For a while, Keri Russell’s role in Star Wars: Episode IX-The Rise Of Skywalker was a total mystery, with the actress revealing little more than getting to wear the “coolest costume” on The Late Show back in March. Today, Vanity Fair released an extensive first look of the upcoming chapter from Lucasfilm, including a glorious preview of Russell’s Zorri Bliss. Her character is touted as a weapon-toting, roguish “masked scoundrel” and holy shit, Russell was not joking about the costume at all.
Pictured in Thieves’ Quarter, Bliss is part of the neutral faction that is neither Team Resistance nor Team Kylo, but we’ll have to wait and see whether or not she can be properly swayed to pick a side.
The spotlight did not rest on Keri Russell, however. Vanity Fair’s preview also featured glimpses Billy Dee Williams’ might return as Lando Calrissian and an absolutely majestic-looking Naomi Ackie, who joins the franchise as a new, caped ally named Jannah.
Star Wars: Episode IX-The Rise Of Skywalker arrives in theaters December 20.
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You know, its times like this where I wish the staff of these pages would use actual images instead of twitter links, since twitter is blocked on my browser by THE MAN and I have no cell service to check it on my phone.
When did The Rocketeer join the Dora Milage?That is fricking terrible.
Think Karl Urban’s Dredd was able to emote too much by showing off his perfect consistent-frowny face? Disney’s got the solution for you! Let’s take these female actresses with a history of portraying strong nuanced women (Gwendoline Christie, Lupita Nyong’o) and give them one note characters and fully cover them in helmets or completely redo them in CGI!
This might blow your mind, but she might just take the helmet off at some point during the movie. Because that’s, you know, a thing you can do with helmets.
Yeah, but I’d bet you a small sum of money at even odds that she doesn’t.
She’s even called the “masked scoundrel.”
“Because that’s, you know, a thing you can do with helmets.”You can? I’ve been wearing this BMX helmet since third grade!
I mean, it’s not like there isn’t a long history of great Star Wars characters whose faces don’t move – Threepio, Chewy, and Darth Vader managed to turn out pretty well. If you’re hoping to see great character depth in Star Wars films, I’ve got some bad news for you.
(And let’s be honest – Keri Russell is going to get, like, five minutes of screen time at most. If there’s one thing this new generation of SW films loves to do, it’s introduce characters played by great actors who basically exist as cameos to be expanded upon in other media.)
She’s clearly a update of OT Boba Fett, right? Just there to look cool, cause trouble and be part of the EU
“(And let’s be honest – Keri Russell is going to get, like, five minutes of screen time at most. If there’s one thing this new generation of SW films loves to do, it’s introduce characters played by great actors who basically exist as cameos to be expanded upon in other media.)”
The new generation? You should pay attention to the previous generation of Star Wars films. Lucas’s fortune is based on creating and selling an action figure for every single character that ever appeared in a single frame of one of his movies.
Oh, Lucas capitalized the shit out of all of his films – there’s no question about that. But at least the first two trilogies had intelligible, coherent visions (for better and worse); in this one, it’s the first time I feel like the movie is being written primarily for the toys, rather than standing on its own, with the merchandise being just a great way to make more money off of it.
If you think merchandising is bad now, you didn’t live through the glut of the Phantom Menace. So many popular side characters with books and action figures and video game appearances were relegated to one or two shots in those movies. And there are always the Ewoks and Boba Fett from the OT, even if those movies felt a little less toy-centric overall. I definitely agree that the different directors and decision to not have a clearly defined story arc for all three films going in makes the new films a little less cohesive. But this movie is theoretically their opportunity to wrap things up in a way that makes everything feel like one story. Idk if JJ is up to that task tho
I lived through it (I was born in ‘87, so I was at perfect marketing age for the prequels), but even so, it felt like they built the films first and then made toys out of them (even watching it now), whereas I cannot say the same for the new ones.
