant and aloof princess in IV, to a devoted but snarky leader in V, to a defrosted and caring friend in VI. Han Solo went from a selfish and uncaring smuggler in IV, to a cocky but driven commander in V, to a man who cares for the well-being of his friends in VI. From here the character arcs seem almost complete, but I propose we can take these a step further. Luke still needs to gain the confidence in himself to restore the Jedi Order, Leia needs to prove herself as a diplomat, and Han needs to prove that he cares about someone more than himself. All three of these final steps can be done in VII and I hope to see them done.

 

 

Han’s fruition of his character is why I feel he will and should be the character who dies in VII. Han proves that he is no longer the man who only worried about himself, the Falcon, and Chewie by sacrificing his life for someone else. It will be a heart wrenching moment, a tear jerker in both the loss of an old friend and the ultimate sacrifice of a man who finally grew up. I feel that Luke’s character arc requires him to live past VII in reestablish the Order, moving beyond his sense of self doubt. I am open to other interpretations in this matter and even different ideas of the character arc’s of our big three. But I still need to address an opportunity JJ has that Lucas never did.

 

 

yoda1-300x1731

 

3. The Death of an Old Friend

 

A prequel can never hold the same amount of emotional weight as an original or sequel, that is the fault of its design. By existing as a prequel the end result is already known, the dramatic tension is not there (instead replaced by dramatic irony, where we know the end but the characters don’t). What a prequel can do is make rewatching the original a more emotionally difficult experience since we now know the background. Obi-Wan is introduced and killed in less than the span of one film, we knew relatively little about him until the prequels gave us the growth of the Jedi Master. In a sense one could argue the prequels were just as much about the growth of Obi-Wan as the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker (I am including The Clone Wars TV series in any thought about the prequels). Obi-Wan and even more so Qui-Gon’s deaths hit us but did not hit us with the full weight they could’ve.

 

With the original big three we have characters we have grown up with, we care about them more than is probably healthy to care about fictional characters. Killing off one of the big three is something not even the old EU really had the courage to do, the death of Chewie in the New Jedi Order being the closest we got. It will be a whole new experience by us as fans to see someone we’ve known as long as we’ve known Han or Luke to die. It will be moment burned into the memory of Star Wars fans for decades.
JJ has already shown the desire to punch fans in the gut before, with the destruction of Vulcan in Star Trek, and Star Trek as a whole has gotten to see traumatic deaths of Kirk and Spock (who got better), Star Wars has yet to really have someone built up and then killed in front of us in the same manner. The primary goal of any artist of any media is to make the audience feel an emotion, and I don’t think I am alone in saying I would shed many tears at the death of Han, Luke, or even Leia.

 

In conclusion remember that this is my personal speculation and feelings and not SW7N as a whole confirming or denying any rumors. I also would like to ask that you provide your own feelings on the topic in the comments. I welcome any and all opposing or concurring viewpoints, you can talk to us in The Cantina.

 

+ posts

167 thoughts on “Editorial: Should a Major Character Die in Star Wars: The Force Awakens?

  • February 18, 2015 at 10:35 pm
    Permalink

    Luke needs to live, it would be stupid killing Leia, and Han needs to die. It’s very simple.

    • February 18, 2015 at 10:39 pm
      Permalink

      Why does Han need to die?

      • February 18, 2015 at 10:40 pm
        Permalink

        Harrison wanted him dead in Empire!
        But as a badass bounty hunter once said: “he’s no good to me dead.”

        • February 18, 2015 at 11:43 pm
          Permalink

          That was about thirty years ago. All indication is he has had a change of heart toward the character since then.

          • February 19, 2015 at 1:03 am
            Permalink

            If SW7 follows the pattern, Luke will die.

          • February 19, 2015 at 2:08 am
            Permalink

            But with Lucas not helming the franchise anymore, all patterns are fair game for breaking. But even with Lucas in the equation, he broke some patterns of his own during the PT.

          • February 19, 2015 at 2:17 am
            Permalink

            You should check out that circle theory. Talk about patterns.

          • February 19, 2015 at 10:10 pm
            Permalink

            No more Han, no more Fan

    • February 18, 2015 at 10:40 pm
      Permalink

      I’d rather see him die in Ep VIII. That way, the audience has a chance to become reacquainted and fall back in love with him after the 30 years since ROTJ without feeling rushed right into his demise. With any major characters, it’s best to milk the emotion out of their death scene as much as possible.

      • February 18, 2015 at 11:11 pm
        Permalink

        thats a pretty good point. i had just kinda always accepted with harrisons comments that he’d be offed early in the sequel, but im an old school fan who grew up with these characters. it would have more impact across the boards if old and new fans alike had a chance to reacquaint themselves with him instead of him being killed off before we even got to know him again.

        • February 18, 2015 at 11:40 pm
          Permalink

          Kill off all the Big 3, so we can get back to making films without the fear of dishonoring the OT diehards. It’s time for something fresh.

          • February 19, 2015 at 2:37 am
            Permalink

            Why don’t you wait for the first standalone or that rumored trilogy after IX that takes place during the Old Republic Era?

            I want the original cast to shine throughout the ST in support roles, like Ben and Yoda did in the OT.

          • February 19, 2015 at 4:47 am
            Permalink

            Yeah, you know technically if they kill off Luke he comes back as a force ghost, right? Killing Han off may actually have more weight.

          • February 19, 2015 at 2:49 pm
            Permalink

            You don’t belong here.

          • February 19, 2015 at 4:44 pm
            Permalink

            Yea!

        • February 19, 2015 at 5:13 am
          Permalink

          Easy now, they are gonna make a hundred Starwars films. They don’t have to kill anybody cool anytime soon. It will fast reach the point where we are just going to want Starwars to die in general.

          • February 19, 2015 at 7:30 pm
            Permalink

            It’s going to happen whether you like it or not. Killing off a major beloved character is the best way to tug at the audience’s heart strings and enhance the emotional intensity of the plot. Why do you think Disney uses the element of death in almost every movie? It’s not the quantity of future Star Wars material that matters, but rather the true quality of said material.

          • February 19, 2015 at 8:50 pm
            Permalink

            “Killing off a major beloved character is the best way to tug at the audience’s heart strings and enhance the emotional intensity of the plot.”

            More like the cheapest.

            I don’t want to kill off a major character just to manipulate the audience’s emotions – do that with a good story (think Empire’s darker, dramatic moments). Ben’s death wasn’t that a big deal because he got to come back, and Empire had ZERO major character deaths. That didn’t stop it from being widely considered to be the best Star Wars film of all time.

