Filming is underway for Star Wars: Episode VIII, meaning it's also prime season for rumors, one of which has Tom Hardy appearing in the Rian Johnson-directed movie.
Spoiler alert! Speculations may offer possible spoilers for Episode VIII. Proceed at your own risk.
Making Star Wars has confirmed with its sources that the rumored appearance of Hardy in the movie is indeed true, and pieced together the general sequence of events that the actor will be involved in.
Clue: it's a lot like Daniel Craig's cameo in The Force Awakens.
First, Hardy will be playing a stormtrooper for the First Order. While on patrol, he spots Finn (FN-2187 to him) and greets his old friend from his days at the First Order academy with a slap on the butt. What Hardy's stormtrooper doesn't realize is that Finn is on a secret mission to infiltrate the First Order, instead thinking that FN-2187 has been promoted to spy and Resistance infiltrator. After the clueless stormtrooper congratulates Finn, he leaves the actual member of the Resistance free to go about whatever he's doing.
If this is true, the sequence will be short but it hints at the possible way the First Order will handle the events after The Force Awakens. For starters, FN-2187 has not been broadcast as a deserter. Most of the stormtroopers who know of Finn's betrayal would have died at the battle on Starkiller Base so it's possible Kylo Ren, with General Hux and Supreme Leader Snoke, would feel it would be best not to inform the rest of what happened to their fellow stormtrooper.
To begin with, stormtroopers are not supposed to be able to defy orders. If one can do it, does that mean others can too? The leaders of the First Order certainly don't want that thought entertained even for just a second.
After Mad Max: Fury Road, Hardy was last seen on Legend and The Revenant. He is set to appear again as Max Rockatansky on Mad Max: The Wasteland.
Star Wars: Episode VIII still doesn't have a formal title but it is scheduled to hit cinemas on Dec. 15, 2017.
