Disney has found a lot of success with the
Star Wars franchise, but things went a little wrong with
Solo: A Star Wars Story after expensive reshoots and middling reviews resulted in it being a financial disappointment.
The Last Jedi, meanwhile, has obviously divided the majority of fans.
Now, Disney CEO Bob Iger has weighed in on how the Disney-owned Lucasfilm has handled the series in recent years, and he admits that they somewhat overreached with their initial plans.
"I just think that we might’ve put a little bit too much in the marketplace too fast," Iger explains.
"I think the storytelling capabilities of the company are endless because of the talent we have at the company, and the talent we have at the company is better than it’s ever been, in part because of the influx of people from Fox."
As of right now, we don't know what comes next for
Star Wars after
The Rise of Skywalker.
Rian Johnson and
Game of Thrones' David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are both developing new trilogies, but they appear to be far from ready to start shooting. That means yearly
Star Wars movies are probably at an end for now, but, on the plus side,
The Mandalorian and a number of other live-action shows are coming to the Disney+ streaming service.
What do you guys think could come next for this Galaxy on the big screen?
To check out some huge new rumours about Star Wars:
The Rise of Skywalker, hit the "View List" button below!
Rey's Connection To The Force
The Force Awakens was criticised for being a carbon copy of
A New Hope, but it definitely sounds like J.J. Abrams will take us to some weird places in this finale to the Skywalker Saga.
At one point in the movie, it's said that Rey and her fellow heroes are attacked by a worm-like alien creature, but rather than killing it, she uses some new healing abilities which ends the attack and shows that the young Jedi is capable of showing compassion even in the face of imminent danger.
The power to heal is definitely something new for a Jedi, but if you think that sounds weird, it seems she's also able to wield Force Lightning. No, we're not kidding...
Force Lightning
This particular plot point is a little vague, but at one point in
The Rise of Skywalker, it's said that Rey and Kylo Ren are struggling over a ship using their respective Force powers. As Rey uses all her might to try to best her rival, Force Lightning erupts from her fingertips for the first time by accident and ends up destroying the ship in question.
Needless to say, if those rumours about her being Emperor Palpatine's granddaughter are correct, then it makes sense that she has access to the same abilities he's unleashed over the years.
"Master" Leia
Despite the fact that Carrie Fisher was obviously unable to shoot any new scenes for The Rise of Skywalker, we know that the late, great actress will still have a role thanks to footage that was originally going to be used for The Force Awakens. However, Abrams must have had a lot to choose from if this rumour is to be believed.
It's said that the movie kicks off with Rey being trained on a jungle planet by Leia, and it sounds like the Princess turned General turned Master will be instrumental in finishing her training.
Leia showed that she could use the Force in
The Last Jedi when she controversially pulled herself back into her ship from outer space. Bear in mind that past rumours have indicated that we'll get flashbacks revealing that Luke once trained Leia before it was decided that she shouldn't become a Jedi Knight like her brother.
Sith Rey
If you're among the people who believe that the Sith version of Rey we saw in the latest trailer for
The Rise of Skywalker was just an illusion/Force Vision, then...well, it sounds like you'd be right!
Rey and Kylo Ren reportedly spend a chunk of the movie looking for a device called "The Wayfinder" which can be used to bring The Emperor and his forces back from the Unknown Regions. When Rey touches that, she sees herself as a Sith entering Palpatine's chamber in what sounds like a glimpse at what she could become should she choose to follow him and fall under the villain's spell.
Where Has The Emperor Been?
That's the big question, right? No one seems to known how The Emperor survived, and there are conflicting reports about where he's been. While the Sith Troopers have been hidden away in the Unknown Regions with a fleet of Star Destroyers with Death Star technology built into them, we don't know whether he was there too or if he's just been stuck in the Death Star II's remains.
The First Order was reportedly unaware of the existence of this fleet, so them simply being an offshoot of the Empire rather than something it evolved into is sounding more and more likely.
The time the remains of the Empire have spent in the Unknown Regions sounds hellish, because they've faced all sorts of threats in this unstable area and while this isn't something that's been rumoured, the Sith Troopers being clones would make sense as they would surely be old men otherwise!
C-3PO Red Eyes
One of the most intriguing reveals in the latest trailer for The Rise of Skywalker showed C-3PO with red eyes. While the prevailing theory is that he enters some sort of "instant kill" mode, there's actually much more to it than that. When a Sith Dagger is found (which may or may not have ties to Rey's parents), not even Threepio is able to translate the writing on it.