          • February 19, 2015 at 10:29 pm
            Permalink

            I agree with you there.

      • February 19, 2015 at 7:19 am
        Permalink

        Princess Leia is an iconic and groundbreaking female character who devoted her life to the freedom of the galaxy. Plus, she’s also Force sensitive and Luke’s twin, further increasing her importance.

        To kill her off prematurely without fully portraying her potential will piss off a lot of fans online, especially women who grew up viewing her as a role model for being strong and true to her convictions while also not putting up with guys’ nonsense.

        Given Star Wars’ troubling history with under-representing and sometimes even poorly representing women (i.e. Padme dying of a broken heart despite being healthy AND responsible for two newborn babies), it would be dumb for Disney to screw up such a beloved character with an early death.

        Carrie Fisher is also the youngest member of the original cast. She definitely shouldn’t be the first to go. I want to see her continue to grow as a character and pass things on to Daisy and others.

        • February 19, 2015 at 9:31 am
          Permalink

          pass things on ? like a vase ?

          • February 19, 2015 at 4:50 pm
            Permalink

            No her golden bikini!

        • February 19, 2015 at 9:57 am
          Permalink

          She’s most likely going to have the least screen time out of three. Being force sensitive doesn’t mean much if you’re not trained. I don’t really think she was a groundbreaking female character. To be honest with you i think her death by assassination and using it as a plot trigger for the story is the largest impact she can have on this movie.

          • February 19, 2015 at 9:42 pm
            Permalink

            1. I’m much more interested in what Leia does in VII and the ST than how much screen time she has.

            2. I could always be wrong, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we find out that Leia did receive some training by VII.

            3. How is she not groundbreaking? She wasn’t some typical damsel in distress who shied away from danger and dangled off the arm of her love interest. Leia was all business in Star Wars.

            She is the only member of the Big 3 to start off trying to save the galaxy. She fearlessly faced down Vader and Tarkin. She bravely endured suffering to protect the Rebellion’s secret location. She stood up to Han’s pigheadedness.

            She didn’t hesitate to grab the blaster and kill her enemies. Even when she was forced into a sex slave outfit, she eventually overcame her oppressor and choked him to death using his very means of oppression and her own strength.

            She’s also the single biggest reason why so many fans are pushing for more great female characters in Star Wars.

            4. I would hope Disney can do better than to use Leia’s death as a cheap way to drive the story. What a shame it would be if this iconic female character was shoved into Han’s refrigerator.

          • February 20, 2015 at 2:07 am
            Permalink

            You could have said all of that without using numbers. She had her time center stage, its time for some new characters.

          • February 20, 2015 at 3:26 am
            Permalink

            Why are you bothered by me using numbers? ^_-

            Do you say the same thing about Luke or Han? Just because they aren’t the central characters anymore doesn’t mean their stories are over.

          • February 20, 2015 at 4:24 am
            Permalink

            I would have preferred that the main cast of the ot movies wasn’t even in this movie and that time was used on new characters.

        • February 20, 2015 at 12:39 am
          Permalink

          “ie, Padme dying of a broken heart despite being healthy AND responsible for two newborn babies”

          I know a lot of fans were irritated by this, but story-wise, I just don’t see any way around Padme dying (although they surely could have given her a more plausible cause for dying).

          As for strong women, I agree. There should be more female characters in SW. Christopher Nolan seems to have the same problem. Yeah, there’s always female representation- but they are never REALLY central to plot. Not like the boys are. It’s a shame to, ’cause there are a good amount of female fans out there. There would be a whole lot more to if there were better written female characters that are more complex than just smart, pretty, & strong.

    • February 19, 2015 at 4:48 pm
      Permalink

      I don’t disagree but have to wonder if because so many people are expecting Han to die that JJ will either not kill him off or delay until Ep VIII

      • February 19, 2015 at 9:53 pm
        Permalink

        What if Han’s death was shot, but it was meant for VIII?

    • February 20, 2015 at 12:16 am
      Permalink

      “A prequel can never hold the same amount of emotional weight as an original or sequel, that is the fault of its design. By existing as a prequel the end result is already known, the dramatic tension is not there (instead replaced by dramatic irony, where we know the end but the characters don’t).”

      That doesn’t apply to me in the least. I found all the twists and turns of the PT had just as much weight as the OT.

      In fact Anakin’s turn to the Dark Side is probably THE biggest moment for me in the entire series besides his turn to the Light Side in ROTJ.

      The dramatic tension for that entire turn sequence is off the charts and overall I can’t think of anything in all the other movies that quite matches it.

  • February 18, 2015 at 10:37 pm
    Permalink

    A rumour my grandmother could’ve made since one doesn’t need to be a full blown SW fans to know which character will unfortunately bite the dust (or force) in EP VII.

  • February 18, 2015 at 10:40 pm
    Permalink

    All prequel characters died. So why not original characters also?

    I have zero problems with that.

    • February 18, 2015 at 11:42 pm
      Permalink

      Agree.

    • February 19, 2015 at 12:59 am
      Permalink

      Because Prequel characters, and everything associated with those God forsaken prequels, sucked. That’s why they died.

      • February 19, 2015 at 7:30 am
        Permalink

        The Force preordained the very best of the PT to die in the OT. Oddly enough, it confused Vader with Maul, but I think things worked out. 😉

      • February 19, 2015 at 7:49 am
        Permalink

        Actually, there are prequel characters still alive!
        Chewie, Luke, Leia, C-3PO, R2-D2, etc.

      • February 20, 2015 at 5:12 am
        Permalink

        That is only your opinion. I love prequel movies.

  • February 18, 2015 at 10:40 pm
    Permalink

    “Princess Leia went from an arrogant and aloof princess in IV, to a devoted but snarky leader in V, to a defrosted and caring friend in VI.”

    “…and I don’t think I am alone in saying I would shed many tears at the death of Han, Luke, or even Leia.”

    Wow. W.T.F. …

  • February 18, 2015 at 10:44 pm
    Permalink

    Are they letting everyone from the cantina be a staff member now?

    • February 19, 2015 at 1:35 am
      Permalink

      Only the best ones

  • February 18, 2015 at 10:47 pm
    Permalink

    Luke becomes evil
    Han dies
    Leia dies but leia is a jedi and she learned how to communicate with luke and gets him back to the light side

  • February 18, 2015 at 10:48 pm
    Permalink

    The Han thing is barely a spoiler. He’s been trying to kill the character since 1979 lol

  • February 18, 2015 at 10:52 pm
    Permalink

    Every Star Wars film that begins a new trilogy kills off a major protagonist, so why is this even a question? The main difference is that this is the first time they’ve done it with a pre-established character.

