Warning – spoilers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens if you’ve not seen it yet…
Since the movie’s announcement, there were plenty of rumours about the involvement of both Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. These rumours were certainly intensified by Hasbro’s toyline, which released some Force Awakens branded merchandise featuring Vader. However, as we now know, only Vader’s trademark breathing made an appearance during Rey’s Vision, and the Jedi Master showed up in the closing moments to set up Star Wars: Episode VIII (which recently started production).
Well a new rumour from the folks over at Making Star Wars suggests that J.J. Abrams filmed a scene recreating the Vader and Luke showdown on Bespin from Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back for Rey’s Vision that was eventually cut. This is based on an early rumour that Disney had cast an actor named Robert Boulter to play ‘Young Original Warrior’, and from the new book Star Wars: Rey’s Story, which describes the scene in her Vision:
“As she peered into the distance, she saw a man in black wielding a red Lightsaber. His face was covered with a mask, molded to approximate a human face. But the mask’s eyes were dead and empty. The man’s red Lightsaber clashed against a brilliant beam of blue. A young man with blond hair raised his own Lightsaber and fought furiously against the monster in black.”
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens sees J.J. Abrams directing returning stars Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar), in addition to Adam Driver (Girls), Oscar Isaac (A Most Violent Year), Andy Serkis (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina), John Boyega (Attack the Block), Daisy Ridley (Silent Witness), Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), Ken Leung (Lost), Miltos Yerolemou (Game of Thrones), Max von Sydow (The Exorcist), Jessica Henwick (Spirit Warriors), Christina Chong (24: Live Another Day), Simon Pegg (Star Trek) and newcomers Crystal Clarke and Pip Andersen.
Originally published February 17, 2016. Updated October 26, 2022.
