Had things panned out differently, Luke Skywalker would have lived to see Star Wars: Episode IX.
And we’re not talking about J.J. Abrams’ trilogy-capper, but rather the original arc mapped out by George Lucas, Star Wars‘ founding father who wound up selling Lucasfilm and its precious assets to Disney back in 2012.
Because while Luke gave his life in order to save the Resistance during The Last Jedi‘s finale, Lucas initially wanted to spare Mark Hamill’s Skywalker until Episode IX so that he could train Leia on the finer details of the Force. Remember, Carrie Fisher’s screen icon was also in tune with it. But unlike her sibling, she chose to intentionally cut herself off during Return of the Jedi.
It’s probably for the best that things changed course, too, as Lucas has now revealed that while he could’ve made the Sequel Trilogy, he thinks fan would’ve hated it, as they did The Phantom Menace. Speaking in a new interview in the companion book for AMC’s James Cameron’s Story Of Science Fiction, you can see what he had to say in the gallery down below.
Interesting, eh? It’s not as if the Sequel Trilogy is exactly held in high regard as it is. Sure, The Force Awakens was a total hit, but The Last Jed split fans right down the middle, with many being turned off of the franchise completely due to the divisive decisions made by Rian Johnson. It kind of makes you wonder how things would’ve played out had Lucas been behind the camera instead.
Given how badly he botched the Prequel Trilogy, though, it’s unlikely that Episode VIII would’ve been more fan-pleasing had George directed it, but at least we’ve got J.J. Abrams coming in now to close things off and finish what he started in The Force Awakens. And if one thing’s for certain, it’s that after The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story, he’ll certainly have his work cut out for him if he’s to return Star Wars to its former glory.
