In the wake of the release of J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker, fans have been treated to all kinds of concept art featuring moments and ideas that didn't make into the film. This has included everything from Rey facing off against an army of Stormtroopers, to a strange cantina band, to double-decker Star Detroyers, and now we have another cool piece to make us wonder what could have been – featuring Adam Driver's Kylo Ren inspecting a clone vat.
This piece of concept art was posted by artist Adam Brockbank on his personal Instagram account, and while it's worth noting that Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker does feature a scene with Kylo Ren in a clone lab, specifically the one controlled by Emperor Palpatine, there isn't any moment specifically like this. And it's additionally interesting that we can't see what's occupying the vat.
It's in the very beginning of Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker that Kylo Ren has his first encounter with such equipment, learning from Palpatine that Supreme Leader Snoke was an artificially created being who did his bidding while he pretended to be dead. On a bit of a rampage, Ren doesn't exactly spend any time roaming around the lab, let alone take the time to inspect the technology, so it makes one wonder if this concept art is from a time when that scene was going to play out much differently, or a completely different scene entirely.
As for what's in the vat... might that not be a container for the production of Snokes? It was confirmed via the novelization of Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker earlier this year that the Emperor Palpatine we see in the film is actually a clone of the character from the original trilogy, so is it possible that what we're seeing in this concept art is linked to that? Unfortunately Brockbank's caption for the picture doesn't provide much in the way of context. Perhaps it could have provided an explanation for why the Emperor appears older and more decrepit than ever despite the cloning process.
In addition to the details that have come out about Colin Trevorrow's scrapped version of Star Wars: Episode IX and all of this concept art, it's interesting to think about what the movie could have been instead of what it was – and it will be subject matter that will be debated among fans for years and years to come.
For those of you who wish to revisit the film as it does exist, it's remarkably easy to do so. In addition to being available on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD, as well as on digital platforms, Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker can be streamed an infinite number of times by those with Disney+ subscriptions. Be sure to also stay tuned here on CinemaBlend as we continue to cover the coolest concept art to emerge from the production.