    If Episodes I-III came out before IV-VI, you would have had the same reaction with Obi-Wan Kenobi’s death.

    One other difference, and the only reason I even remotely question this decision, is that this death has been exclusively the province of the mentor character. However, if Episode VII is truly Han Solo’s movie, as we heard multiple times, then I’m sure that’s the role he’s playing.

    • February 19, 2015 at 2:42 am
      Permalink

      Automatically killing off the mentor figure in the first film of each trilogy is getting old… -_-

      • February 19, 2015 at 2:59 am
        Permalink

        Couple thousand years old

        • February 19, 2015 at 6:33 am
          Permalink

          Wait until it happen in every standalone movie too.

  • February 18, 2015 at 10:52 pm
    Permalink

    It’s possible that Han AND Chewie may die. I could see Han trying to sacrifice himself for everyone but Chewie not allowing him to go through it alone. I think a final scene with them going out in a “blaze of glory” would be pretty magical and intensely emotional.

    Though I feel like they may want the “Chewie clutches Han’s lifeless body” scene.

    • February 18, 2015 at 10:54 pm
      Permalink

      “Though I feel like they may want the ‘Chewie clutches Han’s lifeless body’ scene.”

      Well, it is Disney after all.

    • February 18, 2015 at 11:11 pm
      Permalink

      Like Thelma and Louise? I hope not.

      • February 18, 2015 at 11:47 pm
        Permalink

        No, like Jin and Sun from Lost 😉 This is JJ after all…

    • February 19, 2015 at 12:17 am
      Permalink

      ….Or maybe Han dies, Chewie cries, wipes his eyes, pulls out tabasco sauce and knaws into Hans legs…

    • February 19, 2015 at 3:08 am
      Permalink

      But chewbacca died In the……oh ho ho that’s right

  • February 18, 2015 at 10:52 pm
    Permalink

    Cool, they are!? <——-(sarcasm)

  • February 18, 2015 at 10:53 pm
    Permalink

    The main three in the prequels: Anakin, Obi Wan, and Padmé.
    Padmé dies in in III, Obi Wan in IV, Anakin in VI.
    Eventually Luke, Han, And Leia are gonna have to go out in this new trilogy.

  • February 18, 2015 at 10:53 pm
    Permalink

    I don’t think an original character needs to die in VII in order to advance the story. Ben died in IV, but he still showed up in V and VI. He easily could’ve had the same supporting mentor role if he were alive. Plus, Luke also had Yoda until VI, so he really wasn’t without guidance.

    The important thing here is to tell a good story and have the new leads be the ones who take charge of their lives, like Luke and Obi-Wan did. I’m getting tired of all these rhyming cliches. Why watch VII when I’ve already seen IV and I?

  • February 18, 2015 at 11:03 pm
    Permalink

    It’s inevitable I think Solo will die in one of the upcoming films but maybe that will setup a spinoff which could be good if done right I think either way we will still get enough Solo and Chewie to please fans in the near future A younger Han and Chewie film throw in some bounty hunters would be nice

  • February 18, 2015 at 11:07 pm
    Permalink

    Let’s kill’em all! LOLOLOL..

  • February 18, 2015 at 11:10 pm
    Permalink

    Han Solo does not die in this movie. It was his clone Haan Solo.

    Kylo is Serkis’ sith character, Leia, and Han’s son. In a first Star Wars will introduce a child of three parents to screens everywhere in December 2015. Rey is Leia child but she was conceived directly by The Force making her a virgin birth like Anakin Skywalker. Han is only the adopted father which explains why she has no resemblance to him only her mother and does not recognize the Millenium Falcon. Rey does not know who her parents are as Leia his her on Tatooine with Von Sydow. Von Sydow is referred as her adoptive father on screen. Gleeson is the son of a orange haired woman who as once had an affair with Wilhuff Tarkin.

  • February 18, 2015 at 11:12 pm
    Permalink

    if han does die, oooh imagine luke afterwards, the struggle with anger and the desire for revenge. it could make for some badass lukeness

  • February 18, 2015 at 11:16 pm
    Permalink

    All the leaks are fakes

    • February 19, 2015 at 1:10 am
      Permalink

      Even you peeing is fake too uh? LOL

  • February 18, 2015 at 11:19 pm
    Permalink

    Out of all these actors new to the StarWars universe nothing excites more than Sydow. I think he will do just as well as Ian. He’s one of those actors that do not take much to convince. I’m sure I will enjoy whatever role he is involved in. If you haven’t yet watch Flash Gordon Strange Brew What Dreams May Come Robin Hood great Sydow performances

    • February 18, 2015 at 11:39 pm
      Permalink

      Yes Max Von Sydow is a fantastic actor ,i grew up with his movies in sweden. Im also a bit excited about this new guy Boyega. I saw attack the block and i was impressed with his precence in the scenes. He really sucks up the the kamera if you know what i mean , some actors have that. And i can see how some casting agent got the idea that he would be a great Jedi the way he swung that sword.

      I have not checked out Daisy Ridley yet.

    • February 19, 2015 at 10:58 pm
      Permalink

      Here here, Von Sydow’s announcement that he was in the new film got me stoked the most, even ahead of the original cast, he’s such a good actor bringing realism and warmth to any role he plays and he would make an A1 villain. See Flash Gordon for proof of that!

  • February 18, 2015 at 11:24 pm
    Permalink

    I’m sorry but this entire posting is a freaking joke. The story will need to be whatever the story needs to be- Speculating on someone dying is frivolous fanboy fodder and quite honestly a waste of time.

    This site needs to be better than this.

  • February 18, 2015 at 11:32 pm
    Permalink

    Killing Solo doesn’t bother me… Ford has been screaming about it since TESB. OOU, it will shock the unsullied and even those drunk on spoilers….

    In-universe, if Solo dies… our new Jedi still have Luke and (possibly)Leia to learn the ways of the force from. In Star Wars and TPM both films whacked a Jedi Master and I don’t see how The Original Scoundrel’s death can equal the void(s) left behind by Jinn & Kenobi. For the love of all walking carpets, I fear that TFA will have to go out of its way to establish Han Solo as anyone’s mentor.

    • February 19, 2015 at 2:52 am
      Permalink

      “For the love of all walking carpets, I fear that TFA will have to go out of its way to establish Han Solo as anyone’s mentor.”

      I see Han having a father-daughter relationship/mentor role with Daisy. He may also mentor Finn, as a former stormtrooper or whatnot himself, and Poe’s a fellow pilot who’s rumored to inherit the Falcon.

