With Disney now controlling the property and expanding it to standalone films, we should expect a new Star Wars movie every year for the foreseeable future. And it all started off with J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens, which introduced a bevy of new characters. And while characters like Rey and Poe were well received, Gwendoline Christie's Captain Phasma got a more icy reception. Fans of the Game of Thrones actress thought she was underused and felt that the character was essentially an excuse for a cool costume. But now it looks like the Star Wars gods have listened, because Phasma will have a larger role in The Last Jedi.
This news comes to us from director Rian Johnson himself, who recently revealed how much he is a fan of both Gwendoline Christie, and Captain Phasma herself. He said,
Gwendoline Christie is one of my favorite people, and you get to see her in action which I think is going to be really fun. That character is just so damn cool looking. Like, okay, let's see what we can do with her. Let's put her in action and see what happens.
Thank the old gods and the new, because it looks like Brienne of Tarth will be making a bigger splash in her next adventure in a galaxy far, far away. This statement (which comes to us from EW) is sure to be a relief to critics of The Force Awakens, and for all those Phasma Phans out there.
While anticipation for Captain Phasma was sky high before the release of The Force Awakens, the film actually contained very little of the Stormtrooper Commander. She was physically present in big moments over at the Resistance, but Phasma only ended up having 8 or so lines in the entirety of the film. Furthermore, she never took off her helmet, so fans didn't even get to see Gwendoline Christie's face-- how was she even supposed to act at all under there? Phasma has been one of the biggest points of contention among the community, so it's definitely a good sign that she'll be "in action" this time around.
It should be interested to see exactly how Captain Phasma is utilized during the events of The Last Jedi. The resistance is apparently in a bit of a jam, so I'm sure we'll see the chrome killer engage in a battle agains the Resistance forces. She also no doubt has a vendetta against John Boyega's Finn, who is a traitor who went on to humiliate her when he and Han entered Starkiller base. The former Stormtrooper has added insult to injury, and Phasma doesn't strike me as a forgiving lady.
All will be answered when Star Wars: The Last Jedi arrives in theaters on December 15th. In the meantime, you can check out 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies, and get your Gwendoline Christie fix with Game of Thrones Sundays on HBO.
