I have seen Star Wars Episodes 7, 8, and 9!

Greetings, people of 2009!

I know this forum used to have a strict rule against posting from parallel dimensions, so I hope posting from a different point in time doesn’t push the limits too much.

I don’t want to give away the whole show, but I am writing from the year 2022, and I have seen the real, no-foolin’ sequel trilogy. It actually got made, and not only have I seen it, but I’ve digested it over a few years.

So, here’s an AMA (or “Ask Me Anything”) to get a small glimpse into the future of Star Wars. I don’t want to reveal too much, but I can answer direct questions. You must have so many for me!

I only ask that my past self sit out the conversation to avoid time paradoxes.

Ooh, I’m really excited to hear about it! Is all the original cast back? How does their big reunion scene go? How many students does Luke have? Who are the main bad guys?

Now, I am going to be a bit coy and just try to answer your direct questions.

The original cast is largely back, with few exceptions. Reunions are bittersweet when they occur, although some of the characters are spread out from one another.

Luke has a baker’s dozen students, we find out.

The main bad guys are sort of an Imperial remnant that gets radicalized under the influence of a Palpatine(like) figure.

^That’s rad! I bet the new bad guys have a ton of new ships and weapons if they have a new leader.

I want to hear about the New Republic. Does Thrawn make an appearance? And does Mara Jade pop up, or do they go crazy and have Luke married?

They don’t follow the broad path of the EU, unless you want to interpret that very generously up to the point that the New Republic and Empire coexist somewhat for a while.

The design aesthetic evolves the classic ‘rebel’ and ‘Empire’ look for the most part. But much like the OT, we don’t really see much of the galaxy at large and hone in on areas where war is being waged.

No Thrawn! No Mara Jade! Luke isn’t shown to have a wife or children.

Is this new trilogy better than the prequels?

Yes, but not in every way.

Which of the three new movies is best?

Episode 8 is my favorite. You know how people tend to say ANH is great, ESB is even better, and ROTJ fell short? (Not necessarily my exact opinion.) Well, Episode 7 is good, Episode 8 is better, and Episode 9 drops off steeply.

Maybe about the same level as the OT. Believe it or not, you end up wishing there were more.

Did GL direct all of them? Did any of them have CGI gophers? Are X-XII in the pipeline?

Believe it or not, Lucas was pretty hands-off, not directing them. And they emphasized their reliance on “practical effects” in the marketing. It’s no different in the future that a big movie like these is probably going to have a lot of computer work, but they went for that aesthetic to at least somewhat of an intentional degree. So, CG gophers? Eh, not in the sense I know you mean it.

As has been the case at the conclusion of every film trilogy so far, it’s for all intents and purposes the end. But I suspect there’ll be more eventually. It’s never ogre.

Hal 9000 said:

Believe it or not, Lucas was pretty hands-off, not directing them.

Whaaa? So did Fox make the movies by themselves?

No, it was still Lucasfilm, but with new management.

Hal 9000 said:

Luke has a baker’s dozen students, we find out.

How interesting are Luke’s students? I can’t wait for all the cool actions figures of the redeemed Jedi Order Luke built. I can only imagine all the cool alien Jedi, and everyone being included. It’s about time Lucasfilm gave us another awesome African American Jedi besides Windu! What if he used to work for the Empire but is reformed now?! That would be awesome, a Stormtrooper turned Jedi! What a perfect way to include diversity that isn’t forced! (pun intended).

Hal 9000 said:

No, it was still Lucasfilm, but with new management.

Not sure I’m liking this future… 😦

Does it follow the FOTJ storyline!! Does Luke seek out Abeloth? How does it fit into the Legacy Comics? Who did they cast as Jaina Solo??

Just going to let you guys know, but I’ve been sucked down the same time vortex that Hal was, and I’ve seen the sequel trilogy as well. Therefore, I’m willing to answer questions too (especially since my 2009 self hasn’t even seen Star Wars yet, so there’s no risk of a paradox).