As a result, he's taken to Kijimi where he can be rebooted to give him the ability to bypass his programming and read that ancient text. It's also at this point in the movie we learn that Poe Dameron and Zorii Bliss have a history...of the romantic variety!
Eventually, C-3PO is able to translate the message on the blade and this sends Rey to Endor where she has to get her hands on The Emperor's Wayfinder (Kylo Ren is said to have found Darth Vader's). This all sounds rather convoluted and confusing, so here's hoping it makes more sense in the movie itself because it all seems a bit weird as of right now based on this intel.
The Emperor Lives!
There's been a lot of speculation that The Emperor we see in this movie is a Force Ghost, a clone, or something else entirely. However, no one seems to know about Matt Smith's role in the proceedings so that seemingly takes him out of the running as the "new" Emperor, and one source even claims that Palpatine is indeed alive but extremely old and decrepit, and on the verge of death!
At this point in the Star Wars timeline, he should be around 113 years old, and while his main goal appears to be luring both Rey and Kylo Ren to his side so they can rule over a new Empire, he may actually just be using them so he can restore himself to power. Either way, he's spent the past thirty years creating a new fleet who can help him once again rule over the Galaxy with an iron fist.
General Hux Shows His True Colours
There have been rumblings about this for a while, but it's once again being reported that General Hux is outed as the First Order mole who has been feeding the Resistance information that helps them.
Common sense says that he's probably not doing this out the goodness of his heart, though. After all, it's no secret that he despises Kylo Ren so he's probably hoping this will lead to his downfall.
A Secretive Final Act
We may know how the movie ends (as you'll see below), but the third act appears to be shrouded in secrecy. No one knows how the battle between Rey, Kylo Ren, and The Emperor ends, and rumours continue to swirl that Ben Solo will either die, be redeemed, or possibly even both!
It sounds like there will be a confrontation between this trio in Palpatine's throne room in the wreckage of the second Death Star. That could be the location of the final battle and, if so, it would obviously be a nice parallel to how
Return of the Jedi wrapped up way back when.
Rey...Who?
While rumours may be pointing to Rey being somehow connected to Emperor Palpatine, it sounds like she'll have embraced an entirely different family by the time the movie ends. That, or she learns something major which these scoopers are unaware of!
The final scene of
The Rise of Skywalker reportedly takes place on Tatooine, and Rey is shown to have used both Luke and Leia's lightsabers to create a new hilt that has a gold blade. After burying the leftover pieces of those on the grounds of the former Lars homestead, a local asks who she is. Her response? "Rey. Rey Skywalker."
That might go some way in explaining the title, but we still don't know exactly what this means.
Continue reading below for a reminder of all
the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows!
The Mandalorian (November 12th)
The first trailer for
The Mandalorian was released during D23, and it's fair to say that it didn't disappoint. It looks every bit as good as the
Star Wars movies in terms of visuals and the tone and approach to this story (set after the events of
Return of the Jedi) is vastly different to what we've seen before in this Galaxy Far, Far Away. Honestly, that's no bad thing.
The Mandalorian is going to be available on the Disney+ streaming service on November 12th, and the plan is for one episode to be released each week (so, you can forget about binging them).
In terms of plot details, all we really know is that the show is going to follow a bounty hunter who
isn't Boba Fett. However, the show promises to fill in some big gaps in this universe's history.
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (December 20th)
There's no way you're missing this one, right?
Last Monday, the D23 preview was officially released online and it's left
Star Wars fans everywhere talking. That shot of Rey wielding a double-bladed Sith lightsaber may be misdirection, but that makes it no less awesome. We've been left with a lot to talk about, and it's clear that the Skywalker Saga finale is going to surprise us in a lot of different ways.
With any luck, director J.J. Abrams will succeed in making fans happy while also ending this story in a way that feels right. That's not an easy task, but it is one you have to believe he's capable of.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (February 2020)
Netflix resurrected
Star Wars: The Clone Wars a few years back, but, much to the delight of fans everywhere, we later learned that it would return (again) on the Disney+ streaming service.
This time, though, this really is the end for the series, but at least that means it will get the finale it deserves. According to Dave Filoni, we're finally going to see the return of Darth Maul and Ahsoka Tano in a conflict he's dubbed "the Siege of Mandalore."
Just like Young Justice attracted fans to DC Universe, this will get Star Wars fans even more excited to subscribe to Disney+ and see more of their favourite animated characters.
