'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' TV Spot Hints At The New Luke Skywalker For The Next Generation

As more and more TV spots for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” continue to be released, one key character is still being left out of the film’s buildup: Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Now, in the latest of these releases, it seems as though the movie is setting up John Boyega’s character, Finn, as the next generation Skywalker, thanks to some clever winks to the original trilogy.

The TV spot, which was released Wednesday, focuses on the new character as he tries to explain his past, presumably as a Stormtrooper, through voiceover. When audiences were given their first look at the 23-year-old actor in the original teaser trailer for the film, he was seen in a Stormtrooper uniform, hinting that the character begins as a member of the First Order’s army before breaking off to join Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and the rest of the rebels in a new adventure.

Previously, the actor revealed to the Hollywood Reporter that director J.J. Abrams described his character as the new leading man in the franchise that Hamill’s character once was for the original trilogy. Now, the new TV spot is planting that idea inside fan’s minds by establishing some key similarities between the two characters. The most obvious is watching Finn ignite his blue lightsaber in a standoff with a different Stormtrooper. The enemy in the trailer seems to have a new weapon that’s a match for a lightsaber -- meaning it doesn’t instantly get chopped in two when touched by the iconic weapon. As the Verge notes, since Finn begins the movie as a Stromtrooper, the scene may hold extra significance like Luke’s battle with himself in the Dagobah system while training with Yoda to become a Jedi.

The similarities don’t stop there. In the video below, Finn practically recreates a scene from the first movie in which he’s operating the gunner seat of the Millennium Falcon and lets out a lout “woo” after apparently shooting down an enemy fighter. It’s a quick moment, but it’s eerily similar to an iconic scene in “Star Wars: A New Hope” in which Solo has to tell Luke to keep his head in the game after too much celebration in the gunner’s seat.

Check out the latest TV spot below and see for yourself. Comment below or tweet your “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” thoughts to @TylerMcCarthy.