Is SW:GE a huge spoiler for the upcoming movie?

[Buzzd]

I was reading an article / personal review of Galaxy's Edge and a quote from the managing story editor for SW:GE stuck out to me. Here is an excerpt:

Galaxy’s Edge takes one major creative risk: The story of Black Spire Outpost is a new one set after the events of “The Last Jedi.” So there will be no opportunity for visitors to meet Luke Skywalker. Ditto for Han Solo, Darth Vader and Yoda. All dead they are.

“We wanted to create the deepest level of immersion possible, and those stories have already all happened — people know, even if it’s on a subconscious level, that they don’t belong in them,” Margaret Kerrison, managing story editor for Galaxy’s Edge, told me in a phone interview before we visited. She added that Disney wanted to create an entirely new place to level the playing field. “Everyone is experiencing this for the first time, no matter the level of fandom,” she said.

I was taken aback with that being the rationale given to not include the original characters that have since perished. We know that Rey / Kylo Ren / Chewbacca etc. are included in the park. If you follow the same logic given by the Story Editor, that their goal is to immerse you in a reality of the 'present' and not include any 'past stories' (aside from battle gear remnants, etc.), then could everything you experience in SW:GE be a huge spoiler of who lives or dies in The Rise of Skywalker?

I recognize that as far as we know, the events taking place in SW:GE fall after Episode 8, and I've also read the same Story Editor explain that "what you see on opening day might not necessarily be what you'll see in the near future"*. But with the grand opening of the land being less than 6 months before the release of the new movie (and even closer of a window for WDW), do you think they'd really transition some of the characters and ride experiences (i.e. Kylo Ren animatronic big scene in ROTR) that quickly after the release of the new movie, while they're still delving into everything else with the new park extension opening (maintenance routines, audience and pricing metrics, crowd control, etc.)? At this point ROTR will be back in ~Oct/Nov from what it seems - why would they have developed that full experience with Kylo Ren & current canon when it would end up needing to be changed just a month or two later?

In my opinion, there are two options.

1. They are completely going against their own basis for why they didn't include those past characters and stories, and are going to keep the characters they developed for the park in the park, regardless of the outcome of the final story in this trilogy. This would defeat the purpose of 'immersion' as the Story Editor stated, as that "story has already happened" for everyone experiencing the park after December of this year - and if that's the case, it makes no sense why they didn't include alive version of Yoda / Luke / Han etc.

Or

2. This is a huge spoiler of what will remain after The Rise of Skywalker. Kylo Ren, Rey, Chewy and every other character shown (as well as the Millennium Falcon) will still be shown alive/intact at the end of the movie , and as the final movie in the trilogy, they could then choose to either keep those characters indefinitely or change them out at their leisure.

What are your thoughts?

 

[rteetz]

I would just like to point out that Yoda does have a presence in this land as part of the light saber building experience.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I think you’re reading too much into it. It takes place after Episode 8 because that’s where (or rather, “when”) we are when it opens. They may pull some characters or change costumes or whatever else is required after Episode 9, but for now, it just is what it is for this time. They’ve never been too fussed about timelines on Star Tours, and I don’t think they ultimately will now. They’re just trying to extend the fan base beyond the original trilogy.

 

[Buzzd]

I would just like to point out that Yoda does have a presence in this land as part of the light saber building experience.

I was happy to hear about this when it was revealed! A bit bummed that he's hidden behind a $200 price tag but I'm glad he's a small part of the experience.

I think you’re reading too much into it. It takes place after Episode 8 because that’s where (or rather, “when”) we are when it opens. They may pull some characters or change costumes or whatever else is required after Episode 9, but for now, it just is what it is for this time. They’ve never been too fussed about timelines on Star Tours, and I don’t think they ultimately will now. They’re just trying to extend the fan base beyond the original trilogy.

You could be right. To me it feels short sighted if those characters are still around in the park once they're no longer around following the movie, as that true "immersion" they based the whole theme on would only last a few months. In a few years from now I doubt many people are going to go "oh that character is here because the park was opened between episodes 8 & 9, so it makes sense" and move on. I think people are just going to be happy it's Star Wars land in general, and that many people would've also been happier with the likes of Boba Fett / Luke etc. in the park. But they avoid this whole issue if those characters end up living, or if they go the wild direction of changing out the characters following this movie and others in the future - I'd be very impressed with the latter.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I don't think Galaxy's Edge will spoil anything from new movie. They're not going to drop major spoilers from Episode IX into a theme park attraction before the movie is open. Back in 2015, they took great pains to completely hide Rey's Force sensitivity in the marketing for The Force Awakens. They could have marketed the living daylights out of the first major character female Jedi in a Star Wars movie and they did not. They chose to let that excitement take care of itself after the movie opened.

They're not about to drop a major movie spoiler in the parks before the movie opens. It's just not happening.

People are so busy being very, very impressed (and rightly so) by Wizarding World in Universal Orlando that they don't worry about Hogsmeade clearly being set during Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (book 4) while Diagon Alley is clearly set during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (book 7). Traveling between the two via the Hogwarts Express makes that train into a time machine. And nobody really worries about the internal timeline inconsistency because they're just enjoying the immersive experience it provides.

