Vanity Fair offered fans more insight into what J.J. Abrams has in mind for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. While the slew of images doesn't spoil too many plot details, one particular scene jumps out -- Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) fighting Rey (Daisy Ridley).
At first glance, it seems the duel occurs atop some sort of mechanical structure or however. However, one piece of speculation from Reddit suggests this fight could be set atop none other than the iconic Millennium Falcon. With that seed planted, it leaves us all wondering if Abrams does indeed have plans to destroy Han Solo's famous space vessel.
The new trilogy has been all about charting new territory. We saw this with the death of Han, the razing of yet another Jedi Temple by Kylo, and the overall beliefs of Luke Skywalker that the Jedi had to end. This was also the case for the Jedi's sworn enemies, the Sith, as the trilogy didn't really touch on them, instead namedropping the nebulous idea of the Dark Side and its new regime under Supreme Leader Snoke and the First Order. It seems Abrams and Rian Johnson simply wanted to tell stories for a new era and unshackle the property from chains of yesteryear. With that in mind, it's easy to see how destroying the Falcon would close the door on yet another nostalgic blast from the past.
Along with Luke, Darth Vader and the Death Star, it's one of Star Wars' most iconic pieces, and could be the final element of the original trilogy left to take off the chessboard. We know Leia will be written out after the death of Carrie Fisher, so removing the Falcon more or less cuts all ties with the old days and fits the mantra Kylo appears to be living by: "Let the past die. Kill it if you have to."
It'd also be very potent symbolism to have Kylo fighting Rey atop a sinking Falcon, as this ship belonged to Han and we know how much he hated his dad. Seeing as Rey's the new pilot too and basically came off as a daughter-like figure to Han, this can even be construed as a metaphorical battle of pseudo-siblings.
The Falcon is a bridge between the old and new eras, and after spurning his offer to join forces, this would be the perfect platform for Kylo to try to burn the past down for good while battling Rey, the heroine who wants to use this ship to create a better and brighter galaxy, instead. (Will the captain go down with the ship?)
However, seeing as the debut trailer did show Rey and Co. observing a fallen Death Star in an ocean, it could be that this battle actually occurs on a piece of the wreckage on that planet. Looking at the top and bottom views of the Falcon also, they don't seem to sync up with the visuals beneath Rey and Kylo's feet in that Vanity Fair image.
The Falcon's base (as seen above in The Force Awakens) doesn't have room for people to stand and fit their feet in, much less to square off. Also, we can see in the image below that the top is slanted, so when we reconcile the visual of Kylo taking on Rey, as equipment and machine parts protrude from the sea, it's clear the duo is standing on even ground.
Also, the fact that we saw the Death Star in the sea in the film's trailer already offers a more obvious -- and more epic -- setting. If this is the case and it's not the Falcon, then keeping one thing from the past alive in Abrams' closing chapter acting could serve as a continuing reminder of the old adventures, even in a changing world.
Still, that doesn't mean Han's iconic ship has indestructible plot armor. We think there's a distinct possibility the Falcon could meet its end in Episode IX, especially as Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi proved that nothing is off the table anymore. Now, while Abrams may be a bit more inclined to honor the past -- hey, he brought Billy Dee Williams' Lando Calrissian back -- we can still see him using a fallen Falcon as a backdrop to pit the new faces of good and evil against each other.
Ultimately, we'll have to wait until December to get our answers, but all we can do for now is beg that if Disney/Lucasfilm do decide to bring an end to the Falcon, it's done tastefully. After all, for Star Wars fans, that pile of "garbage," as Rey described it, has as much significance for fans as the series' human characters. However the Millenium Falcon goes out, it should be in a way that honors its legacy.
Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Matt Smith, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The film arrives Dec. 20.