From Keri Russell to Richard E. Grant, next year’s Star Wars: Episode IX looks to be introducing a fair few new faces to the saga, while also bringing back some old favorites like Billy Dee Williams’ Lando. And with J.J. Abrams already having his hands full enough having to wrap up the arcs of several Sequel Trilogy regulars, the question is raised of whether the Force Awakens helmsman might end up dropping a character or two that Rian Johnson brought into the fold for The Last Jedi.
Sure enough, a new leak from Making Star Wars hints at a couple of figures who might have their roles heavy reduced if not removed completely. According to the latest set report, the site’s source sees no indication that Benicio del Toro will be reprising his role as the shifty codebreaker DJ. What’s more, it’s said that there’ve also been no signs of those cute and somewhat divisive little Porgs coming back, either.
The report stresses that this absence of evidence “doesn’t mean they aren’t in the film but they apparently won’t be making anything centered around them either,” before recalling how “both licensees and Pinewood sources haven’t mentioned either at this point.”
Should this rumor turn out to be legit, most of us wouldn’t be too surprised. The Porgs, in particular, are hardly a crucial part of the drama and their presence was mostly confined to Ahch-To and the Millennium Falcon anyway.
As for DJ, while there’s certainly potential for further stories with this slippery figure, Abrams will presumably be focused on pushing things forward with the characters that he himself first introduced while trying to give a fitting send-off to the older generation, with Rose looking likely to be the only Last Jedi newcomer with a major place in the spotlight.
In any case, we’ll see how Abrams brings this crowded trilogy to a close when Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.