If time travel in Wizarding World is not an issue, then I don't see why Galaxy's Edge should be any different especially when it is internally consistent.

 

[Buzzd]

I don't think Galaxy's Edge will spoil anything from new movie. They're not going to drop major spoilers from Episode IX into a theme park attraction before the movie is open. Back in 2015, they took great pains to completely hide Rey's Force sensitivity in the marketing for The Force Awakens. They could have marketed the living daylights out of the first major character female Jedi in a Star Wars movie and they did not. They chose to let that excitement take care of itself after the movie opened.

They're not about to drop a major movie spoiler in the parks before the movie opens. It's just not happening.

People are so busy being very, very impressed (and rightly so) by Wizarding World in Universal Orlando that they don't worry about Hogsmeade clearly being set during Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (book 4) while Diagon Alley is clearly set during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (book 7). Traveling between the two via the Hogwarts Express makes that train into a time machine. And nobody really worries about the internal timeline inconsistency because they're just enjoying the immersive experience it provides.

If time travel in Wizarding World is not an issue, then I don't see why Galaxy's Edge should be any different especially when it is internally consistent.

I completely agree with you there on the consistencies, it doesn't bother me whatsoever. But that's exactly what the story editor was claiming as the basis for old characters not being in the park. So when I take her same logic and apply it to what exists now vs. what will exist after Episode 9, they'll either run into the same problem or need to retract their immersion philosophy.
I agree that they go to great lengths to prevent movie spoilers and that's a fair point. This wouldn't directly be a spoiler though, like some easter egg in the park that depicts the final movie scene or something along those lines. It's speculation based on what they've stated their philosophy is combined with what characters are in the park, and likely wouldn't be able to be fleshed out much more than that, as you're right that they won't have any direct spoilers for the movie. I guess we'll know after the movie comes out!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

But that's exactly what the story editor was claiming as the basis for old characters not being in the park. So when I take her same logic and apply it to what exists now vs. what will exist after Episode 9, they'll either run into the same problem or need to retract their immersion philosophy.

I don't think it's any different from the character meet and greets held in the parks all the time with characters who already died in the movie they show up and/or interacting with other characters who are not in their respective movies. I once saw Gaston wander over by the castle and try to flirt with Sleeping Beauty. It was very funny even though it was chronologically inconsistent because both stayed in character while interacting with each other. I also saw Cruella DeVil take a child's lightsaber and tell the nearby Evil Queen to try this if the Huntsman failed her. There was no timeline consistency here, but it worked because it was consistent with the characters.

To me, the brand new planet is leveling the playing field. We have no experience with Batuu so we don't know what it's supposed to look like or feel like. If we accept other aspects of the Disney parks as frozen in time (Belle hangs out with the Beast as opposed to his princely self) then I don't see why we won't accept Galaxy's Edge as frozen between Episodes 8 and 9 even after The Rise of Skywalker has come and gone from theaters.

 

[maverik85]

I think you’re reading too much into it. It takes place after Episode 8 because that’s where (or rather, “when”) we are when it opens. They may pull some characters or change costumes or whatever else is required after Episode 9, but for now, it just is what it is for this time. They’ve never been too fussed about timelines on Star Tours, and I don’t think they ultimately will now. They’re just trying to extend the fan base beyond the original trilogy.

Think they are trying to push for more immersion and story telling with their new stuff. Star Tours they were ok because it was partially promotion for the movie having new lands mixed in and allowed for new stuff to see. Think the timeline now is more an excuse for why we aren't seeing some of the legacy characters. Though they could always add them in later on. Coudl say they are a force ghost or projection if needed or ones like Luke could find a way back in episode 9.

 

[Buzzd]

I don't think it's any different from the character meet and greets held in the parks all the time with characters who already died in the movie they show up and/or interacting with other characters who are not in their respective movies. I once saw Gaston wander over by the castle and try to flirt with Sleeping Beauty. It was very funny even though it was chronologically inconsistent because both stayed in character while interacting with each other. I also saw Cruella DeVil take a child's lightsaber and tell the nearby Evil Queen to try this if the Huntsman failed her. There was no timeline consistency here, but it worked because it was consistent with the characters.

To me, the brand new planet is leveling the playing field. We have no experience with Batuu so we don't know what it's supposed to look like or feel like. If we accept other aspects of the Disney parks as frozen in time (Belle hangs out with the Beast as opposed to his princely self) then I don't see why we won't accept Galaxy's Edge as frozen between Episodes 8 and 9 even after The Rise of Skywalker has come and gone from theaters.

Hah that's true. I do still wish they'd incorporate the old characters for that same reason.

Think they are trying to push for more immersion and story telling with their new stuff. Star Tours they were ok because it was partially promotion for the movie having new lands mixed in and allowed for new stuff to see. Think the timeline now is more an excuse for why we aren't seeing some of the legacy characters. Though they could always add them in later on. Coudl say they are a force ghost or projection if needed or ones like Luke could find a way back in episode 9.

Yeah I'm hoping for at least force ghosts down the road!