Rogue One [Official Info] Mads Mikkelsen (Galen Erso) in Rogue One

Farmer, Geologist, Transdimensional Physicist.

 

Polka dancer, collector of Lithuanian 1970's porn, bird watcher.

 

Yes, but the deathtroopers will obviously capture him and force him to work for the Empire, leaving Jyn abandoned.

 

Galen Erso's capture. If Jyn runs off why doesn't Krennic go after her? Does he not bother because he has Lyra as a hostage?

 

I love the theory that he is San Lor Tekka BUT I really don't think it's going to happen. Nice theory though.

 

Perhaps because Jyn is a little girl at the time, and Krennic is too arrogant to pay her any mind? Arrogance and overconfidence. A fatal flaw among villains.

As an aside, the actor playing Krennic in this shot does not seem to be Mendelsohn. ANd as the camera seems to be pointed directly at his face, I don't believe it's a stuntman. IMO, this further supports speculation that this is almost certainly a flashback.

 

Definitely a flashback....of sorts. I'm guessing that the movie starts with Erso being abducted, Jyn running away and then we skip forward to 'today', fifteen years later.

 

As good a guess as any. It's also exactly how the secret Celebration trailer begins.

 

Reminds of the opening to a certain War-themed Quentin Tarantino movie.

 

That makes me wonder if Krennic will almost shoot Jyn as she's running away, but put the gun down at the last minute and say "Au revior, Jyn Erso!"

 

You know, I never thought so before, but you just convinced me that a Tarantino Star Wars Story wouldn't be such a bad thing...

 

The theory about the movie starting with a flashback further fuels the subsequent theory that the movie won't have a opening crawl.

Please make it so. Just have the movie start with "A long time ago...", then fade into space. No music, just ambience of an Imperial ship entering the atmosphere of the Iceland planet. Cut to young Jyn playing on the field, with her father Galen overlooking from aside.

 

I'm guessing that the wonderful universe-changing thing that Galen has discovered is how to extract power from Kyber Crystals. There are some 'ifs and buts' but the argument for;

The EU states that ancient Sith weapons were powered by Kyber Crystals.
Jedha is the spiritual home of the Jedi......why?
The Empire has garrisoned the planet and appears to be transporting something in orange crates under heavy security.
There is evidence of some type of mining operation on Jedha. Saw has a breathing mask on his chestplate and Jyn sports a similar mask in clips from the CE reel. Additionally background characters on Jedha sport breathing apparatus of some kind.
Jyn, at one point, seems to be running through an underground rock-walled chamber where the orange crates are visible.
We know that the Death Star used Kyber crystals (we don't know how they were used I believe).

Arguments against;

We are told that a Kyber crystal is at the heart of a lightsabre but various media tells us that the crystal focuses the energy (from a power cell) to create the blade.
We are told that Kyber crystals can be found on various planets but that they are rare.

Now.....what if the new EU rewrites some of this? What if the Kyber crystal in a lightsabre contains the energy itself and all those cutaways showing the power cells are now null and void? Remember those ancient lightsabres in the TFA awakens concept art? A piece of wood with a Kyber crystal bound into it? Where does the power come from?

I would speculate that Galen Erso has found a way to extract the power from 'industrial Kyber crystals' (too small shards to be useful for anything else) and that they are being mined on Jedha to be transported to the Death Star to power it.

 

I too would prefer to see the Lucasfilm logo, then "A long time ago..." and then a cold open on Jyn as a little girl and her father being captured. Maybe after this prologue we get some kind of title card/intro with music and some credits...

 

I just realised something that could be vital for the overall story, not to mention the climax...

IS it possible that Galen believes his daughter to be dead? What if the Empire told him that she's been killed? It would make for a very interesting twist when he finds out she is alive.

 

It's established canon that the majority of the Death Star's volume is the central reactor that powers the battle station. Changing this so that Kyber crystals are what power the weapon would be absurd.

 

Right, but as with the atomic bomb, the essence of its power may be a very, very small reaction at the core of the DS. So perhaps there's a large central reactor, and crystals at their center. Either that, or the crystals are needed to focus the results of the reaction (the laser). There are quite a few ways to skin this cat and stay within canon.

 

Why?

It's star wars, I doubt they're using uranium. Why can't Kyber crystals be what power the reactor?

 

I'm just think that Kyber crystals can be agitated to release or magnify power. You put a little in and get a lot out.

 

As a nice tie in, I would love it if it's explained that Galen discovered or developed the capabilities of the Kyber crystals and then innocently gave such a wonderful gift to a charismatic, former Jedi Master who wanted to change the galaxy. But once the Clone Wars began, Galen fled with his family until the Empire hunted down the separatist conspirator a few years later.

They then send him to the stormy prison pillar planet to which the rebels try to rescue him only to suffer great losses in some sort of trap that jeopardizes any future mission to Scariff. Grumpy rebel general doesn't want to lose more people and Mon Mothma seeks Bail Organa's advice on how to proceed.

In a dark twist though, maybe Galen has been broken by the Empire after years and years of torture.

 

That's the way I'm leaning. I think the order is a little different, but I very much think we're going to see a beat and broken Galen trying to redeem himself.

I think that's the reason we haven't seen him at all. One shot of him in the flashback, and stock press shots of him in a plaid shirt? I think there is a reason for that that we're not going to see until the pillar planet.

 

Agreed!

I suspect Tarantino lifted it from The Good The Bad And The Ugly (although I wouldn't be surprised if it dates to something else because Westerns were always borrowing from each other). I point this out because there's just something very effective and iconic about THAT scene and I think it's great that it's resonating in a familiar way with people. Hopefully it speaks to Edwards's skill and knowledge as a filmmaker.

 

Can't agree. Especially after that crybaby whined because he couldn't do Casino Royale. Good for him that he got the discussion going. But to diss the Craig movies bc he couldn't do CR is childish. Then he disses Disney's takeover of Lucasfilm. He talks too much.

 

So...how in the world could Galen think the Empire was going to use his research for altruistic purposes?