Details on General Hux and how Starkiller Base will rival the Death Star

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Entertainment Weekly keeps bringing THE FORCE AWAKENS news our way this week and now we have some character tidbits regarding Domhnall Gleeson's General Hux, as well as that Death Star-looking base you've seen in the poster (pictured at the bottom). Now, this first bit of information is pretty vanilla, but I'll let you know before we get into some mild spoiler territory.

The First Order represents the remnants, as well as the evolution, of of the Empire. There are several key figures we've glimpsed in images and trailers, including that of General Hux. From the looks of it he seems to be your de facto Empire fodder, but according to the actor, he might have a little more going on considering the likes of who he's working with.

Domhnall Gleeson on the character of General Hux:

There’s an air of superiority, and being better than those people around you. He’s pretty ruthless. A strong disciplinarian would be a mild way of putting it. You don’t get that high up in your life that quickly unless you’re pretty ruthless. You have to put a few people down on the way to get there.

He’s kind of opposite Kylo Ren. They have their own relationship, which is individual and unusual. One of them is strong in different ways than the other. They’re both vying for power.

Sounds a bit tumultuous if you ask me, but that's generally how the Empire/First Order like to do things. Speaking in broader terms, J.J. Abrams talked a little bit about Starkiller Base, it's inevitable comparison to the Death Star and what this means for the First Order. Mild spoilers, at best, are ahead so read with caution!

J.J. Abrams on Starkiller Base:

It is very much — and it’s acknowledged as such in the movie — apparently another Death Star. But what it’s capable of, how it works, and what the threat is, is far greater than what the Death Star could have done. Starkiller Base is another step forward, technologically speaking, in terms of power. Evil’s a little bit like a drug. It takes more and more of it to have the same effect. And I think the First Order is a really deadly drug.

The name, I'm sure, is more than just a nod Luke's original name from STAR WARS. Given the powerful red laser seen in the trailers, I have a feeling the First Order will be putting that Base into action at some point early on in THE FORCE AWAKENS. I'd be very surprised if Starkiller Base just ends up as a placeholder Death Star for this film, so I'm excited to see what it's capable of and how it will be utilized.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS will open in theaters in 5 weeks!