    • February 19, 2015 at 6:11 am
      Permalink

      So, at this point how does one “kill off” a Jedi’s character if they can just come back as a force ghost? Heck, even Leia could come back if Luke taught her how. Luke/Leia may be around for awhile. Han needs to end his character arc by destroying the “big bad thing” and saving the other main characters.

  • February 18, 2015 at 11:51 pm
    Permalink

    Back in November, Lucan Film and Disney openly said that they will be releasing fake rumors until the release in December. Therefore, I don’t believe any of these so-called spoilers!

    In my opinion, Han will not die. But rather, him, Leia and Chewy along with R2 and 3PO will retire and go off into exile, effectively ending their participation in the saga!

    • February 19, 2015 at 1:53 am
      Permalink

      I think they’ll keep the droids no matter what. They are a constant running through every film.

    • February 19, 2015 at 3:00 am
      Permalink

      “In my opinion, Han will not die. But rather, him, Leia and Chewy along with R2 and 3PO will retire and go off into exile, effectively ending their participation in the saga!”

      I don’t want any of the original cast members to die anytime soon, especially in VII, but going off into exile to eventually die off screen is weak. They each deserve a worthy death!

      • February 19, 2015 at 4:28 am
        Permalink

        I agree. A worthy death. Revealing himself to Kylo and dying Obi Wan style isn’t worthy! It’s quit lame in my opinion. Han should die with honor. With all guns blazing. Taking as many of the Empire he hates so much with him!

  • February 19, 2015 at 12:10 am
    Permalink

    I could be mistaken, but I think Harrison Ford wanted Han to die in Jedi, mostly because that was supposed to be the final chapter and he wanted the character to go out very dramatically and meaningful. But maybe now, since the overall storyline has extended, JJ has somehow rekindled Ford’s interest in the franchise ($$$$), which means Harrison can still have his dramatic exit, but why not milk it and wait till EP8 or even EP9? That way, Ford gets what he wants, makes more money, and it provides another “big” moment sometime in the latter 2 movies. I think people feel EVERYTHING has to happen in EP7, but there are 3 movies they have to play with here. I don’t see any point in it having to happen in EP7, unless they totally want to write off the old characters with EP7.

    • February 19, 2015 at 12:48 am
      Permalink

      “I could be mistaken, but I think Harrison Ford wanted Han to die in Jedi” -Anon

      ‘Twas all the nights spent shooting: “The Empire Strikes Back”, that he pined for death. About the only thing Ford didn’t do was wear a T-shirt on the set that said: “Kill me NOW!”

  • February 19, 2015 at 12:13 am
    Permalink

    Do you remember what happened with the whole “I am your father” thing? Even the crew didn’t know what the scene will look like right until the shooting. I think all these ‘facts’ are meant to be leaked just in order to surprise us in December.

    I mean I hope so. This is not the way I’d imagine Han Solo dying. If it has to happen then it should be more like Han flying the Falcon into the Star Destroyer or whatever – with “The Asteroid Field” theme from ESB playing in the background.

    • February 19, 2015 at 12:59 am
      Permalink

      Interesting title for this article but its very difficult to answer, its all in the math and depends on the odds and numerous factors. There are some quite strong odds to bet on with relative accuracy if you had a maths degree.

      – Accidental death, like falling down stairs (odds unlikely)
      – Dying in a lightsaber battle (odds quite high)
      – Dying from a terminal disease like advanced cancer or spread brain tumor in the movie (odds highly unlikely)
      – Dying in a space battle ( good odds quite possible)
      – Dying in a suicide spaceship crash
      (strong odds)
      – Dying from the new strain of mutagenic HIV/Aids recently discovered in cuba (depends on if earth exists in the movie)
      – Dying from old age ( strongest odds possible if human)
      – Dying from a broken heart (unknown/possible)
      – Dying from an industrial machinery accident ( unlikely)
      – Dying from an official state execution
      ( unknown -dependent upon how many factions)
      – Dying from an encounter with a space hulk genestealer infestation ( unlikely odds)
      – Dying from being murdered by a close friend or family member ( unlikely)
      – Dying from accidentally navigating into the chaos eye of terror (medium odds depends on navigation)
      – Dying from poisonous animal bite ( unlikely but not impossible)
      – Dying from suicide (quite possible)
      – Dying from heart failure during sexual intercourse (impossible in this story)
      – Dying from an extremest kidnap hostage rescue situation ( impossible/highly unlikely)
      Its all in the math, it could go on forever.

      • February 19, 2015 at 1:12 am
        Permalink

        “Never tell me the odds” -Han Solo

      • February 19, 2015 at 3:09 am
        Permalink

        “- Dying from the new strain of mutagenic HIV/Aids recently discovered in cuba (depends on if earth exists in the movie)”

        *does a google search…*

        Great. New AIDS… Odd place to hear about it. -_-

  • February 19, 2015 at 12:13 am
    Permalink

    Good article. Thank you.

  • February 19, 2015 at 12:29 am
    Permalink

    will go off and retire in exile, hahaha hahaha wtf dude hahahaha sorry hahahahaha

    • February 19, 2015 at 1:16 am
      Permalink

      That’s what I said. If Han doesn’t die in a blaze of glory, then I surely don’t want him killed by Kylo.

  • February 19, 2015 at 12:37 am
    Permalink

    I have the feeling that Han dies…

    • February 19, 2015 at 6:46 am
      Permalink

      I have a bad feeling about this

  • February 19, 2015 at 1:03 am
    Permalink

    Isn’t life miserable enough?

    I’d prefer that they didn’t make new films if they are going to kill off any of the classic characters.

  • February 19, 2015 at 1:10 am
    Permalink

    Sydow’s character will die in Ep 7. So will Gwen Christie’s. No one will die in Ep 8, as they are building toward the finale. Han and Chewy, plus Darth Driver, will die in IX, after the Han Solo standalone.

    • February 19, 2015 at 5:17 am
      Permalink

      9? I doubt it. The Indiana Jones sequel will serve as his episode 8 or 9 depending on where he exits.

  • February 19, 2015 at 1:12 am
    Permalink

    Han needs to die. One of the best movie characters ever created… and he needs to die. It’s the only respectful way to send off the character at the end of the Saga. He could sacrifice himself for his friends in the Millennium Falcon. Imagine this. The Falcon is burning up tumbling in to the surface of a planet, and then it explodes when hitting the ground. Han dies, and all of his friends grieve, especially Leia and Chewie. It would be great! At least, in my opinion…

    • February 19, 2015 at 3:13 am
      Permalink

      Han needs to die on screen, but it doesn’t have to be in VII.

