One of the main sources of criticism among the detractors of the divisive Star Wars: The Last Jedi was the film’s treatment of the franchise’s most famed hero, Luke Skywalker, with some viewers feeling that Mark Hamill’s character didn’t get the moment of badass heroism he deserved before he departed from the world of the living. If you count yourself in this camp, then it might be some consolation to learn that Luke could finally get the epic send-off you crave in next year’s Star Wars: Episode IX.
While we already know that Hamill will be returning for the upcoming trilogy-closer, and most of us strongly suspect that the Jedi will be assuming a Force Ghost form, there’s isn’t much we can confirm yet about the specific scenes he’ll be getting. This latest report from Express.co.uk, however, could offer some idea of what to expect from what may well be the son of Vader’s final film.
According the outlet, there could be a set piece planned in the next Star Wars movie that recalls a passage from the official canon book Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Legends of Luke Skywalker. Set shortly after the events of Return of the Jedi, the novel features an imperial gunner on a Star Destroyer who recalls a frightening memory of the time he saw Luke use the Force through a hologram to down an entire ship.
With that in mind, the report teases a scene in Episode IX where the sky is crowded with Star Destroyers and various other fighters. Apparently, a rear shot reveals a figure in a black cloak who reaches out his arm, before wrecking an entire ship:
“A mechanical hand with its fingers spread as an Imperial Class 2 Star Destroyer begins to sink, As it hits the ground a shock wave is seen with a wave of sand concluding the sequence.”
Naturally, all of this should be taken with a grain of salt, but if this is the real deal, then it sounds like Luke’s going to prove a valuable ally from beyond the grave.
As it stands, official details remain thin on Star Wars: Episode IX, leaving it up to fallible theories, rumors and leaks like this to provide much of our intel. Expect Lucasfilm to stay pretty tight-lipped on the film, too, until it finally hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.