Yes, that’s sort of my point. These are bit parts given to big named actors which completely waste their talent and (maybe cynically) probably use their names to just drive media attention (and sell toys). Captain GarbageChute had 5 minutes of screen time across two movies and was a complete afterthought and could’ve been played by literally anyone in the world, but io9 has probably written upwards of 150 articles about the character and the actor.No one’s gonna wanna write 50 of those articles based off of interviews with Random Tall Extra, but hey they casted famous GoT lady! Let’s ask her Star Wars questions (or write entire blog articles based off of one interview question) for the next 4 years!(Lupita got to do stuff tho)
“Let’s take these female actresses with a history of portraying strong nuanced women (Gwendoline Christie, Lupita Nyong’o) and give them one note characters and fully cover them in helmets or completely redo them in CGI!”
Isn’t horrible that they continually do that to women, yet you can’t find a single instance of a male character wearing a mask or having a CGI face.
Seriously, find me ONE. You can’t! Such disgustingly blatant misogyny.
You forgot to add in Gwendoline Christie’s case, make her completely incompetent and in Lupita Nyong’o’s case an annoying Yoda rip-off who is not even necessary to the plot. I’m guessing JJ will do the same to Keri Russell.
You are entitled to your incorrect opinion.
As are you.But JJ Abrahms’s Star Wars is a pastiche of better Sci Fi movies. He’s Zack Snyder with a sunny disposition.
Also, the earlier pictures that show Oscar Issac just have him wearing an Indiana Jones costume and John Boyega looks like Han.
But JJ Abrahms’s Star Wars is a pastiche of better Sci Fi movies. He’s Zack Snyder with a sunny disposition.That’s silly. JJ Abrams’ works actually work as TV shows or movies, with relatively coherent plots and discernible characters and production values where you can actually watch what’s going on.The last time Snyder did that was in the mid-2000s.
JJ Abrams is a lazy remixer of Generation X. Snyder takes angsty 90’s comic panels and makes them movies. They might as well be EDM DJs. Neither is original and use spectacle to hide shoddy writing and loose plots. And Abrams has been accused of that since that train movie with Speilberg, so I’m not saying anything new.
I like it. Star Wars could use a Daft Punk cameo.
Hmm, didn’t wow in Tron 2. I liked the soundtrack though.
Same. Good soundtrack; so-so movie.
That outfit looks unbalanced thanks to the extended back of the helmet. I feel like she needs a backpack or something.Oh, and the First Order better watch out before their mighty spaceships and vast armies are wiped out by an unarmored girl shooting a regular bow and arrow (Have those ever existed in Star Wars? Legit asking.) while falling off her not!horse. Hopefully she at least borrowed Hawkeye’s trick arrows.
Just gonna remind – the first Empire suffered a pretty embarrassing defeat at the hands of a bunch of child sized aliens armed with stone-tipped arrows, spears, rocks, and logs.
This kind of shit has a precedent in SW.
User name/comment synergy at maximum level.
Don’t look at me, I didn’t invent them!
I’m pretty sure the Ewoks used bows and arrows in RotJ.
If you look at the picture it’s clearly some sort of tech arrow, which isn’t dissimilar to Chewie’s crossbow.
Chewie’s “crossbow” was actually just a big-ass blaster. It shot lasers. This has an actual arrow.
Bowcaster!!
Came to say the same. I’m actually really disappointed that the awesomeness of Chewie’s bowcaster has never been explored in the movies. They even had Han use it in TFA and all he did was use the blaster rifle portion of it. THE THING LAUNCHES EXPLOSIVE PROJECTILES PEOPLE! What do you think he keeps in that bandolier? Come on!
Um, the Empire was defeated by walking teddy bears with just rocks, ropes and sticks (and arrows). Nub Nub!
Her helmet only looks funny now because you haven’t seen her on her Trek during the Tour de France speed trials.
Yeah, Ewoks rocked the Empires world with bows and arrows
I’m more confused by her ability to balance entirely on one side of a (not) horse.
Unfortunately all those spaceships were designed with an obscure thermal exhaust port, which if shot with an arrow with a tip made of flint, will immediately and catastrophically self destruct.
“Could we maybe cover the thermal vent with, like, a grate? One that would still let out heat but block larger projectiles?”“Johansson, you’re fired!”
Gratings over our thermal vents would imply that we are afraid of the Rebellion, and don’t trust all our many lines of defense that would keep their attack fleet far enough away from ever posing a threat.
