Will Star Wars: The Last Jedi Feature A Third Death Star?

For all of their careful plotting and plans for galactic domination, the villains of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars universe have a peculiar fascination with spherical, moon-like command centers. “That’s no moon…”

From the old-school Death Stars populating the original trilogy to the super-sized Starkiller Base of The Force Awakens, the idea of Lucasfilm’s baddies residing on a giant, spherical HQ is beginning to get a little long in the tooth, which goes some ways to explaining why Snoke’s Supremacy has already generated so much excitement.

As previously reported during Disney’s Force Friday blowout, that’s the name of the First Order’s primary base of operations in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but evidence unearthed by Star Wars Radar suggests Snoke’s intergalactic, fascist regime will once again call upon a Death Star, the ultimate weapon, while going head-to-head with the Resistance. At least, that’s according to a promotional image plastered onto one of The Last Jedi‘s tie-in products.

It’s a pint-sized replica of Kylo Ren’s deadly TIE Silencer, which is a callback to the original Star Wars trilogy in and of itself given how its design echoes that of Vader’s TIE Advanced. But in the backdrop, you’ll see that iconic Death Star suspended in the inky blackness of space. An innocent placeholder? Or a massive story spoiler? Check it out for yourself in the gallery below – along with a few previously released images of tie-in products – and decide.

Truth be told, it’s incredibly unlikely that Star Wars: The Last Jedi will go on to feature yet another Death Star. Sure, Rian Johnson’s sequel has only debuted one fleeting teaser trailer so far, meaning there’s still plenty we don’t know about The Last Jedi and its dark storyline. But after J.J. Abrams drew criticism for his inclusion of Starkiller Base in The Force Awakens, we imagine Johnson and Co. want to distinguish themselves from what has come before – to strike a balance between the old and the new, essentially.

Speaking of Abrams, Lucasfilm and Disney have now selected the one-time Star Wars director as Colin Trevorrow’s replacement on Star Wars: Episode IX. He’ll direct from a script he co-wrote with Chris Terrio (Justice League). The Last Jedi, meanwhile will be with us on December 15th – with or without a revamped Death Star.