Most of the rumors and theories surrounding the upcoming Star Wars: Episode IX seem suspiciously geared towards the idea of J.J. Abrams attempting to ‘fix’ some of the more divisive elements of The Last Jedi, but while much of this talk should probably be dismissed as wishful thinking, there’s also a genuine possibility that the director will try to bring the saga more in line with his original vision for the Sequel Trilogy.
So though it seems likely that the ship has already sailed on the identity of Rey’s parents, perhaps we can’t completely rule out the idea that the filmmaker will attempt a compromise between The Last Jedi’s twist and the twist Abrams thought he was setting up with The Force Awakens. That’s what’s suggested in this latest rumor, which alleges that the film’s recently reported rewrites have given Daisy Ridley’s character a more traditionally heroic heritage, and that this heritage will explain why she seems so naturally gifted with the Force.
Had Abrams been in charge of this trilogy from start to finish, it’s almost certain that he would’ve taken this sort of route with the character, but at this late stage of the game, there’s surely only so much that the director would be willing to undo. And while it doesn’t seem beyond the realm of possibility that Rey would find something of note in her bloodline beyond The Last Jedi’s grim reveal, giving the character some Force-strong ancestry would likely be too great a contradiction of the closing message of Rian Johnson’s film – that is, you don’t need to win the birth lottery to be a Jedi.
All the same, with Abrams at the helm, you can expect the series to return to more conventional territory when Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.