Entertainment

We Need To Talk About That Intense Captain Phasma Scene In 'The Last Jedi'

by Rachel Simon
Walt Disney Studios

Spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. With each new Star Wars movie comes a handful of new characters for fans to either fall in love with or hate with a passion — there's rarely any in-between. But in the case of Gwendoline Christie's Captain Phasma, there is a middle ground; while audiences can't stand the villainous Stormtrooper for inflicting pain on our heroes, they also can't help but love her total badass attitude and look. So when it appeared in the newest Star Wars installment that Captain Phasma met her demise, many viewers might've had mixed feelings. But is Captain Phasma really dead? Or could the evil character actually, somehow, make a return in future Star Wars films?

Fans of the franchise shouldn't rule out Phasma coming back in Star Wars: Episode IX, which is set for release in winter 2019. It's a general rule for blockbuster franchises and action-packed shows like Game of Thrones that unless you actually see a character's dead body (and sometimes even then), there's a possibility that they're still alive. And that could be the case for Phasma. Towards the end of The Last Jedi, the Stormtrooper faces off in an intense fight with Finn, and while she manages to get the upper hand for a bit, Finn eventually takes control. He smacks her in the face with his weapon, sending her to the floor, and then an explosion causes the ground to fall out from beneath her. Because of this, she falls into the fire, and it's assumed that she's a goner, since she doesn't re-appear anytime later in the movie and, well, it's a massive, fiery explosion.

But, as said, considering that this is the Star World universe, there's still a possibility that Phasma somehow made it out of that situation alive. One major hint that this might be the case is the fact that earlier in The Last Jedi, Phasma is seen walking through fire, just to look all powerful and badass, which she totally does. If she can survive that without a scrape, then she potentially can survive that fall into the fire during the scene with Finn, too.

Unfortunately, fans are going to have to wait a pretty long time to find out the Stormtrooper's fate. As said, the next Star Wars movie doesn't come out until December 2019, two full years away. And, per usual with big character twists, it's incredibly unlikely that the filmmakers will decide to reveal Phasma's fate at any point before that movie's release, instead probably choosing to keep it a total secret until fans either see or don't see the character re-appear on-screen. You shouldn't expect Christie to reveal anything either; the actor has been as tight-lipped about Star Wars plot details as all of her castmates, and it's doubtful that she'd choose to buck tradition by spoiling the fate of her character for fans before they actually go and see the movie.

So if you're wondering if Phasma will ever come back, there's bad news for you: you're going to have to keep on wondering for the next two years. But hey, there's also plenty to keep you occupied in the meantime if you're a fan of the character, or the actor portraying her. You can always check out Christie's amazing work on Game of Thrones to get your fill, or read all about her Stormtrooper character in the Star Wars books that are available. Phasma is a seriously cool villain, and it'd be a big shame if it turns out that we'll never get to spend any more time with her on-screen.