Today is May 4th, also known as Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you). The morning arrived with confirmation of the characters both Adam Driver and Lupita Nyong’o play in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but that’s not all that dropped. Now we’ve got our best look yet at Gwendoline Christie’s character, Captain Phasma, and she looks as badass as you hoped. Check it out below.
Christie is best known for playing Brienne of Tarth on HBO’s Game of Thrones, and while she cuts in imposing figure on that show, this photo takes that up a few notches. We saw a glimpse of the character striding with menacing purpose in the most recent trailer for The Force Awakens, but this photo from Vainity Fair gives us a different look.
From what we know, Phasma is the leader of what people have been calling the Chrome Troopers, though it remains to be seen if that’s what they’re really called in the movie. They’re reportedly an elite squadron, a best-of-the-best kind of deal, and rumors have also said they may serve as a protective detail for Adam Driver’s villainous Kylo Ren. Again, we’ll wait and see on that front, but regardless of their mission, this photo gives you a good idea of just how badass a force we’re talking about.
This doesn’t unveil a whole lot about her role in the larger story, or where the Chrome Troopers fit into it all, but they’re obviously not a squad to be taken lightly or trifled with. You see Phasma strike a daunting pose as she surveys the aftermath of what was, a short while ago, a raging battle, and you certainly get the impression that whoever they clashed with didn’t fare particularly well.
Take a look at the latest trailer to see a peek of Phasma in action.
According to the caption from the magazine, Captain Phasma is an officer of the First Order, which we’ve learned is the new name of the Empire, or at least the name of whatever form and force emerged from the rubble after Return of the Jedi. One of the things we’re most curious to see in The Force Awakens is just how this happened. Did someone rise up in the wake of the deaths of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine to assume control? Did the remnants splinter into various factions, all vying for control, and the First Order emerged on top? There are a lot of possibilities, and it should be one hell of a story. They definitely have a scary ass name.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters everywhere December 18.
