At this stage, next year's Star Wars: Episode IX could go in ANY direction. Predicting its narrative path has grown very difficult for two main reasons. One, original director Colin Trevorrow exited the project, handing the baton back to Star Wars: The Force Awakens helmer J.J. Abrams. And, more importantly, the franchise lost Carrie Fisher right when it was confirmed that Episode IX was going to focus on Leia. Now, however, a Reddit commenter with enough cred that we're at least listening has laid out a few plot points for next year's Star Wars sequel, and some really strange items can be found on it.
Don't read any further if you don't want to hear about things that could potentially be spoilers for Star Wars: Episode IX. None of this has been confirmed, but they are wild rumors, so we're speculating away.
A Reddit user going by the name FOOSLS claims to have read "a very early storyboard" for J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode IX. The same user also posted a storyboard for the movie that would go on to become Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and while he or she predicted a few big story beats accurately, they also whiffed on the rest. So all of this should be taken with a grain of salt, of course, but if it's accurate, things could get wacky. Like, Rey having a love child, which sends Kylo Ren into a jealous rage.
I told you.
The action in the upcoming movie, according to this Reddit post, will take place five years after the events of The Last Jedi. The Resistance, or what is left of it, will be spread so thin that they hardly matter anymore, and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) rules over the First Order with barely any pushback. There is an "A" plot that finds Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega) and Leia (Carrie Fisher) digging into dark secrets of the First Order, leading them to an Ocean Planet and a power source that might be benefitting Kylo Ren and his cohorts.
Additionally, though, there is a "B" plot that has Kylo (Adam Driver) secretly wiping away anyone who appears to be Force Sensitive... and those same people reaching out to Rey for guidance. The huge reveal of this storyboard sneak is that one of Rey's "students" ends up being her child, as well, and when Kylo finds out about this, he's so angry -- he and Rey are in love at this point -- that he nearly kills her. Only Leia is able to intervene at the last second and save Rey's life.
If I had to guess, I'd say this is complete horseshit. One part that I buy is that the sequel likely will take place years after the conclusion of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Rian Johnson's movie was the only one to pick up, essentially, right where the previous movie ended. I can't see Star Wars doing that again... though the theme of the Resistance being decimated and essentially powerless has merit.
The rest of it -- including the romantic relationship between Kylo Ren and Rey -- reads like fan fiction. Rian Johnson implemented a number of fascinating (read: controversial) wrinkles into the balance of power between Rey and Kylo, and it's very possible that J.J. Abrams follows through on what Johnson started. But seeing as how some of these also fly in the face of what J.J. started in The Force Awakens, I'd be surprised if there aren't a flurry of rewrites happening at Lucasfilm as you read this. The fact that Carrie Fisher can't be integral to the conclusion of this new trilogy also means a shift in focus. So yeah, grain of salt.
We will see if any of this turns out to be true once the as-yet-untitled Star Wars: Episode IX reaches theaters on December 20, 2019. Until then, bookmark our Upcoming Star Wars Movies guide, and follow along with that's to come.
