“Where’s Rey in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story?”

This is an article for those who don’t know much about Star Wars, and saw the trailer for Rogue One.

“I just saw the new Star Wars teaser for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and I’m confused. Isn’t this Episode VIII? Where’s Rey? Where’s Finn? Where’s Luke?”

Didn’t you see Rey in the trailer?

Just kidding. That’s Felicity Jones in the role of Jyn Erso. She’s kind of a Han Solo type of character, and a member of the Rebellion.

“That’s nice, but where’s Rey?”

She’s not here because she hasn’t been born yet. This movie is set prior to Star Wars: A New Hope.

Here’s the Star Wars for Dummies version. This is the Skywalker saga of films that have been released and are yet to come.

1. The Phantom Menace
2. Attack of the Clones
3. Revenge of the Sith
4. A New Hope
5. The Empire Strikes Back
6. Return of the Jedi
7. The Force Awakens
8. Episode VIII
9. Episode IX

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story fits in right between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. It’s about a group of rebels that band together to steal the plans for the Death Star.

Ironically, everyone assumes that they’ll succeed in their mission because we know that the Rebel Alliance has the plans at the start of A New Hope. The question that I haven’t heard anyone ask yet is this one: is it this group of rebels that actually succeeds? They could fail. They could merely succeed in deactivating the Death Star, or crippling it so that it’s not able to fire until repairs are made.

And now you know why Rey isn’t in the film.

Rey and Finn will return in Star Wars: Episode VIII on December 15, 2017.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be in theaters on December 16, 2016.