‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ Updates: Flashback Scene Links Jyn Erso to Rey in New Theory; Felicity Jones Learns Martial Arts for Main Role

‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ gets a new theory connecting Jyn Erso with Rey. The theory emerges from one of the film’s flashback scenes involving a Deathtrooper. Meanwhile, Felicity Jones admitted to learning martial arts for her main role as Jyn.

According to Moviepilot, a flashback scene in director Gareth Edwards’ spin-off film in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise reportedly links Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso to the upcoming film ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’. A still released only recently from Star Wars’ very first flashback scene showed a Deathtrooper holding a mysterious object that possibly connects Jyn to Rey.

This object is supposedly Jyn’s Stormtrooper doll made for her by her mother. The Deathtrooper holding the doll may signify that the Empire has finally caught up with the Erso family on Director Krennic’s orders.

Fast forward to a scene in J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens’, Rey is noted to have a doll resembling that of Rey’s fueling speculation that Jyn may actually be Rey’s mother or is connected to her somehow. No official confirmation has been made regarding direct link between ‘Rogue One’ and ‘Episode VIII’ as of the moment.

Edwards’ upcoming ‘Rogue One’ is getting a companion novel entitled ‘Catalyst’, which will be released on November 15. According to Den of Geek, the novel will shed some light on some of the new characters’ backstories including that of Galen Erso and the villainous Director Krennic.

The official synopsis taken from ‘Catalyst’ revealed that Director Orson Krennic is involved in Chancellor Palpatine’s secret Death Star Project. Krennic then recruits his friend and the brilliant scientist Galen to help design an energy weapon in the Death Star. When Galen realizes that he was tasked at creating a weapon of mass destruction, and opted out of the project but must face consequences of putting his entire family and the galaxy in danger.

Mads Mikkelsen is set to portay Galen while Ben Mendelsohn will play Director Krennic. Other members of the cast include Felicity Jones as Jyn, Diego Luna as Captain Cassian Andor, Alan Tudy as K-2SO, Forest Whitaker as Saw Gererra, Donnie Yen as Chirrut Imwe, Riz Ahmed as Bodhi Rook, and Jiang Wen as Baze Malbus.

During a previous interview with Entertainment Weekly, Jones admitted that filming took a toll on her physically. She said, “I’m laughing now, but at the time, it was physically exhausting… It took a lot of hours of practice, and I worked with a kung fu coach, and I learned to fight, even though I never thought beating up Stormtroopers was something I’d be doing in my job. It came through hard work and lots of practice and rehearsals.”

Jones added, “She is absolutely a very unlikely heroine… She’s someone on the edges and fringes of society. Physically, she’s smaller than everyone else around her, but… when someone has something they believe in, that’s what powers them, that’s what motivates them, that’s what can give someone enormous strength.”

‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ is an upcoming action-adventure and science-fiction film scheduled to be released on December 16, 2016. It is directed by Gareth Edwards and written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy. It is produced by Allison Shearmur Productions, Black Hangar Studios, and Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in the United States.