Until I see the arrow, I’m not sure it’s a “regular” arrow. I mean it looks a little more techie than that, but even if it is, Ewoks used rocks and spears, and Finn is holding a giant gun right next to her. There are also extended universe characters who use bows and arrows. There are also energy bows in the Clone Wars. You also don’t know what she’s shooting at. They could be legit hunting in which case blasting something to pieces is less than ideal.As far as her “not!horse,” are we pretending tauntauns aren’t a thing?
Star Wars has laser swords. I’m not concerned about a bow and arrow.
Rocketeer?
I actually didn’t think of that until other people said it. It was just a general design critique.
“That only counts as one!”
ehh fine… My only personal requirement for this one is simple. They must include ONE – just fucking ONE – known alien race! Give me just one Rodian, Twi’lek, Togruta, Mon Calamari, Sullustan, Gamorrean, Trandoshan, Weequay, Ithorian, Bith, Duros, Ugnaught, ANYTHING! I would even take a fucking Ewok or Gungan walking in the background of a scene…This is my biggest issue with the sequel trilogy so far – aside from TLJ being objectively terrible – no known aliens. I’m all for “expanding the universe” and adding new races, but the fact that there have been NONE! NOT A SINGLE KNOWN ALIEN RACE in these new movies is totally unacceptable and is my biggest reason they don’t feel connected to the Star Wars galaxy as a whole.
“NOT A SINGLE KNOWN ALIEN RACE”Besides the Mon Calamari which you specifically mention but failed to notice?Or how about that Wookiee that’s been in seven Star Wars movies so far?
Christ alive why do I read these comments
Are they bringing back Rose Tico? I haven’t seen her in any of the promotional material.After the backlash against her last time around i wouldn’t blame her if she just said no to returning.
She’s back. Tran was on the panel at the celebration thing last month.
Good for her then.
I assume the producers are withholding promotional images of Rose while Kelly Marie Tran receives additional treatment for her PTSD.
A spinoff revolving around Paige and Rose Tico might be interesting. One’s a gunner, one’s a rebellion maintenance worker, and they take each other’s clothes without asking like all sisters do!
Would watch.
There’s no way she would be legally allowed to decline if they wanted her back.But, yes, she’s definitely back and there’s a pic from Celebration showing Rose. I do wish she was featured in this photo spread, though. Oh, well.
“There’s no way she would be legally allowed to decline if they wanted her back.”Umm, yes she would. Contractually I’m sure there’s consequences, but she’s not going to be arrested…
Breaking the law doesn’t always mean you’re going to be arrested. Breaking a contract does indeed have consequences.That said, in this case, if she had said that was her reasoning, there’s no way Lucasfilm/Disney would have forced her back. It would have been a PR nightmare.
On the grounds of mental health then yes they would have had to let her out of contract if it could have been proven that any further backlash from idiots would have been detrimental to hers.
Jannah you cannot look like more of a badass.I do think that “women and bows” is becoming some sort of weird shorthand for Fierce Woman Fighter, but I’m wondering if it’s more confirmation bias than anything. Most of the examples I can think of that run contrary are part of comic book franchises (WW, all the MCU women including the Dora Milaje), running in contrast to Katniss Everdeen, New Lara Croft à la Vikander, and maybe I guess it IS confirmation bias because I’m running out of examples?
Bows have been female weapons pretty much since mythology began. Several Greek goddesses and the Amazons carried bows. It’s a weapon that required more accuracy than brute strength and is pretty much the archetypal symbol of female power.
Yup, instead of just crushing you with brute strength, women just aim for the one-hit kill.
Most of the movies I’ve seen feature women in their underwear and fighting with pillows. Then the plumber walks in or something.
It’s definitely a recent (ish) trend in pop culture.https://www.popsugar.com/love/photo-gallery/22811971/image/22812061/Katniss-Hunger-Games
I’d argue that’s an archetype that goes back to Diana, but there’s also a practical quality — if you’re poor or not in the army, it’s a readily available weapon.
I can’t wait to see her two brief scenes that will then be the basis for an entire comic book series and toy line that Russell has nothing whatsoever to do with.
Generally, actors aren’t super involved in the production of toys.
Seth Green’s built a whole side-hustle out of it.
Does Seth Green make toys? I’m legit asking.
Not exactly. I was referring to Robot Chicken, which involves chopping up and otherwise modding action figures to make other action figures.
