Not a whole lot is known about Rian Johnson's "Star Wars: Episode VIII" other than production has started on the film. Obviously, that's not enough information to satiate our rabid appetites for "Star Wars" information. Lucky for us, Johnson took pity and provided a pretty big detail about his upcoming film.
Based on a photo the director released from the set of "Episode VIII," it appears as if Lupita Nyong'o's Maz Kanata will be making a comeback.
Johnson posted the photo on his Tumblr account yesterday. The image is of a soundstage from the set of "Episode VIII," with someone standing alone in a motion capture suit. Surrounding the person are images of Maz Kanata, leading us to believe the sage old space pirate will be featured once again.
This isn't a slam dunk, of course. Johnson could just be messing with our heads. But he doesn't seem as obsessed with secrecy as J.J. Abrams was for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Plus, given the character's popularity among fans, why wouldn't Lucasfilm want to bring her back for another go around in a galaxy far, far away? Audiences still have so many questions about Maz's creative backstory and questions about other characters that only Maz may be able to answer. She did seem to have more knowledge of Rey's origin than she let on in "The Force Awakens."
Similar to another beloved small stature "Star Wars" character, Maz clearly has a unique connection with the Force. We'd love to see how she puts her abilities to use in the new film, especially with Rey well on her way to becoming a full-fledged Jedi. Fans would also like to know more about the character's intriguing backstory.
For now, this is all the insight we can provide. Hopefully, Johnson will continue to tease out juicy morsels like this one. If so, we'll keep you updated.
"Star Wars: Episode VIII" will hit theaters on Dec. 17, 2017.
