So much has happened in the Star Wars universe since Disney took over the franchise in 2012. Not only have some characters received movies with backstories and had their characters fleshed out, but brand new stories continuing the saga of the Skywalkers have kept fans engaged since Star Wars: The Force Awakens hit theaters in 2015. Disney followed that film with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a movie that was beloved by critics and audiences, but loathed by a vocal segment of fans.
The new movies are centered around a Rey, a girl who discovers that she can tap into the Force, essentially making her a Jedi. Her adventures led her to some of the most iconic characters in Star Wars history, including Luke Skywalker, who ends up training her. The story also features the dark side, too, in the form of Kylo Ren, who is the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo.
Now it's time to look forward to the next film in the saga, Star Wars: Episode IX, the movie that will wrap the Skywalker story arc that began chronologically with Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. So much has happened throughout eight films, that it's anyone's guess what might happen in the ninth. There are plenty of fan theories about specific plot points in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, as well as rumors about what path the ninth movie will take.
Here are 10 Star Wars 9 Rumors That Are Confirmed True (And 10 That Aren't).
Confirmed: Leia will not be recast
The ing of Carrie Fisher not only saddened fans, but also made them wonder about the future of her Star Wars character, Leia Organa.
Leia played an essential part in the resistance in The Last Jedi, and it seemed she was going to play an even more critical role in Episode 9. Thus began rumors that Disney would recast her role and bring another actress in as Leia, much to the chagrin of fans. Fortunately, it does not seem like that's the plan at all.
After Fisher's ing, Disney decided to rewrite Episode 9 and has since stated that it hopes to use existing cut footage of Fisher from The Last Jedi to bring Leia into the final film in the new trilogy.
Not: Rey’s mother is Qi’ra from Solo
After The Force Awakens, fans began to speculate about who Rey's parents were. Some think she's a Skywalker, while others think she's a Kenobi. Others believe that her mother and father are someone else entirely.
In The Last Jedi, Kylo Ren tells Rey that he found out that her parents were nobodies, people that didn't matter. That didn't appease many fans, though, who believe that Kylo lied to Rey and that her birth parents are still someone important from the Star Wars universe.
The latest rumor is that Qi'ra from Solo: A Star Wars movie is Rey's mother, though the timeline for that doesn't make sense.
Yes, it is possible that Kylo lied, but at the same time, Qi'ra being Rey's mother is still highly unlikely.
Confirmed: Billy Dee Williams will return as Lando
When The Force Awakens premiered in 2015, many Star Wars fans wanted to know one thing: where is Lando Calrissian?
Lando spent time with Han Solo back in the day, and their friendship goes back to before Han ever met Leia. Although the new trilogy brought back many of the older actors from its franchise, Lando's actor, Billy Dee Williams, has still not appeared in the new movies.
Rumors about him turning up in Episode 9 began popping up after Williams mentioned getting in shape for a role. He also later canceled a convention appearance due to a filming schedule. Those fans were in luck: the rumors were true: Williams will reprise his role as Lando in Episode 9.
Not: Episode 9 will be two movies
There is a weird trend in Hollywood to make the final story arc of a trilogy into two movies, rather than one-- something fans saw with both The Hobbit, Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games.
Most fans would agree that this usually makes the story drag.
Fans started to speculate that Star Wars Episode 9 would get similar treatment: that it would take place over the course of two movies, rather than one. Yes, there are a lot of storylines to wrap up in that final episode, and yes, the film could have a long running time, but the truth is that Episode 9 will likely only be one movie.
Confirmed: Mark Hamill is listed as part of the Star Wars 9 cast
In The Last Jedi, it appeared that Luke Skywalker ed on, becoming one with the Force after helping the Resistance escape a battle with the First Order. One might think that would mean that actor Mark Hamill, as Luke, wouldn't appear in any Star Wars movie after that.
R umors suggest that he could still turn up as a Force ghost, perhaps guiding Rey on her journey to help the resistance defeat its enemy. A
lthough there is no confirmation as to how Hamill will turn up in the movie, he is officially named in the cast list for Episode 9. It seems that Luke's story is not yet entirely over, after all. That should make some fans very happy.
Not: Snoke’s other apprentice(s) will appear
There are some things about Star Wars that fans don't know until a novel, comic book, or other media mentions it. Nonetheless, this is still canon information.
In the official Star Wars Insider Magazine’s special souvenir Star Wars: The Last Jedi issue, Lucasfilm announced that Snoke had at least one other apprentice in addition to Kylo Ren.
In The Last Jedi, Kylo eliminates Snoke, meaning that some believe that the apprentice will turn up in Episode 9, either to take over Kylo or to him. Perhaps the magazine let something slip that got cut from the movie, but now that the information is out there, is it important?
Confirmed: Star Wars 9 will not retcon The Last Jedi
Though some fans who take issue with The Last Jedi think that their opinions will convince Disney to change some things in Episode 9, that probably won't happen. When asked about how those complaints might affect Episode 9, Abrams said: “Not in the least. There’s a lot that I would like to say about it, but I feel like it’s a little early to be having the Episode [9] conversation."
Those fans who want to retcon Leia floating in space or the end of Luke Skywalker are simply out of luck.
What happened in The Last Jedi will remain canon-- until the next revival or reboot, at least.
Not: There will be a time jump
Rumors are circulating that Episode 9 will see a huge time jump in the story, taking the characters farther into their futures than in previous films. Boyega helped fuel some of those rumors with comments by mentioning that he had to grow out his hair for filming. He said: “I can’t wait to start shooting the next and final leg of the franchise. The first step is growing out my hair, so you can wait for the trailer to see why.”
That does suggest that some time will between The Last Jedi and Episode 9, but it doesn't specify how much time or if it involves a considerable time jump into the future.
Confirmed: Poe and Finn go on a mission with Chewbacca
Not only were Finn and Rey separated for most of The Last Jedi, but Finn and Poe spent a lot of time apart, too. The two haven't had many scenes together, but they still have an incredible bond that fans love to see onscreen.
Rumors began to circulate that the two men will finally get to go on at least one adventure together in Episode 9.
Leaked photos from the filming of Episode 9 confirm this: the two men team up with Chewbacca for some kind of mission. These photos don't really give much information about what's going on, but it seems like Chewbacca has finally found his place with the Resistance sans Han Solo and Leia.
Not: Obi-Wan Kenobi will appear in Star Wars 9
One character that fans want to see again in the Star Wars franchise is Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan played an important part in both the prequels and original trilogy, so it makes sense that perhaps he could appear in Episode 9.
Although the character perished in A New Hope, he continues to appear to Luke later as a Force ghost. That means that his Force ghost, in the form of actor Ewan McGregor, could easily appear to someone like Rey to encourage her to continue fighting the First Order.
Rey heard his voice in The Force Awakens during a Force vision, so it's not a stretch to believe fans will get to see him one final time in Episode 9.
