What Comes Next?
Episode 8 hit theaters like a bomb, grossing over $1 billion and counting. Fans were, of course, split between some specifics of the movie and what they could mean for the future of the numbered films. First of all, understand that the numbered films, Lucas’s original story lines, were originally supposed to end with number nine. So far, Disney hasn’t hinted at going beyond that with the numbered films, but we’ll see.
With Rian Johnson being given the go ahead for an unnamed trilogy, it looks like we’ll be going in another direction in just 2 more years. That being said, what will we see in number nine? The ending of TLJ seemed very…final. The Rebellion that could fit on a single ship and a kid with a broom. Needless to say, we are going to need to see some rebuilding.
Without reading or listening to any other ideas, here are my guesses:
1) Time Jump: We will probably have a time jump. At the end of TLJ, Leia is the only original character still with us. This is compromised by Carrie’s surprising death in 2016. A time jump could be a way of explaining her not being in the film, as she has simply passed on. However, I don’t think fans will be satisfied with this, and Disney might have to bite the bullet and either recast or GCI our princess.
2) Half a New Cast: We are going to have several new characters. A time jump will also give us time to introduce characters quickly, as our foundational characters will already know and trust them. Therefore, so will the audience.
3) Old and Legends characters: We might see some older, previously background characters. Who is left to bring in that we know? Lando is one of the only options I see left. Perhaps some Legends characters? I think I speak for a wide variety of Star Wars fans who would be perfectly fine with that particular development.
4) A new kind of Jedi: Rey is going to have reinvented herself as a Jedi, but not the kind we remember. She has the books. What we may get to see is a truer form of the Jedi Order, the way it was meant to be. Maybe she has a student. Maybe she’s still searching for answers. Is a trip to Dagobah in our future? You gotta admit, that’d be cool.
5) Visual Similarities from 2 Originals: In TFA, fans basically got A New Hope with a twist, complete with a sand planet. In this latest installment, we got to see some visual similarities between TLJ and the original trilogy, with the twin suns being the most obvious. Expect to see more of that, with emphasis coming from both A New Hope and Return of the Jedi since this movie will be a mix of both.
What do you think we’ll see when JJ takes the reigns back? As a director known for his “questions boxes”, what answers will we get from him? How will he play on Rian’s vision? Saddle up, cause it’s gonna be a long 2 years before we get to see our Rebellion again.
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