While we wait for Lucasfilm to finally drop some official info on Star Wars: Episode IX, a recent rumor shared by Making Star Wars has started to get a little traction, and fans are already coming forward with their theories on what exactly the report could be telling us about the story to come.
To recap, MSW’s sources allege that the film will see Kylo Ren face a new threat that emerges from “The Beyond.” It’s also said that the Knight of Ren will be coming back from this mysterious place, and that danger from The Beyond will serve as a motivating factor in bringing Kylo and Rey back together so that the arc of their relationship can further progress.
Obviously one of the biggest questions this report will leave fans with is what exactly The Beyond could be, and in a new piece from MovieWeb, a few suggestions are offered. For one thing, it’s pointed out that many associate this term with the afterlife, suggesting that Episode IX could introduce a supernatural equivalent of sorts in the Star Wars galaxy. After all, the saga’s various Force Ghosts might need somewhere to reside when they’re not giving advice to younger Jedi.
It could also be worth noting that a group of dark side fanatics named the Acolytes of the Beyond featured in the canon series of Aftermath novels. After the events of the Original Trilogy, the Acolytes of the Beyond purchased what they believed to be the lightsaber of the late Darth Vader in an attempt to raise him from the dead.
What exactly any of this might have to do with the upcoming film remains unclear, but with Luke Skywalker confirmed to return, and a lot of fans wanting Darth Vader to make a cameo in the Sequel Trilogy finale, perhaps the movie could end up shedding a little light on what happens when heroes and villains depart from the world of the living.
Of course, this is all just speculation for the time being – and speculation based on an unverified rumor at that – but all will be revealed when Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.