  • February 19, 2015 at 1:18 am
    Permalink

    Actually I can see how all three can die in a force awakens. Some kind of battle that has to do with Han & Leia’s son Kylo, which at least Han or Luke or all three die.

    • February 19, 2015 at 1:45 am
      Permalink

      I agree! No Obi Wan style death. Han needs to go out in a blaze of glory!

  • February 19, 2015 at 1:26 am
    Permalink

    Yes- Han and Leia should die together at the end of TFA. Only Luke needs to be there of the big 3 past Ep7.

    • February 19, 2015 at 3:16 am
      Permalink

      Leia’s not chopped liver. This iconic female character has a galaxy to help protect. She’s so much more than Han’s love interest.

      • February 19, 2015 at 3:59 am
        Permalink

        She really didn’t do much and wasn’t very helpful in the movies, other than not rat out the rebels and killing Jabba.

        • February 19, 2015 at 6:26 am
          Permalink

          She hid the plans to the Death Star R2, helped them get off the death star (using a gun), helped lead the rebels on Hoth, released Han from carbonite, killed Jabba the Hutt, helped destroy the shield generator for the second death star….just sayin’.

          • February 19, 2015 at 9:32 am
            Permalink

            Hid the plans on R2-D2 after failing her mission, Luke and Ben had to finish the job. Luke and Han would have got off the Death Star without her help, plus she almost got them killed if not for the quick thinking of Luke to call up C3po. From what i could see on Hoth about the only thing she did was give a speech and give two orders. It seemed that Commander Rieekan had things under control. Released Han from carbonite just to get caught by Jabba and have Luke, R2-D2 & Lando come and save Han and her. The shield generator would have been destroyed regardless of her help, also got lost and wounded on that mission. I already said she killed Jabba and other than that i thought of one more, the force mind link on Bespin but even then it was Luke that instigated it. She’s brave & determined but not much else.

          • February 19, 2015 at 4:11 pm
            Permalink

            All that doesn’t mean she isn’t an iconic and hugely popular character..

          • February 19, 2015 at 10:03 pm
            Permalink

            Wow, Duke. I expected more from you than this. :/

  • February 19, 2015 at 1:51 am
    Permalink

    I’m going to miss The New Jedi Order as being canon. It was the best book series I ever read and was an awesome storyline. JJ is just gonna waltz in and change another universe. Thanks JJ. You should have fought to just takeover where the books left off. Just like Star Trek “reinvented itself” they are doing it with Star Wars. Why not just time travel back and save Anakin before his turn to the Dark Side and you can retell the movies with all the Skywalkers living happily together.

    • February 19, 2015 at 2:02 am
      Permalink

      Wow, being that closed minded to new ideas is almost an accomplishment. Almost.

  • February 19, 2015 at 1:58 am
    Permalink

    Everything wrong with SW fandom in one headline. Congratulations on that. What happens in TFA is not a *should* question. I hate this, where everyone now has opinions of what they think should happen. Guess what, SW isn’t ours to choose. This process is KILLING all enjoyment and surprise. Not only are people trying to spoil every inch of the movie, let’s all sit around and questions and critique an idea that’s incomplete/innacruate/untrue/void of context. Enjoy walking into the movie with your own, extravagantly detailed opinion of what the film should be and everything it shouldn’t.

    • February 19, 2015 at 6:29 am
      Permalink

      Thanks You- you nailed it-

      TFA is destined to not please- Look at Rebels… It emulates the feel of the OT to a T and for the most part people have been doing nothing but complain about it because it doesn’t remind them of “their childhood”.

      Everyone complains that Rebels doesn’t leave the planet Lothal- WHY? so they can jump from planet to planet creating creating cardboard characters with no depth exactly like the prequels? Rebels staying on one planet is a thing of genius so far- Lothal hasn’t exactly been the most awesome created world but its much better than introducing a planet just to create a new plot point-

      anyways I digress. The best thing so called Star Wars fans can do is sit back and wait for the new film and go in without knowing anything- Creating your own fleshed out world prior to seeing the film can only lead to massive disappointment.

      • February 19, 2015 at 7:46 am
        Permalink

        If Rebels had emulated the originals to a T, it would feel exactly like them. It doesn’t for a number of reasons, but it has its moments.

        One thing I wish they got wrong: Making Lothal the boring “Tatooine” planet of the show. -_-

        You know, you can leave Lothal and visit other places without widening the total number of characters too much. Just use a few ships and locations as settings. Have the gang bounce around 2-3 planets while occasionally traveling to a brand new one to help mix things up. Problem solved.

        • February 19, 2015 at 9:18 am
          Permalink

          Once the identity Fulcrum is revealed I think the show will expand in marvelous ways- The non-major characters are are waste thus far into the series, so going to a different planet to meet a new wasted character oppurtunity would also be a waste- The producers are obviously being protective of the new canon and don’t want to expand too quickly and make mistakes that they can’t take back- I appreciate that and I feel the show will take them to new or familiar planets soon enough.

          I think you are remembering the OT too fondly- the OT is hugely unbalanced and so is this show thus far- Most likely you want the show to feel like Empire, and guess what, it does quite often- “Rebels Resolve” takes elements of Empire beat for beat.

          • February 19, 2015 at 10:12 am
            Permalink

            The show should have already expanded in marvelous ways, they’re just being cheapskates.

          • February 19, 2015 at 10:19 pm
            Permalink

            Anon @ 09:18 AM

            You can have the gang bounce between 2-3 planets without expanding things too much. You don’t need endless characters to do this.

            “I think you are remembering the OT too fondly- the OT is hugely unbalanced and so is this show thus far- Most likely you want the show to feel like Empire, and guess what, it does quite often- “Rebels Resolve” takes elements of Empire beat for beat.”

            Yeah. When I think of the OT, “unbalanced” isn’t the first thing to come to mind. You say that like Empire was all dark and gritty throughout. Actually, it had lots of light and humorous moments, too. Like I said, Rebels has its moments, but it often feels a bit too silly and kiddish to me, like with the way the stormtroopers are even more worthless and how Ezra can’t kill anyone.

            Also, the dialogue needs more punchiness, and the Ghost ship battles lack any real tension or focus on the danger element, unlike the Falcon.

  • February 19, 2015 at 2:05 am
    Permalink

    Rather than Han dying, I would prefer to see Boyega’s character kick the bucket.

