To 'course correct' means 'to be set back on the right path', but is this something J.J. Abrams needs to do with planets, and story beats for Episode IX. The concern for most fans, however, is where Johnson left the story and the remaining characters. Here are some of the key loose ends Abrams has to tie up:
CAN THE REBELLION BEAT THE FIRST ORDER?
The Last Jedi essentially re-branded the Resistance back to 'the Rebellion' of the Original Trilogy, but quibbles over what name the heroes are collectively going by now aside, the ragtag freedom fighters standing against the First Order were left grasping at very frayed straws. The huge victory the Resistance achieved by destroying Starkiller Base has been forgotten thanks to their utter decimation by the First Order in Johnson's film. What was once a well-equipped small army has been reduced to mere dozens at most harbored aboard the Millennium Falcon. As they stand at the end of The Last Jedi, the Rebels have no hope of militarily overcoming the First Order. Especially since the Republic has been annihilated and the First Order is now the dominant power in the galaxy.
Some fans cynically speculate that, because it's Abrams directing, there will be yet another massive super weapon the Rebels will have to destroy at the end of Episode IX. While this would be in lockstep with the Star Wars formula (which Abrams did adhere to in The Force Awakens), an all-out battle in space and/or on land has closed out every Stars Wars movie except Revenge of the Sith and The Empire Strikes Back. This could very well be the direction Abrams goes. To make this possible, it's also likely that, after a time jump (which there wasn't at all between Episodes VII and VIII), Abrams will quickly solve the Rebels' manpower problem by having them reach heretofore unknown allies and become re-equipped in weapons, vehicles, and personnel in between films.
Outside of the burgeoning romantic relationship between Rose and Finn, Johnson left most of the heroes without a lot of lingering personal issues to be resolved. Poe learned a lesson about how to become a better leader. Finn wed himself fully to the Rebel cause. Rose has to recover from her injuries. Chewbacca, BB-8, C-3P0 and R2-D2 are all unchanged. Maybe Abrams will bring the Porgs back, maybe not. Meanwhile, the heroes all learned valuable lessons about making dumb decisions and overcoming failure. Without Leia, they all will need to step up as leaders in the final act.
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There's not much Johnson did that Abrams needs to 'course correct' compared to what Abrams himself did to the galaxy by having Starkiller Base wipe out the Republic in his film. The real challenge for Abrams is to somehow come up with a way to crawl out of the bottomless hole he dug for the galaxy and answer the question of how the First Order can be reasonably brought down so that the galaxy can be freed from the grip of a fascist military power and democracy can be restored. Furthermore, it is Johnson who may have provided the key to the fall of the First Order in the form of its new Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren.
RESOLVE REY AND KYLO REN'S STORIES
Should Kylo Ren be redeemed and brought back to the Light Side of the Force? Is that something Ben Solo even wants for himself? Abrams will have to provide a definitive answer.
In any case, Kylo Ren made his selfish choice in The Last Jedi by killing Snoke, framing Rey for Snoke's murder to General Hux, and declaring himself the new Supreme Leader. Luke Skywalker - could win the war.
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Rey will of course have to confront Kylo Ren once more and she will be even more powerful in the Force this time. But does Rey facing Kylo again require any further revelations about Rey's parents? The latter is probably the most compelling story thread fans are looking Abrams to tie up. Whether or not he had his own ideas for Rey's history, Johnson's reveal is what Rey's backstory is now. It's less likely Abrams will reverse that Rey's parents were nobodies who died on Jakku, something Abrams himself set up in Maz Kanata's dialogue with Rey in The Force Awakens. Rather, Abrams can add new elements to Rey's parents that are heretofore unknown which would spin Rey's story off in a new direction. Some missing piece of information about Rey's parents that explain more about her and her ultimate destiny would likely go a long way to satisfying fans. This is probably a card Abrams has up his sleeve.
As for Snoke, at this point, his backstory will probably be a matter for the novels or Marvel Comics to fill in down the road. Even in The Force Awakens, Snoke was just a string-puller in the background. The Last Jedi cut the strings and ended the puppeteer, definitively declaring Rey and Kylo Ren are the true hero and villain of this story. They are free to determine their own destinies with and against each other.
LEIA'S FAREWELL
It's no secret Leia was meant to have a very Carrie Fisher will not be appearing in IX, even an explanation for what happened to Leia will have to be handled with the utmost care.
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GIVE US A SATISFYING ENDING
Ultimately, the best 'course correction' J.J. Abrams could offer the trilogy would be to make a great Star Wars movie that resolves all of the plot and character threads in a satisfying way, while providing a sense of hope for whatever future steps Star Wars will take next. In short, Abrams's story has to stick the landing. Fortunately, he is the best qualified director to do so, and Abrams wouldn't have come back to close out the saga if he didn't believe he could do Episode IX justice. The good news is J.J. Abrams knows how to make a great Star Wars movie - he's already done it. He simply has to muster all of his powers and do it again.
NEXT: STAR WARS DOESN'T NEED TO COURSE CORRECT IN RESPONSE TO LAST JEDI BACKLASH
