Yesterday signaled the 2019 September Equinox and, with it, the beginning of autumn. A season of long nights (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least), pumpkin spiced lattes, and bona fide Oscar contenders. But while the summer blockbuster season is long behind us, there’s still one studio tentpole waiting in the wings. Its name? Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Just like The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and The Last Jedi before it, the ninth and final installment in Lucasfilm’s galactic series stays true to the festive period, and will draw the curtain on one of cinema’s all-time great sagas.
The director tasked with that Herculean endeavor is J.J. Abrams, who returns to the cockpit following his work on The Force Awakens (and the departure of Colin Trevorrow, who was previously attached to helm Episode IX). And we’ll be able to see the fruits of his labor very soon indeed, what with the film’s first TV spot already out in the open.
But with great anticipation, comes a tremendous amount of speculation, as evidenced by this Reddit ‘leak’ claiming to have uncovered two major character deaths expected to transpire in The Rise of Skywalker. Spoilers abound!
Still with us? Redditor JediPaxis uncovered the ‘leak,’ which suggests that both C-3PO and General Hux won’t make it out of Episode IX alive. In terms of the former, the fan-favorite droid will voluntarily lay down on the wire, and accept dangerous modifications (see: the red eyes), to further the Resistance’s cause. Elsewhere, Hux is said to be a double agent, who is ultimately killed by Supreme Leader Kylo Ren once word gets out. It’s certainly plausible, but as with any Internet rumor, it’s best taking this with a grain of salt.
Save the date: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker blasts into theaters on December 20th.