    Reading the spoilers, “Finn” sounds like a total bitch, and basically has no real purpose at all other than to be a check-mark on the diversity quota.

    He’s someone SW can definitely do without.

    • February 19, 2015 at 3:25 am
      Permalink

      “… Get used to it.”

      Star Wars is for everyone, not just white males.

      • February 19, 2015 at 6:27 am
        Permalink

        Yeah Reynolds, I could live without having the diversity of people like you in the universe.

      • February 19, 2015 at 4:19 pm
        Permalink

        When will people realize that adding blacks =/= diversity.. There are a lot of races out there and a black guy doesn’t represent me just like a white guy doesn’t represent me.. Why not more Indian or Asian lead rolls? They have high populations.. Too much PC bull!

        • February 19, 2015 at 10:28 pm
          Permalink

          I’m a black guy, and I agree 100%. I’m tired of seeing films and TV shows filled with a bunch of white people and like 1 black guy who symbolically represents the rest of the world. This happens way too much in Hollywood.

          This is why I wanted Star Wars to have more Asians, Arabs, Indians, Hispanics, Native Americans, etc. besides black people. Men and women, good AND evil.

          Star Wars is for EVERYONE, not just white people or black people.

  • February 19, 2015 at 2:14 am
    Permalink

    Here’s a good idea… How about a Super Nova destroys the entire universe. They can call it the JJ Abrams Nova.

  • February 19, 2015 at 2:24 am
    Permalink

    Han does die why do you think he came back! After all those years of no, nope, never now he has closure and he’s getting paid handsomely for it too bonus 😉

  • February 19, 2015 at 2:24 am
    Permalink

    Han is the eternal survivor, the one who always gets out of a mess somehow, sometimes gung-ho, sometimes by pure luck. Killing him off would be a sign of ignorance and small intelligence. Conjuring the monomyth etc. won’t help to make it right. You can easily count on the emotional impact of such a scene, even make it really dramatic/tragic, which would probably work well, if done by apt filmmakers like Abrams & John Williams, but it still wouldn’t be what the character deserves. A ride into the sunset for Solo… it needs to be classic. Death is for Jedi, because they don’t really “die”. 😉

    • February 19, 2015 at 5:39 am
      Permalink

      Um actually no- everyone does ultimately die….

      • February 20, 2015 at 12:29 am
        Permalink

        I’m talking on-screen, man.

  • February 19, 2015 at 2:27 am
    Permalink

    I think it’s an in-movie vision of the future….the future, difficult to see it is!
    P.S. Good pen, Blue!!

  • February 19, 2015 at 3:04 am
    Permalink

    Something else to consider in the heros journey is the death and rebirth of the hero. In Star Wars we see Luke die a symbolic death in the trash compactor… but reborn as he reemerges from the depths. Obiwan died while batteling Darth Vader on the Death Star, but was reborn through the force. Han was in a death like state at the end of Empire, but reborn in Return of the Jedi. We can apply this to Yoda, Qui-gonn, Anakin, and probably more. So, even if we see a major character die in Episode 7, have hope that we may see them reborn and continue on in another way.

    • February 19, 2015 at 5:11 am
      Permalink

      based on your theory the ‘new’ characters at some point in the movies will have to face similar fates of “rebirth” as OT characters.Should be exciting.

  • February 19, 2015 at 3:16 am
    Permalink

    Not needed, it’s too obvious and expected, so many believe one or more of the main characters will bite it.
    To keep the legend of Han and Leia alive, they need to fly off into the twin sunset. They save Luke, Chewy and other’s, many believe their ship exploded, but Luke just smiles knowingly to himself.
    Keep them around for the second installment, after all filming begins next year anyway, Harrison and Carrie are looking better this year than they did late last year.

  • February 19, 2015 at 3:22 am
    Permalink

    I don’t know for you, but for me: I DIDN’T WAITED FOR OVER 30 YEARS just to see the character DIE, right off the bat! -.-‘

    If any major character should go I expect them to do so in Episode VIII or IX. NOT before we got the chance to properly meet any of them!

    Better not making the same mistake as with Darth Maul.

    Also, if Leia does not end up like a Jedi (or atleast using force extensively) I’m gonna RIOT!

    • February 19, 2015 at 4:04 am
      Permalink

      Exactly, they’re not going to run the risk of pissing off the fans with the first movie…don’t see it happening.

    • February 19, 2015 at 4:50 am
      Permalink

      Darth Maul is not dead, just saying lol

      • February 19, 2015 at 12:44 pm
        Permalink

        I know, but I’m not a fan of that Clone Wars story arc. Not at all.

  • February 19, 2015 at 3:23 am
    Permalink

    Message to Disney. If Luke dies, I’m gonna burn all my starwars movies in front of Magic Kingdom lol. #agentkallusisbobbafett

  • February 19, 2015 at 3:25 am
    Permalink

    In my fan fic sequel trilogy, Han is the only one who is still alive out of the three at end of episode 9. LOL
    What better secondary characters to have than the big three right?

    My sequel trilogy is character driven trilogy about a new generation and a story driven saga conclusion about Leia, with Han being left behind with the Solo force prodigy son after Leia has aligned the stars, Luke has finished off Palpatine in his neatherworld Castle & Anakin has beheaded Vader for good elsewhere in my episode 9.

    Cause as a long suffering fan of the prequels & OT’s, that’s what i would have done!

    Han sweet talkin the slimy slugs through out the whole trilogy is really what it was all an excuse for though

  • February 19, 2015 at 4:50 am
    Permalink

    Darth Maul is not dead, just saying lol

  • February 19, 2015 at 6:10 am
    Permalink

    han solos death is an awsome one he sacrfices himself for everyone he tells them to go to the millenium falcon. he gives it to chewie and poe and tells them to take care of her. they leave and hes ready to destroy and explosion killing all the troopers he smiles and looks at the camera, brakes the fourth wall and say “I shot first” fades black

  • February 19, 2015 at 6:11 am
    Permalink

    Aside from the story ark and all considering if Han Solo is killed it will alienate a huge fan base for the next series of films. Han Solo has the biggest fan base in the series and if he is killed off simply put many will not go and see the rest of the films. This is one reason George kept him in after Empire, one of the reasons. Maybe Harrison in his contract said I will do one more but he dies in this one? I do not know but it would be a huge mistake. And folks I am a fan and have been since 1977. With that being said Disney is all about the money sad to say. And to kill off one of the major characters if they do would be a huge mistake. The OT folks like myself will boycott the rest of the films… Take it or leave it…

    • February 19, 2015 at 11:44 am
      Permalink

      Scruffy nerf herders arent immortal.

