‘Star Wars’: Should the Timeline Continue After Episode 9? Many Fans Actually Say Yes

While The Rise of Skywalker is currently the endpoint of the Star Wars Skywalker saga, the fans know that an endpoint isn’t always infinite.

Starting with the original film, which reportedly never factored in the sequels, one could argue that the franchise has had four definitive endings from the first film to the original trilogy, prequel movies, and beyond. Now, many fans are clamoring for another continuation after the latest trilogy wrapped itself up. 

Knowing when to end

One of the blessings and the curses of Star Wars and its devoted fan base is that nothing is ever good enough, but they always want more to eat up. The original film changed how genre movies were marketed forever, and with it came an entire expanded universe filled with toys, games, movies, television specials, and more. 

To many, however, the canon will start and end with the official movies. After all, even the offshoot films like Solo and Rogue One tie into the main saga in one way or another. The furthest thing that audiences have gotten from the original fantasy is the lore-heavy Disney+ series The Mandalorian. Depending on who is asked, this is a good thing or a bad thing. 

To some, any Star Wars that isn’t a part of the original trilogy is pointless. While the prequel trilogy and sequel trilogy both got decent reviews overall, die-hard fans had a love-hate relationship with them, depending on the movie. When Episode IX was released, however, it not only became one of the most poorly-reviewed films of the saga but one of the most disappointing among the fans. 

With that trilogy out of the way, nobody expects Disney to sit on its hands for long. More films are due in the future, but what they cover is anyone’s guess. Fans on Reddit hope that it includes an episode X, XI, and beyond. 

Should the ‘Star Wars’ timeline continue?

Speaking about the prospects of more sequels in the Skywalker saga, a Reddit user asked fans if they were ready to see a continuation of the franchise’s most lucrative storyline. 

I’d honestly love to see what everyone’s doing after the First Order was defeated. I want to see what happens to the New Republic, what happens to the rest of the First Order remnants, and how Rey trains a new generation of force users.

“I know that Lucasfilm is taking a break from movies, but you can still tell stories set after Rise of Skywalker. Novels would be the best way in my opinion, as that’s how Star Wars continued after Return of the Jedi. What do you guys think?”

While someone might expect a lot of fallback from this question, many fans were hopeful that the sequels could not only be made but help appease some of the problems with the last ones. Many people decried the fact that Disney made the former expanded universe obsolete, but user u/mindyourmanners918 disagreed. 

“I think it’s great if they decide to tell some stories set after Episode 9, but it needs to be far more controlled, and there needs to be far less of it. Because eventually they’re going to want to make movies that move the story forward, and the movies will always win out over novels and contradict whatever they need to.”

Keeping with the theme of an expanded multimedia universe, however, these fans wanted to see the story covered in a new series of books on top of a movie. Several other fans echoed this excitement, seeing a new trilogy as an opportunity to expand the story without feeling the need to recreate the originals.

The expanded universe is ripe for revivals, even if it no longer exists. By giving themselves a clean slate, Disney could revitalize the franchise after a largely mediocre Episode IX. 

What’s next for ‘Star Wars’ fans?

Fans don’t have to wait long for some new Star Wars content. The second season of The Mandalorian premiered on October 30. Little is known about the future of the film universe, however.

While several announced projects, such as Rian Johnson’s proposed trilogy away from the main canon and lingering rumors of a Solo sequel, nothing is set in stone. 

Audiences will have to wait until at least December 2023, however, as the COVID-19 outbreak delayed them all by the year. However, until something definitive is announced, fans will be left speculating on where the galaxy goes from here.