Has Star Wars: The Last Jedi Created Too Many Problems For Episode IX?

The Sequel Trilogy Could Feel Very Uneven

Abrams’ upcoming film blasts into our multiplexes in two years’ time and many will be anticipating this last chapter in the Sequel Trilogy, which was presumably mapped shortly after The Force Awakens was announced. Or was it?

Unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is being planned out a decade in advance, Lucasfilm is formulating each film as it goes along. As Johnson recently confirmed to Vox:

“…it’s not like there was a blueprint for what happens after The Force Awakens. There wasn’t at all. It was literally just me reading the script, and then thinking, what happens next?”

This is where we hit a snag, especially if we consider the subtext that Johnson included in his film. With that Force-sensitive boy raising his broom in defiance, the message is clear. You don’t have to be a Skywalker — or come from somewhere special — to be a hero and save the galaxy. It’s truly poignant, and it’s a wholly necessary message to ensure that the saga keeps moving forward. But was this the right point to explore these ideas? Certainly, from its firm and conclusive title to the death of the series’ original hero, The Last Jedi feels more like a third-parter rather than a trilogy’s midway point. And this could be problematic.

If the right tone isn’t struck from the beginning of Episode IX, the story could feel somewhat jarring. We all know of at least one movie series which outstayed its welcome, and while it’s unlikely that this will happen with something as popular as Star Wars at this stage, if Episode IX doesn’t hit the right notes, it could feel tired and derivative – especially if it follows on from what could have been a fitting conclusion.