To some, the long-deserted Mayan city of Tikal is an omen of the coming apocalypse, but for others it is a beacon of A New Hope. Just as December 21st signals 'doomsday,' the Guatemalan ruins symbolize both the past and future of a beloved film franchise: Star Wars.
Back in 1977, Tikal served as the set for the rebel base on the planet Yavin 4, according to Reuters (via IGN). "Yavin 4 and the rebel base return to the Star Wars plot in the forthcoming Episode VII, announced in October by the Walt Disney Co, in which Skywalker comes back to the planet to build a Jedi Knight academy. However, fans said that Disney will likely film those scenes in a studio rather than Tikal," writes the news agency.
Since Star Wars' debut, authors have cultivated a vast expanded fiction Star Wars universe, with several narrative beats taking place on Yavin 4 post-Return of the Jedi. Perhaps Episode VII will center around the resurgence of the Jedi order, although the chronology of the next film has not yet been revealed. As the first hint of what's to come, fans are sure to speculate for months on end about the setting's true purpose in the series' unfolding canon.
While Mayan temples have become a focal point for harbingers of the end of days as well as Star Wars fans, a mountain in southwestern France known as Pic de Bugarach has drawn scores of doomsday believers as rumors circulated that the formation contains portals to other worlds. French authorities have begun guarding the mountain to prevent people from ascending the rock face and hurting themselves.
What role do you see Yavin 4 playing in Episode VII?