DZ-330 said:

How interesting are Luke’s students? I can’t wait for all the cool actions figures of the redeemed Jedi Order Luke built. I can only imagine all the cool alien Jedi, and everyone being included. It’s about time Lucasfilm gave us another awesome African American Jedi besides Windu! What if he used to work for the Empire but is reformed now?! That would be awesome, a Stormtrooper turned Jedi! What a perfect way to include diversity that isn’t forced! (pun intended).

All I’m gonna say is temper your expectations, especially when it comes to anything Jedi related. The Jedi are not really focused on much; black, white, alien, or otherwise. Just like the aesthetics evoke Rebels vs Empire, the state of the Force evokes the OT status quo of only a few Jedi and Sith at a time. There is a redeemed black stormtrooper though, and he has some pretty cool moments (including wielding a lightsaber a few times).

dgraham414 said:

Does it follow the FOTJ storyline!! Does Luke seek out Abeloth? How does it fit into the Legacy Comics? Who did they cast as Jaina Solo??

I don’t really know half of what you’re talking about, but just know that the events of the books and comics have been almost completely ignored. The new Lucasfilm owners figured it would be easier to tell new stories if they weren’t tied down by the weight of what was already there. This extends beyond the sequels as well: there’s also a movie telling a new interpretation of how the rebels stole the Death Star plans, and a movie telling a new origin story for Han Solo.

Jaina Solo does not exist in the new canon, although a character inspired by Jacen does exist: Ben Solo, aka Kylo Ren. He’s basically the trilogy’s Darth Vader equivalent, and although his actor doesn’t even have a Wikipedia article yet, he’ll end up being the breakout star of the trilogy: basically the Harrison Ford of the new movies.

It is starting to sound like these new movies are just a rehash of the originals… do the legacy characters at least get fitting send offs and keep their legacy intact? Like these new movies CAN’T just undo EVERYTHING from the end of Episode VI… that would baffle me.

Also, how are Luke and Han’s interactions? From Han being the skeptic to now having a brother-in-law and sister who are Jedi, I hope that is an interesting subplot with him coming more to terms with the force and how it works.

BedeHistory731 said:

Are the reshoots as obvious as they were for the prequels?

Nowhere near as obvious, thankfully. Episodes 7 and 9 (directed by JJ Abrams, the guy who just did that Star Trek reboot) have a fair amount of reshoots, but they blend pretty well and don’t draw too much attention to themselves. Meanwhile, Episode 8 (directed by current nobody Rian Johnson) had a much cleaner production, requiring little-to-no reshot footage.

DZ-330 said:

It is starting to sound like these new movies are just a rehash of the originals… do the legacy characters at least get fitting send offs and keep their legacy intact? Like these new movies CAN’T just undo EVERYTHING from the end of Episode VI… that would baffle me.

Depends on your definition of a “fitting send-off”. Most people agree that Han’s death was done really well: he died at the hands of his evil son Kylo, but it was executed in a really emotional way. Luke’s death is somewhat more controversial: I personally love it, but some people were pissed.

However, Leia’s death is by far the worst: Carrie Fisher ended up dying shortly after Episode 8 wrapped filming, and so Episode 9 was forced to use repurposed deleted scenes from Episode 7 to represent her until they had her die offscreen from old age. It’s a shame, but it was unfortunately necessary.

Also, how are Luke and Han’s interactions? From Han being the skeptic to now having a brother-in-law and sister who are Jedi, I hope that is an interesting subplot with him coming more to terms with the force and how it works.

Unfortunately, that interaction never happened: Luke was only introduced at the very end of Episode 7, and Harrison Ford only agreed to come back if he died by the end of the movie, so the scene of Han being killed by his son happened around 20 minutes before Luke entered the plot. Another plot point necessitated by real life circumstances.

Who’s the main character?

StarkillerAG said:

Another plot point necessitated by real life circumstances.

What the hell?! FOX couldn’t dish out more money so Harrison Ford could stick around to film at least one scene with Mark Hamill?!

Hopefully him and Billy Dee have some fun banter before Han dies.