  • February 19, 2015 at 6:14 am
    Permalink

    soo heres like an outline for the story
    ·Christine gwendoline is a chrometrooper who possesses a lightsaber but probably only is trained in jedi arts but not force sensitive like grevious (there not force sensitive) plus shes related to tarkin

    ·Rey is leias and hans daughter could be she is also kylo rens (gleeson) sister or cousin and she is in hiding because she holds the item kylo ren wants to open the sith cave

    ·Fin is a stormtrooper but goes rogue realizing he cant kill innocent people because he is force sensitive and has that jedi love so he runs off he meets poe and rey and they go visit luke to tell him about the force.

    ·Luke is guarding the sith temple because he is guilty and feels responsible for kylo ren turning evil and the death of his jedi padawan and feels his duty to protect the sith cave and once he meets fin he is angry at rey for coming to him knowing it can cause danger but still accepts her and this is where flashbacks start he tells the story of kylo turning sith and something that AWAKENED in him
    and then starts training fin even though he doesnt seem like he wants too

    ·Poe is a rebel and he and drivers character know each other but driver is jelous and corrupt and wants power,but they split up and poe encounters rey and fin before meeting luke

    ·Han and leia are looking for both luke and rey and they encounter a lot of problems like the chrometrooper and get trapped causing luke to get out of hiding and has to leave the sith cave alone knowing reys with him so kylo has no choose to go wheres hes at

    ·Kylo ren (played by gleeson) was a jedi trained by luke he is probably lukes son or nephew, but serkis character seduced him to the dark side and tells him about the power in the sith cave and gives him the sith lightsaber (Serkis maybye just using him) making kylo do the dirty work for him and killing the jedis who tried stopping him, kylo faces luke but loses to him and probably lost a limb and runs off but now searching for what serkis told him to find since luke had it but gave it to rey

    ·Adam drivers character was a rebel once leaving poe later on he encounters kylo ren and is afraid he might die but before kylo can kill him he senses hes force sensitive and seduce him to the dark side instead and says hell train him (kylo probably knows serkis character might betray him)

    · Max von sydow is the care taker of rey who keeps rey in hiding from kylo

    · Luke comes in and so does kylo but kylo is not part of the rebels or the galaxy so theres a three way battle going on which the climax of the film the rebels and the empire all want the power of the sith cave (temple)

    thats about what i have soo far im sorry i wrote too much i know its long lol

  • February 19, 2015 at 6:46 am
    Permalink

    I want Jar Jar to die a very painful excruciating death.

  • February 19, 2015 at 6:52 am
    Permalink

    Hello

    Gordon Napier here, I wrote the above link on Death of the Mentor. Just to clarify, Death of the mentor doesn’t necessarily have to mean an actual death, it can mean a separation from the mentor -as in The Matrix when Morpheus was captured and Neo had to rescue him. It can also be a betrayal by the mentor. Or even as was the case in Guardians of the galaxy – a reversal- Resurrection of the mentor where Yondu forgives Quill and joins the fight against Ronan in Act III

    This is something else I found by Lord Fitzroy Richard Somerset Raglan, it’s the journey of the God- Hero based on his examination of myth. It has a number of interesting parallels to the Skywalker tale.

    http://gordonnapier.com/the-next-star-wars-films/

    • February 19, 2015 at 6:57 am
      Permalink

      Thank you for dropping by, while I am aware of other versions of death of the mentor I used the one that best fit my thesis because I am a terrible academic. Ran across your site while researching for the article and I approve, keep up the good work.

      With the precedent of an actual mentor’s death in Star Wars I am unsure if JJ would go an alternative route, especially with the rumors lately coming out suggesting a rehash of the tropes in Episode IV

  • February 19, 2015 at 11:42 am
    Permalink

    I am on the. verge of not coming on this site anymore, not because of the writers or moderators, because of the negativity of a great number of the visitors to the site. My god people it’s only a movie! I have enjoyed star wars ,like many of you, from the beginning. I wasn’t crazy about the prequel mess , but I wasn’t threatening to disown the entire franchise because of them. Likewise, if you really think that these new movies are going to be such a letdown, regardless of the plot, outcome, characters, names, writers, director, vehicles , gender , and RACE etc. Then why do you even claim to be interested? Why do you come to this site? Just to try to prove that you are better than other people by complaining about their interests and hobbies? And are you all aware that the most important concept of creative writing is conflict, Campbell did not invent storytelling, Homer and Sophocles Knew way back when that if there is no conflict, there is no story, period. Man vs man, man vs.nature, man vs. Self. Every story is derived from this. The reason people die in movies is because there has to be an interesting plot. Without this in an action adventure movie you get…TELETUBBIES and man is that show fuckin scary, not intentionally, but nonetheless I am petrified of it. Bottom line is, let the writers write and the director direct. DON’T pretend to be offended enough to not go to these movies. You know you’re going to. But if not I see it as rather shallow and I pity you for not being able to enjoy life. As far as complaints about Rebels, give it a chance, its revving up. Do you realize how difficult it is to make an animated feature? Enjoy the little details, its light years ahead of Scooby doo my friends. Think about it. Actuallu make the comparison and think then about your silly complaints ( not that I haven’t logged my share of Scooby time) people are getting incredibly spoiled and jaded these days. Do you remember playing with a stick as a gun in the backyard? No? Maybe you should go and use your imagination occasionally and it may give you a fair concept of how difficult it is to create a piece of entertainment or art. Do you think you can do better than these artists you are criticizing? Why aren’t you directing star wars 7? Oh thats right you don’t know how. And even if you did make an actual Hollywood movie, would you be of the calibur to helm TFA? Or Rebels, or even Gigli? I didn’t think so. So lighten up, shut up and enjoy the product, quit complaining about every little detail like the color of a taun taun’s toenail polish or go somewhere where they want to listen to you bitch, and are not aware of your inability to create anything of value for tthe world yourself

    • February 19, 2015 at 2:32 pm
      Permalink

      You should get some help fast.

    • February 19, 2015 at 8:04 pm
      Permalink

      Dude. I agree with a lot of your points, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re being overly sensitive about the complaining. The overall vibe I get from this site is positive.

      Besides… it’s Star Wars. Of course people are going to complain about stuff they’re highly passionate about. If that bothers you, then I suggest you stay off the Internet between December-January ’16, cuz this film is pretty much guaranteed to piss SOMEBODY off.

      But it’s all good, man. If the film’s good, fans’ll come around. Not everyone liked Empire off the bat. Just sayin’….

