R2-D2 looks as though he’s been through a lot since the original Star Wars… as some new, behind-the-scenes images feature a much more rugged astromech.
But could this hint at a more rough-and-ready aesthetic for the galaxy far, far away?
We’ve already seen plenty of images of R2-D2 over the last few months, but while he’s been confirmed for Star Wars VII for some time, we’ve never seen him quite like this… And in a rather revealing image courtesy of John Boyega, we get some idea of how the years haven’t been quite so kind to our favourite astromech.
R2-D2 was officially the first cast member to join the upcoming Star Wars sequel… and while we’ve seen some excellent shots of him in the studio, this is the first glimpse we have of the trusty little droid after filming. And let’s just say he isn’t looking as good as he used to.
Of course, we can’t really make out much… other than that R2-D2 seems to be having a whale of a time at the recent Star Wars VII wrap party.
But thanks to the folks at The RPF we’re able to get our hands on some behind-the-scenes images of the Star Wars VII R2-D2. And while this is reported to be the very R2-D2 used on film, it looks as though he’s had a rough few years…
Obviously, there’s a lot more detail here… and it certainly gives us a bit of an insight into what R2-D2 may have been up to over the last 30 years. It’s definitely apparent that the years haven’t been kind to the poor little astromech, and the grubby-looking chassis could even be a hint towards the kind of rough-and-ready aesthetic we can expect in Star Wars VII.
He’s certainly not the fresh-faced R2-D2 we saw in the original trilogy… and that’s definitely a good thing. After all, it would be strange to see him in pristine condition. And while we still have no idea about the events that followed Return of the Jedi I’m going to guess it wasn’t quite as prosperous as the rebellion expected following the fall of the Emperor. At least, for R2-D2.
Of course, we still have no idea whether R2-D2 and C-3PO remain in the custody of Luke Skywalker, or whether they’ve found themselves in the employ of another master. But either way, it seems that Artoo’s ultra-sleek chassis has become grubby and battered with age.
And if you ask me, we can expect more like this for the rebellion.
We’ve already seen plenty of official images that show the tattered marketplaces of (presumably) Tatooine and even a Star Wars VII X-Wing that doesn’t exactly look like a brand-new ship. Of course, that’s all part of the rugged charm of the original Star Wars trilogy. And while Artoo seems to have had quite the adventure since Return of the Jedi, I can’t help thinking that this grubby-looking droid promises a rather excellent call back to the rough-and-ready aesthetic of the original trilogy.
What do you think of these awesome new images? Will J.J. Abrams create a rugged visual style for the galaxy far, far away? Let us know what you think in the comments below…
