Episode IX: Spoilers and Rumors

It just occurred to me that part of the reason IX news has been so slow might be that Disney is pushing so many other releases right now. Not only Resistance in a few weeks, but there was a Mary Poppins trailer today, plus Captain Marvel photos last week and its first trailer tomorrow. It's a busy time for the house of mouse right now.

Star Wars Episode IX: The Return of Snoke?

https://www.starwarsnewsnet.com/2018/09/andy-serkis-comic-con-episode-ix.html

I’m torn on this because I’m a big fan of Andy Serkis. I wouldn’t mind Snoke showing up in flashbacks or such but I don’t want to see him resurrected.

Andy has that Mowgli movie coming up, plus another movie. It's not necessarily SW.

I don't want them to resurrect Smoke either; it would completely destroy the impact of Kylo killing him to save Rey,

I'm okay for Snoke if it's flashbacks with young Ben or haunting Snoke like Hamlett.

rawpowah wrote:Andy has that Mowgli movie coming up, plus another movie. It's not necessarily SW.

@rawpowah

That's certainly true that it could be nothing to do with SW, but the Mowgli movie was completed and wrapped a while back while the Animal Farm film is supposedly a ways off yet. It seems unlikely that those would be a cause for a scheduling conflict. I find it unlikely that he wouldn't be able to take a couple of days off for a convention even if they were reshoots or whatever, and not just wait a few days.

Hey all couple of new things to share with you :
Potentially 'new' info on Kylo Ren/Ben Solo in "Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary - New Edition"
https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsCantina/comments/9hdrch/potentially_new_info_on_kylo_renben_solo_in_star/?st=JMAJVUUV&sh=c0049af0


Disney CEO Bob Iger talks about a ‘Star Wars' “Slowdown” after Episode IX
https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/9hev2p/disney_ceo_bob_iger_talks_about_a_star_wars/?st=JMAL5WC6&sh=36e2c7c5

All credits to the posters and also claire 45 on tumblr for original pages from visual dictionary updated 2018 edition . In case you can’t get into the links ;




First of all interesting they are slowing things down after 9 and regarding Ben solo well couple of things I think - he was responsible for the students murder but doesn’t mean he actually deliberately murdered them ,also seems to confirm he turned when he found out about Vader around age of 23 ( that turning point age in Star Wars )and not as a teenager or younger . Moreover hunting down the Jedi seems to be something he’s told to do ie he’s given the task so it doesn’t come from him or his rage against the Jedi . It does mention twice though that he inflicted pain and has pain inflicting devices ( maybe because he’s so used to it himself perhaps and doesn’t warrant to think how wrong it is ?). Am sure we’ll get more revelations as we get nearer to 9.

Just gonna add something to this as have been thinking about the pain inflicting devices - yes am sure the internet is gonna love this and talk about the s&m
Implications but to me this kind of reminds me of the monks in Middle Ages who used to whip themselves And wear metal devices round their legs to draw blood - feeling the pain would bring them closer to Christ . Some orthodox religious organisations still practice similar things . Corporeal mortification for example the cilice ( look it up on wiki ). It’s whole strength through pain making you stronger. It seems like a similar concept here with pain being used in a quasi religious way to bring Kylo to dark side - disturbing though it is .

Just saw the interview with Iger. He always speaks in that incredibly corporate way, Kevin Feige is a master at it as well, so it was interesting seeing that play out over an extended interview. The SW slowdown doesn't surprise me. There are the shows and films that have already been announced, there will be loads of content coming our way, but it sounds like their long-term plans got completely thrown off.

The most interesting detail is that it was Iger who decided on the annual SW release and is taking the blame for it. Sometimes people lodge every complaint about SW at KK without even considering that powerful as she may be, she is but one piece of the Disney machine and not at the top of the conglomerate food chain.

The “Slowdown” may be a good thing, it will allow them to better planify the future.
I think it's a consequence of both the Solo Box Office and the buying of Fox with all the new movies to produce, among them Avatar 2 and 3. If the rumor is true of Solo not being released later to not shadow the new 'Mary Poppins', and a weak promotion in May to not take the spotlight of the 'Avengers', then I hope Disney will manage all its movies better.