  • February 19, 2015 at 12:12 pm
    Permalink

    Leia sense in the force that Han is gonna die. She seeks up sith artifacts and holocrons to learn how to prevent death. By doing this she turns over to the dark side and she is the lead villan………….

    • February 19, 2015 at 2:15 pm
      Permalink

      A villain with pouty lips… Darth Duck?

  • February 19, 2015 at 12:49 pm
    Permalink

    This JJ-Wars gets worse every day.

    We all would do better to accept that Star Wars begin with 1 and ended with 6, rather than pander this fan fictious Disney-JJ Wars.

    If you want some sequel stories.. Well go back to EU, to early Tim Zhan or Tom Veitch…
    Their stories have, at minimum, the exact value and authenticity than the one created from scratch by the ego of JJ. Maybe more.

    • February 19, 2015 at 5:44 pm
      Permalink

      No they do not.The books are literally fan fiction now.

    • February 19, 2015 at 8:16 pm
      Permalink

      Darth JJ:

      Relax. Wait until you’ve seen the film before you write it off as not being worthy of the saga… which, btw, includes the Prequels. :^/

  • February 19, 2015 at 1:37 pm
    Permalink

    Harrison Ford has always said that he wanted Han to die. Previously he had said that the character was of no more interest to him and that his story had been told.
    I was actually surprised to hear that he agreed to come back for another Star Wars movie. I’m almost certain it was done with the condition that his character be killed off because it would be more dramatic and interesting.
    I think Han will die in episode 7 or 8 and Luke may die in 9. Leia will survive.

    • February 19, 2015 at 2:09 pm
      Permalink

      Not a bad idea at all to kill of Leia.

      In any case, disregarding how much sense it makes from a character perspective to kill somebody off, from the actor perspective it may be wise to drop Leia early on. Will Carrie really still be convincing as princess Leia? And I’m not only thinking about her transformed face from plastic surgery…

      • February 19, 2015 at 8:23 pm
        Permalink

        What are you talking about? Jay said nothing about killing off Leia.

        I’m certainly not going to write off Carrie Fisher before I see her as Leia on the big screen. I wish her luck. May her performance silence her critics.

  • February 19, 2015 at 1:40 pm
    Permalink

    Harrison Ford is an ungrateful bastard..he’s managed to have a very good life because of SW.

    He should be championing SW at every possible moment.

    It’s not exactly the same but i bet you won’t hear Robert Downey Jnr being all peed off about being Iron Man in 20 years time..even after he’s stopped playing the role

    I hope they make him be in all 3 of the sequels…just so he can carry on his grumpy old bastard shtick

  • February 19, 2015 at 6:09 pm
    Permalink

    Killing off Luke would make no sense, he would come back as a force ghost. At least one of them should die. Ford is the oldest, let him die honorably, sacrificing himself.

    • February 19, 2015 at 8:29 pm
      Permalink

      No one NEEDS to die to VII. Ben died in IV, but he came back anyway. Plus, Luke got a second mentor on top of that who also stuck around for most of the trilogy.

      I’d rather VII end on a happy note with no major character deaths yet. Save that for VIII and IX.

  • February 19, 2015 at 6:40 pm
    Permalink

    When you explain his arc like that I’m man enough to admit I started to feel tears just thinking about Han dying.

  • February 19, 2015 at 6:45 pm
    Permalink

    easy, we know that we can have both on starwars: having a main character die, but still hanging around for as long as needed ( force manifestation ) so I guess we will have our NoooOOooo LUKE! moment, but he’ll be just fine 😉

    • February 19, 2015 at 8:34 pm
      Permalink

      Exactly. So why kill Luke if we all know he’ll just come back anyway?

  • February 19, 2015 at 8:03 pm
    Permalink

    han shot when he hesitates (cos hes been a good guy for to0 long and lost his edge), by a new bad guy who doesnt even know who he is.

  • February 19, 2015 at 8:36 pm
    Permalink

    Maybe Max von Sydow will be the mentor figure who dies rather than any of the Big 3.

    • February 20, 2015 at 12:48 am
      Permalink

      This is what most hope for. But maybe upon finding out who his character really is, we may want him to stick around too.

  • February 19, 2015 at 11:40 pm
    Permalink

    One thing’s for sure JJ’s mystery box is showing and its very repetitive with recycling rumors. Can he be a little bit more creative than another floating hand? The 4chaners spun some of the most entertaining ones. Just the other day the same 4chaner who tried to hijack your Forum was posting his lies on Reddit. Hilarious.

  • February 20, 2015 at 12:01 am
    Permalink

    I think they should. if one thing (of several) that Abrams has done very well in Star Trek is killing off a character and having the audience weep their eyes out

    perhaps Leia. imagine the heartbreak of losing a character who is the sister to a key character and a lover to another key character

    • February 20, 2015 at 3:45 am
      Permalink

      “I think they should. if one thing (of several) that Abrams has done very well in Star Trek is killing off a character and having the audience weep their eyes out”

      When did that happen?

      “perhaps Leia. imagine the heartbreak of losing a character who is the sister to a key character and a lover to another key character”

      Cheap death of an important character that’s used to manipulate the audiences’ emotions. Not necessary. What about the drama of Luke facing Vader or the gang trapped at the Death Star or on Bespin?

      Drama doesn’t have to equal death. Focus more on telling a good story, less on killing off characters for dramatic effect.

  • February 20, 2015 at 1:03 am
    Permalink

    Story-wise, Luke dying makes the most sense. I mean, he can come back as a Force-Ghost, for starters. But also, he’s a lone wolf. No wife or children.

    It just makes sense.

    • February 20, 2015 at 1:08 am
      Permalink

      And … (because I know it’s coming), I DON’T mean that just because someone doesn’t have a wife and children they have no purpose, just that from a writers perspective, their story arc has reached it’s fruition.

    • February 20, 2015 at 3:35 am
      Permalink

      This sounds like Luke being killed just to keep with the tradition of offing the mentor in the first movie.

      • February 20, 2015 at 7:44 pm
        Permalink

        It’s called leitmotif, and has been one of the most dominant plot devices used in the last six movies. Should they just stop now?

        • February 21, 2015 at 10:13 pm
          Permalink

          Yes. It’s boring, repetitive, predictable and limiting in storytelling.

  • February 20, 2015 at 6:49 pm
    Permalink

    I’m going to go out on a limb, and say it’s Chewbaccca who dies. Talk about an emotional gut-wrench! It fits his character, and gives an ‘internal’ conflict for Han in the next two movies.

Comments are closed.

LATEST POSTS ON MOVIE NEWS NET