As with most things related to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, we don’t know a ton about Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma. She does look totally badass decked out in that chrome stormtrooper armor, she’s sure to create an imposing figure on the battlefield, and now Christie herself has given us a point of comparison between her and another beloved Star Wars character. It also hints at the size of her role.
Talking to the Los Angeles Times, and doing a solid job of dancing around questions and not sharing too much (J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm must be so proud), the 37-year-old Game of Thrones star did reveal a bit about how her character compares to another, and how she fits into the plot. She said:
She is a Boba Fett-style character, which means she makes a lot of impact but she's not at the forefront of the action all the time.
The parallels between Boba Fett and Captain Phasma are apparent at first look. Though the Mandalorian bounty hunter was more of a free agent—Phasma is a tool of the First Order, the new version of the Empire, rising from the ashes after Return of the Jedi—but they both have kick ass suits of armor, and we don’t expect the new character to be all that much of a conversationalist.
Though she’ll still have ample opportunity to menace the characters, and she’ll be a danger to contend with, it doesn’t sound like Captain Phasma is going to be the threat. To be honest, this is the vibe we’ve got from the character leading up to this.
Stormtroopers are traditionally the foot soldiers, the on-the-ground, in-the-shit force, and even though it appears that she’s higher up in the ranks, she’s still essentially a grunt. It’s easy to imagine her participating in chasing the heroes across the galaxy, nipping at their heels while other forces orchestrate from afar—perhaps she serves as an immediate threat, while characters like General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) and Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) pull the strings and form a larger, looming presence.
This is all hearsay and speculation at this point, and as J.J. Abrams has said that we won’t get another Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer before the movie hits theaters, we’re going to have to remain content to pick through every oblique, mysterious tidbit one of the actors drops while doing press rounds.
Set 30 years after the Battle of Endor at the end of Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens introduces us to a very different far, far away galaxy. The Rebel Alliance has become the Resistance, the Empire has become the First Order, good and evil are still at each other’s throats, and the Jedi have become something of a forgotten legend. It’s going to be an interesting ride, though we’ll have a ton of characters—both beloved favorites from the franchise, as well as some promising new additions—to hang out with as we see learn up.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters December 18.