AhsokaTano wrote:
All credits to the posters and also claire 45 on tumblr for original pages from visual dictionary updated 2018 edition . In case you can’t get into the links ;




First of all interesting they are slowing things down after 9 and regarding Ben solo well couple of things I think - he was responsible for the students murder but doesn’t mean he actually deliberately murdered them ,also seems to confirm he turned when he found out about Vader around age of 23 ( that turning point age in Star Wars )and not as a teenager or younger . Moreover hunting down the Jedi seems to be something he’s told to do ie he’s given the task so it doesn’t come from him or his rage against the Jedi . It does mention twice though that he inflicted pain and has pain inflicting devices ( maybe because he’s so used to it himself perhaps and doesn’t warrant to think how wrong it is ?). Am sure we’ll get more revelations as we  get nearer to 9.  

Just gonna add something to this as have been thinking about the pain inflicting devices - yes am sure the internet is gonna love this and talk about the s&m
Implications but to me this kind of reminds me of the monks in Middle Ages who used to whip themselves And wear metal devices round their legs to draw blood - feeling the pain would bring them closer to Christ . Some orthodox religious organisations still practice similar things . It’s whole strength through pain making you stronger. It seems like a similar concept here with pain being used in a quasi religious way to bring Kylo to dark side - disturbing though it is .

@AhsokaTano

Can I niptick a little?
It says he turned when he found out about Vader (I think it is different from what was shown in TLJ since this is never talked about in the movie) but it isn't specified when he learned it. I know the Galaxy learnt it when he was 23 years, but Snoke could have tell him long before Bloodline.

'hunting down the Jedi', well, what Jedi ?
The only ones we know are either dead on Luke's temple or gone with Kylo. I always thought any students of Luke never passed the apprentice level. Or when they write 'any remnant of the Jedi', do they mean objects like lightsabers and holocrons? (the flashback with the KOR in the rain maybe)

With the insistence on the torture, I feel like reading Snoke's propaganda about Kylo. I wouldn't be surprised to learn it was Pablo Hidalgo who wrote this. He likes villains without nuances and entirely dark.

@Ladygaufrette
Yeah you could be right and kylo learnt ages before from snoke about Vader . I guess I like to think of it as later because I feel the later he turned the more chance he has to be turned back. Also yeah I’d love to see what propaganda snoke puts out . The fact he’s called supreme leader and not emperor is already suggestive ( that’s religious title ) and Ben calling Snoke wise suggests this too . Ben has gone from Jedi under Luke’s tutelage to dark Jedi / force wielder under snoke which both sound like they could have been monk like - with Luke he had his calligraphy set ( like a scribe ) and under snoke he had the pain side of the monastic order - the pain inflicting devices . It’s interesting but disturbing at the same time . Poor Ben brainwashed by both sides with their codes of living and belief . Hope we see Ben free of this pain in episode 9 and make his own decisions .

I think that’s the same dictionary from TFA with some new things made just so fans could buy it again. It even contradicts tlj

@loversinthestorm
Lol! If that’s right that’s second time this week . Didn’t they kill someone off or resurrect someone in the comics recently which contradicts rebel files book and someone told Matt Martin and he said they were aware of the problem (and future edits of Rebel files would have the update) . Oh dear ! Lol!

Pablo himself always said with regard to the books, when it doubt, go with the movies.

AhsokaTano wrote:@Ladygaufrette
Yeah you could be right and kylo learnt ages before from snoke about Vader . I guess I like to think of it as later because I feel the later he turned the more chance he has to be turned back. Also yeah I’d love to see what propaganda snoke puts out . The fact he’s called supreme leader and not emperor is already suggestive ( that’s religious title ) and Ben calling Snoke wise suggests this too . Ben has gone from Jedi under Luke’s tutelage to dark Jedi / force wielder under snoke which both sound like they could have been monk like - with Luke he had his calligraphy set ( like a scribe ) and under snoke he had the pain side of the monastic order - the pain inflicting devices . It’s interesting but disturbing at the same time . Poor Ben brainwashed by both sides with their codes of living and belief . Hope we see Ben free of this pain in episode 9 and make his own decisions .

@AhsokaTano

For me it's the opposite, I think it's easier for people to forgive a mistake if the 'sinner' is younger. I also think he didn't join Snoke right after the Temple's disaster, so he wasn't totally a darsider until really later.

The first time I saw the movie and heard Kylo tell with a mechanic voice 'The Supreme Leader is wise', my brain had red flags with "Sect! Sect! Sect!". That is why I really believe in Ben Solo's redemption, he represents the lost adolescents in a world where they feel excluded and some people use this fact to brainwashed them. In a saga about hope, you don't say to a mother, 'nope, sorry, your son joined a sect/a terrorist cell in Syria/a mafia gang, he won't come back give up on him'. Or imagine the message for children, 'if you make mistakes years ago, it's too late for you, you're definitely lost'. Do people really expect this kind of message from Disney of all people?

