Even nearly 40 years after his death in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Darth Vader remains a powerful force throughout all corners of the Star Wars universe. This is even the case in a way with the franchise's newest upcoming release, Star Wars: Andor, which serves as a prequel to the 2016 hit movie Rogue One.
That movie served as a bridge between the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy, where Anakin Skywalker began his rise to power as a Sith Lord and embraced the dark side of the Force. Some of that rise was seen in Obi-Wan Kenobi with Hayden Christensen coming back to the role, but Rogue One also included some of his most exciting action sequences to date behind the black mask and cape.
As fans gear up for Diego Luna's 12-episode Disney+ entry, some are wondering whether Vader will return again for his second project in 2022 after co-starring next to Ewan McGregor in Kenobi. And while that answer is still unknown, Star Wars recently used Vader in a piece of marketing for its newest Disney+ release, which inches closer to its debut.
Rogue One Footage Used in Andor Promo
Star Wars released a new trailer for Star Wars: Andor, whose first three episodes premiere on Disney+ Wednesday, September 21. This trailer opens with a shot of Darth Vader brandishing his classic red lightsaber as he walks through a cloud of smoke.
Fans will recognize this shot from 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which added more depth to Vader's story between Episode III and Episode IV. This scene showed Vader wielding his lightsaber and taking out a group of rebels after destroying Scarif.
This shot comes right after a look at the completed Death Star, which has been a consistent piece of the story in the Star Wars franchise since 1977's Episode IV: A New Hope.
There also appears to be a look at a Cantwell Class Star Destroyer, from which TIE fighters fly out to take on the incoming Rebel attack. This ship was first introduced in Rogue One.
Down on the ground, a huge group of Stormtroopers stands in the middle of the street with their blasters ready to fire.
The full 30-second spot can be seen below:
Will Vader Have a Role in Andor?
Considering that Andor is a prequel to the events in Rogue One, it's not shocking that Star Wars would bring Darth Vader back into play through promotional material for the show. This is especially true when looking at how Vader is unquestionably the biggest Star Wars villain in history and is regarded as one of the greatest movie villains of all time.
This isn't to say that Vader will be a part of the story in Andor, which takes place five years before he appeared on the Death Star in Rogue One. And even if he does show up, it likely wouldn't be until sometime during Andor's final episodes of the season when things start to get tenser between the Empire and the Rebellion.
In the end, this shot was most likely used to remind fans that Vader's rule is still a key factor in the universe during this day and age, as the Sith Lord joined forces with Emperor Palpatine to wipe out the Jedi to close out the prequel trilogy. How this leads into Andor's story pre-Rogue One is still a mystery, but fans shouldn't expect Christensen's iconic villain to be a major factor this time around.
The first three episodes of Star Wars: Andor will premiere on Disney+ on Wednesday, September 21.