Untitled 'Cassian Andor' Disney+ Series
This show still doesn't have a title, but it was confirmed at D23 that shooting is set to begin next year.
That means casting news should start coming our way soon and it's obviously already been confirmed that Diego Luna will return as Cassian Andor, while Alan Tudyk will voice K-2SO again. Set before the events of
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, it sounds like this will serve as an origin story for Cassian, while also shedding some light on the early adventures of the Rebellion.
With any luck, that will mean we get to see some of those
Star Wars Rebels characters in live-action!
Untitled 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Disney+ Series
One of the biggest announcements to come out of D23 is that Obi-Wan Kenobi is getting his own Disney+ series. Shooting for this is also expected to take place next year as the scripts have been written and Ewan McGregor has finally been able to confirm that, yes, he is indeed reprising the role.
Based on where this was placed on a timeline shared by Lucasfilm at the event, it will take place shortly after the events of
Solo: A Star Wars Story, so don't be surprised if the Jedi Knight crosses paths with his old enemy Darth Maul. The show would, however, need to be careful not to contradict the events of
Star Wars Rebels if that's the case.
Either way, we're sure this will be more exciting than Kenobi just wandering around the desert!
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss' Star Wars Trilogy
The
Game of Thrones finale was not well recieved, but showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss remain a hot commodity in Hollywood and it's no great surprise that Disney is keen on them spearheading an entire trilogy of
Star Wars movies. Rumour has it that they'll be heading to The Old Republic era which would mean that this series of films would be set 4000 years before
A New Hope!
This trilogy would be unrelated to Rian Johnson's, but recent reports have pointed to the duo possibly only providing an outline for the trilogy and penning just one of the three screenplays.
That's a result of them signing a $250 million deal with Netflix and given the rivalry between them and Disney these days, don't be shocked if Lucasfilm ultimately takes a pass on this trilogy or decides to hand the idea over to a different set of filmmakers. Either way, it's not looking great right now.
Rian Johnson's Star Wars Trilogy
Rian Johnson's
Star Wars: The Last Jedi received its fair share of backlash from fans, but it was also a critical and commercial hit so are you really shocked that Lucasfilm intend to work with him again?
We have absolutely no idea what direction he intends to take things in, but it doesn't sound like this series of films will have anything to do with the Skywalker Saga. Johnson is writing the screenplays and should start working on the movies soon, so don't be surprised if the first chapter is the first
Star Wars movie to arrive in theaters after
The Rise of Skywalker.
Given how polarising his work on the main saga was, it will certainly be interesting to see what happens!
A New Star Wars Animated Series
Star Wars Rebels was a hit with fans as it expanded the mythology and filled in a lot of gaps between
Revenge of the Sith and
A New Hope.
Star Wars: Resistance, however, is ending after two seasons and has been mostly rejected by viewers, so it's clear that Disney and Lucasfilm need to go back to the drawing board when it comes to how best to handle this universe in an animated setting.
Well, there have been rumours for a while now that a new animated series of some sort might in the works and that Dave Filoni will once again be involved.
Rebels definitely ended in a way which allows for a sequel of some sort, while there are plenty of other eras a new TV show could take place in that would appeal to viewers (including after the Skywalker Saga now that is wrapping up).
Star Wars Detours
You probably forgot all about this, but back in 2012 (and before Disney purchased Lucasfilm for a whopping $4 billion), we learned that an animated series called
Star Wars Detours was in the works.
Set to deliver a comedic take on the
Star Wars Universe,
Robot Chicken's Seth Green and Matthew Senreich were set to take charge of the series and 39 episodes were produced with 62 finished scripts.
Lucasfilm filed a trademark for "Detours" back in June, so there's a chance that this will be resurrected for the Disney+ streaming service or something similar. We'll have to wait and see for now.
Solo: A Star Wars Story II
Solo: A Star Wars Story may have underperformed at the box office, but the movie still has its fair share of fans and there's been a lot of campaigning for a sequel online which has grabbed the attention of some noteworthy names (including replacement director Ron Howard).
Rumour has it that Disney has taken notice, and while they're reluctant to return to these spinoff movies right now, relatively reliable sources have indicated that Alden Ehrenreich's Han Solo could return in some way, shape, or form. With Disney+ set to serve as a home for a number of obscure projects, this particular rumour definitely feels like it's worth a mention.
However, it's probably best not to get too excited until we hear something a little more concrete.