It’s to be expected that a new trailer will produce more questions and even more theories. Some of them are fairly conceivable, others are wild, baseless speculation. I’m going to explain my theory as to the plot (and subplots) of the next movie based on evidence shown in the newest trailer. (If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, then you’re a nub and you should go watch it now – I’ll wait.) All right, now let’s proceed.
The Plot
A very Obi-Wan-esque image of Luke
The Empire is shattered. The Sith and Jedi have vanished and are now mere legends. Granted its only 30 years after the second Death Star was destroyed, but since there were technically only three Force users (Vader, Palpatine and Luke), its conceivable that most people weren’t even aware that Luke was Jedi and Vader and Palpatine were Sith. Be that as it may, Kylo Ren and his followers (the Knights of Ren) set out to rebuild the Empire that, Kylo Ren believes, Vader wanted. Ren is obsessed with Vader, we don’t really know why. The First Order, in juxtaposition with Ren’s efforts, is the new Imperial army led by General Hux.
Finn is a stormtrooper (remember, after the clone wars stormtroopers were no longer clones but volunteers) who, perhaps, begins to question the motives behind the First Order and decides he has had enough. He is shot down escaping and crashes on the same planet as Rey. This planet also has the crashed Star Destroyer we’ve seen in images and trailers. It’s also where, I believe, we see Rey spelunking in the opening of the newest trailer. Perhaps she find something there. A device or some data that the First Order needs to continue to rise to power.
This is also where the lives of Rey and Finn become entwined. Perhaps they are both experiencing strange, latent abilities. The Force. They have only heard stories of Jedi and the Force. Perhaps they are the first of, what will be, a new Jedi Order. If that’s the case then Kylo Ren would want to prevent and/or destroy them. He talks of finding the last Jedi. Luke? Luke is likely in hiding, thus perpetuating the legend. Perhaps Luke will emerge from hiding to train Rey and Finn and rebuild the Jedi. He could become the new Obi-Wan Kenobi.
I could get so much more accomplished if I only had minions!
We are three months away from the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Millions of Star Wars fans are waiting with bated breath for the epic release of the first film in the franchise that doesn’t include George Lucas (whether you love him or hate him). Of course the thought on everyone’s mind is “will it be good or will it suck”. Obviously everyone immediately thinks about the prequels and how easily those movies are shredded and belittled. The difference this time is we have J. J. Abrams telling the story.
Personally I don’t think it’s going to matter what the critics think. Star Wars is “critic-proof”. Yes, I just said the one phrase that all movie critics hate (pundits and amateurs). All the Star Wars movies are more than just a movie. Every movie is adding lore to a subculture that has existed for almost 40 years. It’s a subculture that thrived before Facebook, Twitter, even e-mail could influence our opinion before we saw it for ourselves. Social media has become so integral in our world that people are now going to movies with their opinions already mired by trolls and haters.
I must have missed the part where Disney said the Expanded Universe is now obsolete and they are starting over with a clean slate. I didn’t realize this until yesterday when it was announced that the first post-ROTJ book of the “new expanded universe” will be released September 4th (titled 
I tend to keep a pretty open mind when it comes to Star Wars; after all I am in the minority of people that don’t speak of the prequels with seething and disdain. There are so many books in the “old” Expanded Universe I still want to read that I will never be caught up. I guess this is an opportunity for me to try to keep up with the new Expanded Universe. It will be interesting to see how things progress from here. Will authors like James Luceno, Troy Denning, and Timothy Zahn continue to write books in the old “Expanded Universe” or is that world now off limits?
