Supreme Leader Snoke may be comparable to Emperor Palpatine in that Andy Serkis’ humanoid alien has been angled as the ultimate big bad of Disney’s current Star Wars saga, but whereas the prequels outlined every step of Palpatine’s rise (descent?) into Darth Sidious, Rian Johnson has vowed to exercise some restraint when it comes to Snoke and his place in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
What we do know, though, is that he’s the master puppeteer pulling the strings behind the First Order – the modern incarnation of the Galactic Empire, essentially – and prefers to command his troops from afar. That’s a strategy we saw unfold in The Force Awakens, when Snoke relayed instructions via a floor-to-ceiling hologram. Turns out the villain has been housed up in his Mega Star Destroyer, the Supremacy, all along, but everyone involved in the film has assured us that he’ll have a much more prominent role to play in The Last Jedi come December – something which was made very evident in that recent trailer.
Still, despite his increased presence in the sequel, we shouldn’t expect to have all the answers once the credits roll, though that doesn’t mean Lucasfilm hasn’t figured everything out yet. While some fans have voiced concerns that not even the studio knows Snoke’s full backstory, Andy Serkis has now shot those claims down, telling IGN in a recent interview that he “absolutely” knows what the character’s history and true identity is.
Of course, he wouldn’t say anything more than that, but it’s still reassuring to hear that those involved with the franchise do indeed have things mapped out already and aren’t just building the character as they go. Besides, as Johnson’s said in the past, Snoke’s really there to serve more as a story function, kind of like the Emperor in the Original Trilogy. And really, that’s perfectly fine. Like we noted above, showing some restraint only makes the villain all the more intriguing and intimidating.
Said to be different, unexpected, and also the longest film in the franchise, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is certainly shaping up to be something truly special, not least because it’ll herald Carrie Fisher’s final turn in the Skywalker saga. Her General Leia Organa will be fondly remembered, of course, just don’t get your hopes up for any form of CGI resurrection in the untitled Episode IX.
Looking further afield, that aforementioned film has since found a new director (J.J. Abrams) and release date (December 20th, 2019), placing it right alongside Warner’s Wonder Woman 2.
