Details regarding Colin Trevorrow's Star Wars 9 script have officially leaked, and it proves that his movie would have served as a more cohesive sequel to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Rian Johnson wrote and directed the second installment of the sequel trilogy. J.J. Abrams, who was at the helm of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, returned for the final chapter of the saga, titled The Rise of Skywalker.
The Last Jedi received a mixed reception from fans of the franchise after its 2017 release. The criticism from a segment of Star Wars fans targeted the writing of Johnson and his character development when it came to Luke Skywalker. It would have been a difficult task for anyone to create their own narrative while making it a continuation of what Abrams and the rest of the saga built. That difficulty continued when Johnson took many of the storylines in surprising directions.
Before Abrams took over as a writer and director for the final installment, Colin Trevorrow was hired in 2015 to write and direct the movie. He worked heavily on the script with Derek Connolly but later exited the project over creative differences with Lucasfilm. Trevorrow and Connolly retained writing credits on The Rise of Skywalker, but their version of the script was far different than what came to fruition, thus indictating that their ideas weren't used. In fact, Trevorrow's version, which was titled Duel of the Fates, greatly connected to Johnson's film in a more meaningful way than Abram's creation.
Rose & Finn Had An Important Mission In Trevorrow's Star Wars 9
One of the biggest disappointments that came out of The Rise of Skywalker was the treatment of Rose Tico. Kelly Marie Tran made her Star Wars debut in The Last Jedi before the actress became the target of harsh criticism and harassment. Many fans and fellow actors arose in support of Tran and her Star Wars counterpart. There was hope that the final installment of the sequel trilogy would give Rose a crucial story but instead, she was given just over a minute of screen time. That wouldn't have been the case if Trevorrow was at the helm of Star Wars 9.
According to the leaked script details, Trevorrow intended for Rose and Finn to go on an important side mission to Coruscant, a location that served as the galactic capital during the rule of the Empire (and the Galactic Republic before that). Coruscant was said to be occupied by the First Order, but Rose and Finn were to travel to the old Jedi Temple on the planet and light the beacon to call the galaxy to war. Prior to the mission on Coruscant, Rose, Finn, and BB-8 stole a Star Destroyer full of supplies. Finn subsequently encountered a Stormtrooper he once knew, which forced him to confront with his past.
Rose would have been a primary character throughout the rest of Trevorrow's Star Wars 9, which is far different than the situation with The Rise of Skywalker; that film made her a background figure, at best. The duo was supposed to be captured and thrown into a POW before Rose was interrogated by General Hux. Finn would have aligned with fellow Stormtroopers who had defected and led an uprising on the streets of Coruscant. It's assumed that he would have rejoined Rose as the new army attacked the First Order forces as Poe Dameron lead the Resistance's air assault. Finn similarily led a ground attack with his new ally, Jannah, but Rose was hardly involved. The uprising that played out on-screen is not nearly as groundbreaking as Trevorrow's vision.
Duel Of The Fates Didn't Undo Rey's Parentage Reveal
One of the most shocking reveals to come out of The Rise of Skywalker was the fact that Rey was the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine. This came after The Last Jedi made an effort to lead viewers into believing her parents were nobodies. Even though Kylo Ren held on to that notion as he dangled the identity of Rey's parents in front of her, it was assumed there would be more to that story. A segment of viewers enjoyed the idea that Rey didn't come from a strong Jedi or Sith lineage and that anyone can emerge as a strong figure in the galaxy.
Duel of the Fates would have followed Johnson's groundwork with Rey's parentage by explaining that her parents weren't anyone special in the eyes of the galaxy. As the Resistance failed to bring Kylo Ren to the light side of the Force, he would have confessed to being the one that killed Rey's parents, explaining why they never returned for her on Jakku. Rey's last name would have also been revealed as Solana, a name that doesn't have any history in Star Wars canon. Instead, The Rise of Skywalker undid the attempts to make Rey's family lineage a non-factor and made her a Palpatine, and in turn, a descendant of one of the most powerful figures in Star Wars canon.
Rey Would Have Trained The Next Generation Of Jedi, Including Broom Boy
Duel of the Fates would have fully connected to The Last Jedi and the tease of other Force-sensitive youth out there in the galaxy. Following the big battle of Coruscant, the final sequence of Trevorrow's film would have followed Rose and Finn as they led a group of young Force-users to a remote planet. It was there that Rey set out to train the next generation of Jedi, and among the group was a familiar face from The Last Jedi: the return of the Broom Boy.
The Broom Boy was a young man who worked as a stablehand on Canto Bight. The stablehand children helped Rose and Finn escape from the First Order in The Last Jedi when the fathiers were set free. In the final moments of the film, the children were shown talking about the legend of Luke Skywalker before one of the boys moved a broom with the powers of the Force. He then looked up to the sky as if he was pondering the conflict occurring throughout the galaxy and what his place could be within the galactic turmoil.
The plan to have Rey train the next generation of Force-sensitive beings is extremely telling with Trevorrow's vision for Star Wars 9. It seems to pay homage to Luke training his group in the past but with a better outlook for the galaxy's future. Trevorrow's script involved the presence of the Force ghosts of Luke, Obi-Wan, and Yoda which proved that Rey still had mentorship through the next chapter of her journey as she led the future of the Jedi.