Ah. But if you had told me Green was a silent partner in some sort of boutique action figure company, I’d totally believe it.
Thought it was an unfair crack and dig at the editorial writing staff yesterday when a commenter’s comment ripped them apart for story headline redundancy and constant repetition of the same eyeball-grabbing tropes, but then…..
Commenter comments on comment.Comment.
Is it possible to make an SEO bot orgasm? Because I think you just did.
Hey, let’s hire the stunning and talented Keri Russell but hide her face behind a ridiculous giant mask.
It worked for Adam Driver.
I know I shouldn’t look to Star Wars for incredible acting, but that’s not gonna be easy acting through a helmet. Think about how easily they could have replaced Gwendoline Christie with a no-name Brit for Phasma.
Well hopefully Russel will actually be able to take hers off. Casting Christie for a character that you never saw and barely spoke was weird.
But they HAD to cast a name actor to play Phasma. She was so crucial to the film…‘s marketing campaign.
“Incredible” is probably not the best adjective to compliment acting. Since it means, you know, not convincing.
I know, right? The only worthwhile thing about women is their looks.KYLE GETS IT!!!!
Hey, they did the same thing with Peter Mayhew!
Cause we all loved when they did it with Lupita.
They turned the most beautiful woman on the planet into a mo-capped orange toad, so…there’s clearly precedent.
Correction: The most beautiful woman in the world is Aishwarya Rai, but your point is well made.
Pistols at dawn over the love of two women we will never even meet!
You know, a duel to the death WOULD be a pretty good way to impress them. It might work out for whoever survives.
Good point. I mean, just ask Mrs. Jodi Hinkley.
I mean, surely she was at least flattered by Hinkley’s gesture?
And they keep doing this again and again. “Hey you know who should play that weird little alien that runs the casino? Lupita Nyong’o. And Phoebe Waller-Bridge would be great as a robot!”
‘also featured glimpses Billy Dee Williams’ might return as Lando Calrissian’? Ummm, spoiler alert for a trailer that’s been out for a month and a half now: I think the cat’s out of the bag on that one.
Just another drop in the typo ocean here at the AV Club. Should have been “mighty.”
She looks like Daft Punk’s long-lost third band member.
Oh fuck no.
Hey nice another famous person they hired and then put in a mask, neat!
But will she last longer than pink hair lady?I just want to see Captain Phasma return again to challenge Finn once more. She’ll be battered and broken from their last encounter, with an unrelenting need to revenge, only to be unceremoniously tossed down another pit.
I loved the Rocketeer.
Well, okay, I really like this design. Just a tiny sprinkling of Boba Fett for the super fans without too much for the fans who realize Boba Fett friggin’ sucks.
My fear is that she’s another Zam Wessell; a bad-ass female character whose design looked great in the previews and sneak-peaks but who was quickly and mercilessly under-utilized on-screen.Really dig the costume, though.
Half of the Star Wars game that goes back way before Disney is selling toys. That’s an action figure ready to go.Boba Fett very nearly falls into that category as well when you think of how much he actually did or didn’t do in the original trilogy.
And as a kid, I ate up both Zam Wessell and Boba Fett action figures. Zam had a long run on the living room floor as a contract killer for the ESPO’S and a love interest for a young Lando Calrissian.
First thing I thought of when I saw Jannah (and it’s not a bad thing):Edit: In case this picture doesn’t show up, it’s Tina Turner’s character in “Beyond Thunderdome.”
Imagine the fan backlash when she gets her hair cut for the sequel…..
great…more gratuitous CG animals.
Gals/Guys is there a way to embed in the articles images of your latest scoops?.This linking to twitter/instagram/social sites in working hours leaves me with only blank spaces to look at.Thanks!.
Is Jannah Lando’s daughter?
I knew i’d seen it before…..
So…faster-than-light ships, but they don’t have horse orthodonture?
I’m calling bullshit.
Finn’s steed looks suuuper fake.
Meh. Another Zam Wessel.
Surely they must have a role for her erstwhile co-star, Mail Robot?
This must be a reference to
These comments lol. Yea I instantly thought of Wicket and the Ewoks. And as far as that mask, it looks more concept art than anything I’m sure the helmet will be slightly altered. It reminded me a bit of what Leia wore when she impersonated a bounty hunter in RoTJ.