Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker debuted to mostly negative reviews at the end of 2019, and it was just weeks later that the screenplay and concept art from Colin Trevorrow's Episode IX leaked online. Titled Duel of the Fates, the consensus seemed to be that this alternate version of the movie was a lot better than what J.J. Abrams delivered.
The stories of each character played out vastly differently, with Finn, for example, leading a rebellion on Coruscant in what looked like a truly epic revolution. It would have also served as a satisfying conclusion to an arc that saw him go from Stormtrooper to deserter to Resistance hero.
Talking to Happy Sad Confused (via SFFGazette.com), actor John Boyega expressed disappointment that Trevorrow didn't helm the final chapter in the Skywalker Saga and confessed that he can't bring himself to read the screenplay. Reading between the lines, it sounds as if he agrees that Duel of the Fates would have been the superior way to wrap this story up.
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About Colin Trevorrow's Episode IX From The LEAKED Script
"I can’t read that one because I’ll be heartbroken, because I was...I had a sit down with Colin. I want to tell you, that’s one of the best Star Wars meetings I’d ever had because it felt like two nerds that were like, ‘Yes, that’s what we want to see!'" Boyega recalls. "And I saw the art, you know, Stormtrooper rebellion, I was like, that stuff was cold."
"Hopefully, Lucasfilm can give him an opportunity down the line to maybe work on something else," the actor continued. "Because ’I'm sure they would love to collaborate with him again in any capacity."
Given how hit-and-miss Trevorrow is as a filmmaker, it's hard to say how well he would have executed that script and concept art, but we do think his movie would have been better. Ultimately, Lucasfilm decided to try and placate fans with a film that mostly satisfied a very small minority.