'Last Jedi' Will Be the Cutest, Most Meaningful 'Star Wars' Yet

In The Last Jedi, Captain Phasma will have a bigger role than Kylo Ren’s babysitter. At least, if Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson has anything to say about it. Phasma actor Gwendoline Christine recently revealed that Johnson has taken the time to make The Last Jedi one of the deepest stories yet in a galaxy far, far away, exploring various characters’ relationships and weaving a more complicated narrative.

In an interview published Saturday by Entertainment Weekly, Christie said Johnson took the time to meet with “all of the cast members” and discuss their characters and storylines when he first took on the challenge that is Episode VIII. “I was really thrilled to have an opportunity of a forum where I could put my ideas forward and have some back and forth about where we felt things were and where we felt they can go,” she said.

As for what, exactly, fans can expect from The Last Jedi, Christie said: “What I can tell you about the next Star Wars film is I think Rian does an exceptional job of going deeper, of going further, and really exploring what these relationships are.”

It’s not a whole lot to go off of, as Star Wars actors are expected to be tight-lipped about upcoming films. But it’s still reassuring to hear from a beloved actor such as Christie that Johnson is doing an “exceptional job” and attempting to deepen the Star Wars narrative beyond any shallow mysteries or half-baked ideas. As fantastic a figure as Phasma is, fans surely want more — delving deeper will only help her character.

And alongside these deepening characters arcs will be light-hearted fare such as the newly introduced Porgs. As the native guardians of Luke’s newly adopted water planet, Ahch-To, these tiny creatures, inspired by IRL puffins, who look like non-demonic versions of Furby will bring a heartwarming element to The Last Jedi that it might not otherwise contain.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi premieres in theaters on December 15.