To preface, I’d like to re-iterate something I often say, this is NOT a “new” trailer in the traditional sense. This is a different version of a trailer we have already seen, with a few slight enhancements made for a different market, in this case, the international market. The exciting part of this trailer is the inclusion of a familiar face that was not in the domestic version of the trailer, namely C-3PO, the droid played by Anthony Daniels who has been in basically every other version of ‘Star Wars’ to date (including TV shows and many videos games).
Speculation has it that the international version of the trailer included C-3PO in order to get another familiar face into the trailer for international audiences to amp up excitement for those with nostalgia for the golden days of the franchise (no pun intended), which also helps explain why the international version of the trailer does not begin with Snoke’s voice-over at the beginning, as he is new character that older audiences may not be as familiar with. C-3PO appears briefly in one shot in the middle of the trailer, sadly has no dialogue (not that many characters other than Rey and Luke do in this trailer), and seems to be either in a control room or aboard a large ship, based on all the officers nearby and the control panels behind him. My guess is that he is still nearby Carrie Fisher‘s Princess Leia, and I wonder if he will be tasked with giving us some of the exposition about what ends up happening to Leia at the end of this movie or the beginning of the next since his place is always near her in this trilogy. As he is known for being more comedy relief, it would indeed be tragic to have C-3PO be the one to deliver the news of Leia’s ultimate fate to Luke or Rey, and the audience itself.
Check out the International Trailer for yourself below (C-3PO appears around the 1:22 mark) and make sure to share your thoughts about the international version, C-3PO’s role in the franchise, and the film itself, in the comments below!
