While the production has been keeping a tight lid on things related to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, occasionally information slip through, especially when social media is involved. Star John Boyega recently dropped an enticing image online that, while not super revealing, is going to be an exciting bit for fans.
It should go without saying, but we’re obviously going to say it anyway, that there are potential spoilers beyond this point. Nothing too major, but there you have it.
As you can plainly see, this image that Boyega posted on his Instagram page shows his character, Finn, an AWOL stormtrooper, armed and going into battle with that big old walking carpet we all know and love, Chewbacca. The real question is, as a former stormtrooper, will Finn be able to hit anything with that blaster of his? Maybe The First Order, as this new version of the Empire is known, places more of an emphasis on marksmanship and target practice in their ranks than earlier incarnations.
This picture originally hit the web as part of a Russian Lego catalog that leaked out, and was subsequently removed by Lucasfilm and their active legal department. So maybe Boyega will get a nasty message from the execs, but for now, it’s there for all to see.
We also believe that staff in the upper right-hand corner belongs to Rey (Daisy Ridley), and if that’s the case, it could lend credence to some earlier rumors. Okay, now we’re going to get potentially very spoilery beyond this point. Just a heads up.
One rumor going around is that, at the big, climactic moment, Finn, Rey, Chewbacca, and Han Solo face off with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), who may or may not be Han’s son, who ultimately kills Han. Perhaps this is supposed to be a rendering of that moment. Then again, if the four are together for any length of time, they’re bound to have some encounters that necessitate blaster use. Or hell, maybe the artist just thought it would be cool looking to have Finn and Chewie side-by-side ready to throw down and this doesn’t actually reference anything real. We won’t know for sure for some time.
Now let’s talk about that blaster for a minute. While it looks similar, it’s not the same as the traditional Rebel DH-17 blaster. There have been some upgrades and modifications in the 30 years since Return of the Jedi, which you assumed there would be. With what appears to be a blue power source, it’ll be interesting to see if this fires the red beam we’re used to or something else. Crazy times, I know.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens everywhere December 18.
