The trailers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens were spectacular, building yet even more anticipation for the motion picture event of the year, but many fans were still understandably hesitant about the final film. After all, those of us who are old enough to remember the last time Star Wars returned to our screens are still recovering from the trauma of Jar Jar Binks.
Fortunately, The Force Awakens has been a resounding success, breaking every box office record imaginable while charming even the most dour-faced film critics. The exact content of the prequels may have been a mystery before they were released, but we all knew the direction they were roughly heading in. That’s what makes the new films so exciting; The Force Awakens is the first Star Wars film in decades that’s taken audiences into bold, new territory.
Now that the movie has finally been released, fans are already looking ahead to the next instalment of the franchise, theorizing what could be in store for our beloved characters. The events depicted in The Force Awakens will have huge ramifications, there’s no doubt about that, so join us as we discuss 7 ways that J.J. Abrams’ movie has changed the Star Wars universe forever.
NOTE: If you haven’t seen The Force Awakens yet, but are still thinking about reading on, resist the temptation of the dark side and wait until you’ve watched the movie. You’ll thank us later.