I won't tell anything for Luke’s tutelage because we don't really know how it was. It could be strict as the prequels' training or more relaxed.

I have to disagree with you about the pain side of the monastic order. True, Kylo had pain inflicting devices, but for others not for him. We never see him use anything resembling whips or metal cilices (and now I just learnt Paul Bettany, Dryden Vos in Solo, is also Silas in Da Vinci Code. ) . The only moment he used pain was when he hit his wound in TFA because he didn't have a choice.

AhsokaTano wrote:@loversinthestorm
Lol! If that’s right that’s second time this week . Didn’t they kill someone off or resurrect someone in the comics recently which contradicts rebel files book and someone told Matt Martin and he said they were aware of the problem (and future edits of Rebel files would have the update) . Oh dear ! Lol!

@AhsokaTano
They killed someone in the comics who gave documents in Rebel Files during Endor, woops.  

That's why I'm cautious with guides, it's worldbuilding for the fans but if it's not in a movie, comic, novel, serie; then it's not 100% canon for me.

@Ladygaufrette
Interesting - what I meant to say why I believe kylo turning later in life was more hopeful was because it meant he was fighting the darkness and snoke all his life and he didn’t cave in ( I believe snoke was there from day one trying to corrupt Ben Solo )which shows his strength of will and resilience . Although poor Ben wouldn’t have had much choice when snoke decided to target him. That’s what I meant but I didn’t put it across very well . Also the thing about pain - we know Ben had physical as well as mental pain inflicted upon him as part of dark side( the physical abuse seems to go together and be part of it so if this becomes part of his daily life then he probably sees this as mundane -this is why his behaviour with rey is incredible because he doesn’t treat her the same as for instance Poe ), when I mean pain being part of dark side training examples are - Snoke casually uses force lightning on Ben,, Ben’s body is full of scars and also look how Ben reacts in the throne room when rey is with him and snoke hits rey with the light saber - it hits her because she’s not used to being hit so she doesn’t avoid it but kylo reacts and moves his head so he doesn’t . That to me suggests someone who is used to getting hit so much that he even knows when the next blow is coming . It’s very sad . The dark side pain thing is in the Vader comics too because Vader is very harsh with the inquisitors and at one point cuts the arm
Off one of them . So yeah dark side is vicious and abusive .

@AhsokaTano
The creators could also choose to do what you say about Kylo turning later, it is coherent with what we know so far (not a lot sadly), I just like to imagine all possibilities.
I agree with you, dark side is painful with no advantages, jenny nicholson said it perfectly (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzk78aItaUQ).
And Kylo being used to pain show how abused he is, but it's not the same kind of pain as monks took in the Middle Age because it's not self-inflicted (which is the biggest point and show the religious devotion). Darksiders don't like pain on them, they like to inflict it on others, and apprentices learned they had to accept the pain. That's why I disagree with the idea that Kylo is very religious.

If I had to make a parallel, Kylo accepting pain is like Rey accepting Unkar's abuse. They don't particularly want it but they have no choice and are used to it.

@Ladygaufrette
It’s so sad . poor kylo and rey .

@AhsokaTano
Yep, I still remember expecting Rey to rebel against Unkar's deal about the rations, but seeing her accept it in silence broke my heart.
Maybe they should have kept Chewie tearing his arms apart.

But cheer up, Rey and Ben are free from their abusers and can begin to heal, and could do it together supporting each other if we're lucky with our predictions.

@Ladygaufrette
They will heal each other. I believe that too

Hi all I don’t know if this is a spoiler as such as we’ve been predicting this for the falcon but definitely looks like it’s heading to Batuu next after Crait
(all credits to Reddit ):


Flight of the Falcon Map (details in comments)
https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsLeaks/comments/9iekns/flight_of_the_falcon_map_details_in_comments/?st=JMG1EAJT&sh=e5f91202

AhsokaTano wrote:Hi all I don’t know if this is a spoiler as such as we’ve been predicting this for the falcon but definitely looks like it’s heading to Batuu next after Crait
(all credits to Reddit ):


Flight of the Falcon Map (details in comments)
https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsLeaks/comments/9iekns/flight_of_the_falcon_map_details_in_comments/?st=JMG1EAJT&sh=e5f91202

@AhsokaTano

Ooo, where is the map from? I know they are making Flight of the Falcon books for the kids, maybe the map is from the inside cover like many fantasy books do.

