While Disney remains predictably reluctant to release any plot details on next year’s Star Wars: Episode IX, it seems all but inevitable that the J.J. Abrams-helmed trilogy-closer will contain at least one climactic lightsaber duel. And given the major Force-endowed players still left in these latest films, it’s a safe bet that Rey and Kylo Ren will be the pair crossing swords at the grand finale. But while this concluding showdown between the two young warriors is almost a given, a recent rumor may have revealed the setting where such a clash will take place.
At the moment, shooting for Episode IX is underway at the Cardington Sheds hangar bays in England. According to this new report, one of these hangar bays is currently being prepared for one of the final scenes in the film’s third act, which has been described as an invasion sequence.
Allegedly, this section will feature many extras dressed as Resistance fighters and First Order troopers, as well as A-wing, X-wing, and E-wing model sets. What’s more, while it’s unclear whether Finn or Poe will be around for this battle, it’s reported that Daisy Ridley will be involved in these shoots, indicating that this could be where Rey and Kylo face off one last time.
Naturally, all of this should be taken for the rumor it is, but there’s nothing that seems too implausible here, and again, a final lightsaber duel between Rey and Kylo feels almost mandatory. What feels more mysterious is the journey that these two will have on the lead-up to this climax, with previous rumors suggesting that Abrams will delve further into Rey’s background, perhaps returning to her home planet of Jakku or even offering a retcon to the reveal of her parents in The Last Jedi.
We’ll see how much merit there is to these various reports when Star Wars: Episode IX comes out on December 20th, 2019.