The Empire is out in full force in a few new TV spots for Rogue One. Bring on the TIE fighter squadrons.
Most of the footage we’ve seen of Rogue One so far has focused mainly on Jyn and her Rebel Alliance mission to capture the plans for the Death Star. It makes sense. You want to introduce and focus on the complex ensemble in this movie, especially since it’s going to be the first standalone chapter in the Star Wars saga.
But any glimpses of Imperial forces in the trailers have mostly been excuses to show off the old and the new designs crammed into the movie. We’ve seen old-school stormtroopers getting hosed by Chirrut Îmwe, some Hover Tank Troopers mean mugging at the denizens of Jedha, and Shoretroopers fighting against the Rebel attack on Scarif. But the earliest batch of TV spots have focused on the epic space battle above the planet that might be in the film’s climax.
The first, called “Hope,” is the first time we’ve seen the full TIE fighter fire power the Empire is going to reign down on the Rebels as they try to get the Death Star plans on Scarif, and it looks intense but enough of a throwback to be like the X-wing space battles of the original trilogy.
The other newest TV spot, called “Strap In,” shows reprogrammed Imperial security droid manhandling some Stormtroopers on what looks like the Death Star itself. Maybe Jyn and her group actually make it to the Empire’s superweapon at some point.
Rogue One hits theaters on December 16.
