Episode VII: Mysterious voice in the trailer revealed; John Boyega responds to backlash

After the release of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer being released on Friday, the internet erupted with fans dissecting and debating various aspects of the short 88 second teaser. The main questions asked: Why was John Boyega clad in Stormtrooper gear, and who was he running from? Who was the dark cloaked character running into the woods? and who performed the voice over which starts with: “There has been an awakening. Do you feel it?,” with the three main candidates at question being Andy Serkis, Adam Driver and Benedict Cumberbatch (…who took to his Facebook to further antagonise the rumours).

Now we have an answer, thanks to sources at Hitflix announcing that it was none other than – Andy Serkis:

“the voice is most definitely Andy Serkis. I sat on a panel yesterday at the Alamo Drafthouse where we argued over who the voice belonged to, and I was among the few who firmly believed that it is Serkis, who stars in the film, although whether he’s playing a live-action or motion-capture role remains unknown.”

Collider also confirmed that it was Andy Serkis’ voice, but sources at Hitflix were able to elaborate a little more on Serkis’ part:

“For the record, that is Andy Serkis you hear in the trailer. I was able to verify this, although I was not able to uncover any further information about the role he plays. Here’s what I do know, though. He’s playing a pivotal role in the film, although he will not have a lot of screen time.”

We are assuming from the content of the dialogue that his character will be an important and powerful character.

There is still little information out there about JJ Abrams’ film, which is a pretty mean feat, what, with the internet being a haven for spoilers. We imagine that a lot of information about the film will remain hermetically sealed until the release date on December 18, 2015.

Source: ScreenCrush

We also have more news in regards to the teaser trailer release as – sadly – there were myriad racist comments hitting the interweb following John Boyega’s appearence in the teaser.

Boyega – known for his role in the Joe Cornish helmed Comedy/Sci-Fi Attack of the Block – took to his instagram firstly, to reveal his excitement about being a part of the Star Wars franchise. But he also had something to say to the haters too.

It seems that the majority of Star Wars fans were highly positive and enthusiastic about the teaser, but there were also a minority of anachronistically myopic, basement dwelling, keyboard warriors who were espousing disgusting racist remarks about seeing a black guy in Stormtrooper gear. However, Boyega handled it with diplomacy and sheer class! Here is what he had to say about the reaction to the trailer, and the fact is just as excited as us about seeing the finished product come next year, …and also what he said to the haters:

Directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan & Abrams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters December 18, 2015 featuring a cast that includes John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow. They will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker. The film is being produced by Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk.

Source: ScreenCrush, ComicBookMovie