Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Does the new poster tease the Rey-Kylo Ren connection again?

To promote seeing Star Wars: The Last Jedi in IMAX, a new poster has some particularly pointed imagery of Kylo Ren and Rey.

For better or for worse, Kylo Ren and Rey are tied together in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. The Last Jedi, so far, has gone pretty far in that direction in its promotional materials so far, prompting a lot of questions already, but the IMAX poster via Star Wars News Net and ultimately IMAX’s Twitter account, as well as additional notes from Nerdist, goes further than ever before, just a few weeks before Dec. 15 and the movie’s arrival.

Most pointedly, at least from this writer’s perspective, is the way the eye travels on this poster between the four biggest figures. Your eye starts in the upper left with Luke, moves down to Kylo Ren on the right, Leia in the center-left and then Rey in the center. However, interestingly enough, it’s Rey and Kylo Ren that actually provide the visual weight at the bottom, right above the title. His helmet occupies space on the right; her cape occupies space on the left.

This idea of Rey and Kylo Ren occupying similar visual roles is not particularly new. They actually accomplish the same thing with lightsabers in the poster that accompanied the most recent trailer.

Now, Nerdist, in its own assessment, suggests that Rey is wearing “Sith-y red.” While we can’t deny that that’s certainly a possibility, we’re more interested in the shadowy black streak close to her hand. Dare we say it’s … looming?

A few other asides from this poster have me curious as well. First, Poe Dameron looks sad, or at least somber, and that worries us for any number of reasons. He’s also standing right to the left of Leia, which makes sense considering the news that this film will explore their relationship. After the big four listed above, Poe’s one of the largest figures (alongside Finn, who completes the line from Poe to Rey, visually, as well as Captain Phasma, who occupies the space between Rey and Kylo Ren).

Second is the positioning of the three droids. C-3PO has his hand on R2-D2, and little BB-8 is looking up to the two of them. Is it too much to ask for another scene between the three droids, Star Wars?

Next: What's the deal with Star Wars: The Last Jedi?

Finally, in terms of visual mass, so many different characters complement Kylo Ren’s relative hugeness, and they’re all from the Resistance. It’s hard not to try and read something along the lines of their work together just being a match for all his power.

Whether or not that’s the case may have to wait until the actual film.