'Star Wars Episode XI' Will Time Jump From 'The Last Jedi,' Plus Was The Title Just Accidentally Leaked?

Source: Disney

It is going to be a full year until Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters, but new spoilers are giving fans a good idea about what’s ahead in the next chapter of the space opera. The last film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, ended with the Resistance suffering heavy losses at the hands of the First Order and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).

Luckily, most of the leaders of the Resistance will be back in action in the next movie, including Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe (Oscar Isaac), Leia (Leia Organa), and Finn (John Boyega).

Star Wars: Carrie Fisher's Brother Says There's Lots of Footage That Can Be Used for 'Episode IX' https://t.co/e5Vf48me67 via @ComicBook

— Her Universe (@HerUniverse) December 29, 2018

Beyond returning cast members, most of the plot remains a mystery, aside from one significant detail. Unlike The Last Jedi, the next Star Wars movie will not pick up right after the events in the previous film.

According to Cinema Blend, the upcoming movie will start a full year after the end of The Last Jedi. We don’t know what transpired in the year-long gap, but most of the characters will have likely grown in rank since we last saw them.

With Rey determined to follow the Jedi path, her force powers have probably increased significantly. There is also a chance that she has been recruiting other people with force abilities, which would definitely bolster the ranks of the Resistance.

The time jump also allows the series to deal with Fisher’s untimely passing last year. We still don’t know how much Leia will be in the movie, but skipping a year could help address her absence.

Except that @Johnboyega doesn't even remember giving the interview!

Report: Episode IX Takes Place A Year After Star Wars: The Last Jedi #star_wars_battlefront_iihttps://t.co/yT8sl1vpf2

— David Jesse | Pop Culture Podcaster (@TatooineSons) December 28, 2018

Although the time jump will be good for the good guys, it also provides Kylo Ren time to build up his forces. With Snoke now dead, Kylo has full control of the First Order and has already proven to be a pretty dangerous leader.

As far as the title of the movie is concerned, a new leak revealed that the next chapter will be called Star Wars: Son of Darkness, though nothing official has been confirmed.

Star Wars: Episode IX is scheduled to open in theaters in December of 2019.