The Star Wars franchise is in a rather odd position following the release of The Last Jedi; while the movie received heaps of critical acclaim and was a massive box office success, many creative decisions were rejected by fans and Solo later ended up bombing thanks to expensive reshoots.
Now, all hopes rest on J.J. Abrams' shoulders to deliver a fitting finale to the Skywalker Saga.
He did a great job with The Force Awakens and while that movie suffered from a lot of leaks before it was released, we've seen nothing from Episode IX (despite the fact a title reveal is rumoured to be on the horizon). That all changed on Saturday, though, when a series of costume test images were released featuring characters like Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron, and some big surprises.
Disney has been removing the image as fast as it can go up, but we're now recapping all the biggest reveals and spoilers from this leak, including fresh intel on the heroes, villains, and new alien characters. To check this breakdown out, hit the "View List" button below!
Richard E. Grant's Role Finally Revealed
Richard E. Grant has previously said that his role in Star Wars Episode IX is highly secretive and that's understandably led to a lot of speculation about who he might be playing.
Alas, all those theories about him being a new Sith or even an older version of a prequel/original trilogy era character couldn't have been any further from the truth as we now know that he'll actually be taking on the role of a First Order officer. Why Lucasfilm would feel the need to keep that such a huge secret is obviously hard to say.
After he was mostly wasted in Logan, though, it will be a lot of fun seeing Grant get to play a villain.
Dominic Monaghan Joins The Resistance
The Lord of the Rings actor worked with J.J. Abrams on Lost so it makes sense that the filmmaker has chosen to cast Dominic Monaghan in what will presumably be his final Star Wars movie.
The importance of his role in proceedings remains to be seen but we do at least know that he'll play a Resistance officer. The uniform he's wearing is pretty standard so it could be that we'll see him in the trenches alongside characters like Poe Dameron, Finn, and Rose Tico rather than in a command position.
Rey Embraces The Light
At the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Rey's powers were taken to another level and seeing as at least some time is bound to have passed since then, chances are she's even more powerful than ever before (especially if she's been training herself up with those Jedi texts she managed to recover from Ahch-To).
Based on the white robes she's now wearing, Rey has finally found a permanent "costume" of sorts to reflect the fact that she's a Jedi.
It doesn't appear as if she has a lightsaber at this point in proceedings - Luke's was destroyed, remember - so it's going to be interesting finding out how J.J. Abrams handles both that and what sort of Jedi she's going to be - after all, it's definitely noteworthy that she's wearing white rather than the black Luke ended up donning in Return of the Jedi.
Kylo Ren Keeps It Simple
Kylo Ren became the new Supreme Leader the last time we saw him but he hasn't really changed up his appearance all that much in the meantime. His hood and cloack have made a return (which make him look particularly Sith-like) as has the mask, but we'll get to that a little later.
Now that Snoke is dead and buried, you have to wonder whether or not J.J. Abrams will provide some answers about who or what he was and how he became involved with The First Order.
Either way, Ren still appears to be wielding his unique lightsaber and he presumably still hasn't found a way to stabilise that blade. One thing which still hasn't been revealed is what his face looks like beneath that mask but I doubt too many changes have been made since we last saw him.
The Mask Returns
There have been rumours for a while now that Kylo Ren's mask would return in Episode IX and this leak confirms that those were legit. After destroying the headpiece following a scolding from Supreme Leader Snoke, Kylo has repaired it and it now appears to be glowing red across the cracks.
We know it means a lot to the villain because it's based on the helmet his grandfather wore, so now that his "master" is no longer a factor, it's no wonder he's decided to undo his temper tantrum!
J.J. Abrams was the one who came up with Kylo's mask so it actually makes sense that he's decided to undo Rian Johnson's decision to get rid of it. Giving it such a menacing appearance is also a smart move and one which should really help him to stand out during the course of this adventure.
Poe Dameron Looks Battle Ready
While Poe Dameron is basically the leader of the Resistance now, it doesn't appear as if he'll be backing down from seeing action on the battlefield. Chances are that this is just one of many costumes he'll wear throughout the course of this story but it does confirm that he'll do more than hang around a battleship, and fans will surely appreciate that because Poe deserves to take on a key role in the finale.
A Nod To Solo: A Star Wars Story
It's worth noting that the appearances of these characters could change, especially as the leaked image features a combination of reference photos and apparent costume tests.
However, something that got everyone talking is the fact Billy Dee Williams' Lando Calrissian is decked out in an outfit which is quite clearly paying homage to what Donald Glover was wearing in Solo: A Star Wars Story. No matter how that spinoff was received, it makes sense for Lucasfilm to create some connective tissue between the two and this is a smart way to do that.
It may also be an indication that we'll find Lando back in the gambling dens he frequented as a youngster now that the fight to save the Galaxy has seemingly become something of a lost cause thanks to the sheer amount of power wielded by The First Order.
A New Foil For BB-8
Before The Last Jedi was released, that black BB unit belonging to The First Order was very much promoted as something BB-8 would be squaring off with throughout the course of the movie. Well, that didn't happen and their sole interaction was definitely a bit of a letdown.
However, one of the droids featured in this leak is described as a Resistance droid that will be "annoying" BB-8 throughout the course of this adventure so it will presumably be comic relief.
Plenty Of Practical Effects
Rian Johnson didn't shy away from utilising practical creature designs in his movie but we all know that it was J.J. Abrams who started that, so it's no great surprise that he's come up with a lot of cool new aliens for Episode IX.
Some of these aliens are familiar, while others appear to be totally new creations but they're all bound to play either very small or notable roles in this movie.
Common sense says that most will be background characters but it's every bit as likely that some of the actors who have been added to the cast could end up voicing them or even suiting up in heavy prosthetics. We'll see, I guess!
Some Notable Omissions
Unfortunately, a lot of familiar faces are absent in this leaked material, including Luke Skywalker (who will presumably return as a Force Ghost), Finn, and General Hux. I don't think we should read too much into that but if you're wondering why General Leia is nowhere to be seen, that's because Carrie Fisher sadly passed away before costume tests like these could even be considered.
She will, however, be making an appearance courtesy of unused footage from The Force Awakens.
What do you guys think about this first round of leaks from Star Wars Episode IX? As always, be sure to let us know your thoughts on that in the comments section down below.