Star Wars VII Features A New Jedi Order?

Although Luke Skywalker is believed to be the last Jedi by the end of Return of the Jedi, it looks as though he may have re-established that hokey religion by Star Wars VII.

Thanks to BBC reporter Lizo Mzimba, some new casting details from the upcoming Star Wars sequel have been revealed… and it certainly looks as though a new Jedi Order could be in place.

“Bit more @StarWars VII casting.,” he said via Twitter. “According to their official CVs on @SpotlightUK Sam Carr plays a Padawan. Also according to @SpotlightUK James McArdle plays character called Xavier. And Tony Bailey plays a stormtrooper.”

Of course, Star Wars fans will instantly recognise the word Padawan – the trainee Jedi that was a familiar sight during the Star Wars prequels.

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But what does this mean for the Jedi Order in Star Wars VII?

Return of the Jedi established Luke Skywalker as the last remaining Jedi. The deaths of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda left Luke alone to complete his training… and that makes him the last of the Jedi left to continue on the old religion. And if there are Padawan Jedi in Star Wars VII then it stands to reason that Luke has been rather busy in the last thirty years.

Unless there’s another reason for that Padawan’s appearance…

Although Sam Carr’s listing as a Padawan gives us a good hint that the order is likely to be rebuilt, it’s also been rumoured that Star Wars: The Force Awakens could be the first of the saga to feature flashbacks… and that could be where Carr’s Padawan is set to appear.

Of course, these new characters (while interesting) are likely to be minor supporting roles. After all, they aren’t exactly big name actors and were skimmed over when it came to the official casting announcements. But could these be the first hints that there’s more than one Padawan in Star Wars VII?

The revelation that Jessica Henwick had been casting in Star Wars VII certainly seems to add some weight to that. With her martial arts skills and stung training, it’s now more likely that she’ll end up on screen as a trainee Jedi. And I can’t help thinking that the Star Wars sequels just won’t be resorting to flashbacks.

If so, it looks as though we can expect a slew of new Jedi in the upcoming film. But whether or not they survive the movie is another matter entirely. Either way, if Luke has established a new Jedi Order, it looks as though rumours of a villainous turn for the bearded Jedi may have been exaggerated.