When Disney bought Lucasfilm back in 2012, the intention was to immediately kick start the Star Wars universe again. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens did just that in a big way. The film broke nearly every box office record in its path and introduced the world to a new cast of characters, but also featured the return of some familiar faces. One of the new faces that joined the franchise was Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie. The excitement around her casting only heightened when the look of Captain Phasma made her a fan favorite character well before she even debuted.

The success of The Force Awakens was largely viewed in a positive light, but there were still a few complaints some had, with Phasma’s role being one that disappointed many. Luckily, she is going to making a return in Star Wars: Episode VIII and Christie promises that the film will not be a disappointment.

Christie recently spoke to EW about the highly anticipated sequel and despite the film having lofty expectations heaped upon it right now, the actress feels confident in saying it will meet them. She clearly could not say much as the entire Star Wars universe is shrouded in secrecy, but did say, “I don’t think anyone’s going to be disappointed.”

No matter how true Christie’s statement is, it is impossible to please everyone. As director Rian Johnson juggles multiple characters and stories, there are sure to be some viewers who come out of Episode 8 wishing they had seen more of a certain character or had something more clearly explained. Still, Christie’s comments are most likely aimed at audiences not being disappointed with the quality of the film. Regardless of how an individual felt about certain characters or plot points in The Force Awakens, the majority of them would say that the film was not a disappointment.

When it is time for Episode 8 to hit theaters, it could have even higher expectations than its predecessor. Expectations could increase even more if Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is not as good as everyone hopes. On the flip side, if Rogue One is equally as good as The Force Awakens, the pressure will be on Episode 8 to maintain the quality of filmmaking that Lucasfilm has accomplished.

Since Episode 8 continues to be heavily guarded, it is difficult to get a real understanding of what Lucasfilm has in store. Once Rogue One is out, they should start to promote the next saga film by announcing the title and eventually releasing a teaser. In the meantime, fans will continue to theorize and speculate what they think could (or should) happen. This could be an avenue for expectations not to be met, but as of right now, there is no reason to think Lucasfilm and Disney don’t know what they are doing and won’t deliver on the stories and secrets set up in The Force Awakens.

Source: EW

  • Star Wars: Rogue One Release Date: 2016-12-16 Star Wars 8 Release Date: 2017-12-15 Han Solo Release Date: 2018-05-25 Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Release Date: 2019-12-20