Seems like in the latest Poe comics, the Resistance are getting help from the Hutts. Remember that “Leak” a while ago where Poe and Finn would apparently join forces with the hutts in episode 9?

Riri wrote:

Seems like in the latest Poe comics, the Resistance are getting help from the Hutts. Remember that “Leak” a while ago where Poe and Finn would apparently join forces with the hutts in episode 9?

@Riri

Grakkus the Hutt doesn't exactly sound like a trustworthy guy:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Grakkus

LOTS of interesting stuff on that wiki page, but here are a few highlights:

Grakkus was a male Hutt crime lord who lived on Nar Shaddaa during the Age of the Empire. He ruled Hutta Town, and like many other Hutt kingpins, controlled an extensive network of bounty hunters and spice smugglers. Grakkus was an avid collector of artifacts of the Jedi Order.

Auction of a Padawan

At some point prior to the Invasion of Naboo, Grakkus attended an auction hosted by Xev Xrexus in the Drazkel system, which offered assorted illicit goods to invited buyers. The items available for purchase included several droidekas and a captured Jedi Padawan. At an unknown point, Grakkus met with the explorer Lor San Tekka, who shared his interest in ancient Jedi lore and artifacts.

Capturing Luke SkywalkerEdit

   "It appears you will make a fine addition to my collection after all."
   "But...I'm not..."
   "What you are, dear boy...is the last Jedi. And now you belong to me."
   ―Grakkus and Luke Skywalker

Grakkus displayed as selfish streak and was solely concerned for his own well-being and safety. He resented his long imprisonment and sought every opportunity to escape. Grakkus had a habit of breaking deals with even friends like Terex at his own whim. Despite breaking the deal, Grakkus believed that his old friendship with Terex would last. He underestimated Terex's vindictive and ruthless nature. Grakkus liked Terex because of his criminal streak and despised "good guys" like the Resistance pilot Poe Dameron and his Black Squadron. After Poe outmaneuvered Terex, Grakkus was savvy enough to accept Black Squadron's offer to help him escape. Grakkus' selfish streak manifested again when he expressed indifference to Terex's attack on the Megalox Beta space station and shuttles. He was willing to have other sentient beings die if he benefited from the situation. Poe exploited Grakkus' selfish nature by withholding access to hyperspace coordinates until he provided the necessary information on Lor San Tekka.

@Riri
Oooh very interesting indeed. This is certainly greying things up for the resistance big time as the war is about to get personal with the Solos and Hutt cartel history . There was a meta I read somewhere about how with Poe you are meant to think by the end of TLJ that he’s learnt his lesson and moved on when actually he’s still as reckless and leading people into danger as ever . If it wasn’t for Rey lifting the rocks at the end of the cave on Crait that resistance would have been doomed . At the end of the day the resistance are willing to follow Poe to their death .So I wonder who is more dangerous when you think about it - Poe or kylo if you were following them??

Riri wrote:

Seems like in the latest Poe comics, the Resistance are getting help from the Hutts. Remember that “Leak” a while ago where Poe and Finn would apparently join forces with the hutts in episode 9?

@Riri

I think it could be true. I can see Lucasfilm wanting a Hutt in the third film of the trilogy. And they always want to introduce new planet, so Nar Shaddaa could finally appear in a movie. Too bad now that Grakku is out of shape, he would have made a big contrast with Jabba and stressed how Grakku and Jabba are not the same person for general audience.

ISeeAnIsland wrote:

Grakkus the Hutt doesn't exactly sound like a trustworthy guy:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Grakkus

LOTS of interesting stuff on that wiki page, but here are a few highlights:

Auction of a Padawan

At some point prior to the Invasion of Naboo, Grakkus attended an auction hosted by Xev Xrexus in the Drazkel system, which offered assorted illicit goods to invited buyers. The items available for purchase included several droidekas and a captured Jedi Padawan. At an unknown point, Grakkus met with the explorer Lor San Tekka, who shared his interest in ancient Jedi lore and artifacts.

Capturing Luke SkywalkerEdit

   "It appears you will make a fine addition to my collection after all."
   "But...I'm not..."
   "What you are, dear boy...is the last Jedi. And now you belong to me."
   ―Grakkus and Luke Skywalker

@ISeeAnIsland

Here we have the conflict in the Resistance for IX when Rey is not going to be happy about Grakku wanting to 'collect' her but Poe says they absolutely need the Hutt's help. I feel we're going to see a Hutt killed by the brunette woman of the trilogy.