It’s been nearly five years since the latest Star Wars film hit theaters, and Lucasfilm is still working to reverse its many mistakes. Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker capped off the sequel trilogy with a less-than-satisfying conclusion, leaving many fans with a sour taste. The lore it introduced was just as baffling, and its novelization — published a few months after the film — could only do so much to fill in the gaps.
A companion comic, distributed by Marvel, was set to offer even more context in the summer of 2020, but after perpetual delays, it appeared Lucasfilm had abandoned the project. Years have passed since Marvel offered any official updates, but with the film’s first major anniversary on the horizon, that silence has finally ended.
Marvel recently announced a new release date for The Rise of Skywalker comic; in February 2025, fans will get the chance to “relive the final chapter of the Skywalker saga” with the five-issue series. Written by Jody Houser and drawn by artist Will Sliney, Marvel’s companion comic promises to explore its most complex characters (like the conflicted Kylo Ren) from a fresh perspective. After Kylo’s awkward demise in The Rise of Skywalker, some additional context wouldn’t be unwelcome, but he wasn’t the only one whose characterization suffered in the film, and Marvel’s new comic could finally give a major player their due.
It’s no secret that The Rise of Skywalker was originally meant to be a showcase for Leia Organa. Just as The Force Awakens was a tribute to Han Solo and The Last Jedi was a farewell to Luke Skywalker, the final film in the sequel trilogy would have put the rebel general front and center. Director J.J. Abrams reportedly planned to explore Leia’s Jedi training and her relationship with her son Kylo, but when Carrie Fisher passed away in 2016, Lucasfilm had to return to the drawing board.
Abrams used archival footage from The Force Awakens to keep Leia in The Rise of Skywalker, but with only eight minutes of material to work with, she didn’t get much of a story. While she’s positioned as Rey’s new Jedi master and is even instrumental to Kylo’s redemption, The Rise of Skywalker couldn’t make Leia the crux of the film. Abrams did the best with what he had, but Leia never got the spotlight she deserved. She couldn’t truly guide Rey, lead the Resistance to victory against the First Order, or reunite with her son. Most frustrating of all, Leia anti-climatically dies trying to reach out to Kylo one last time, an out-of-place choice in a frustrating story.
Those decisions can’t be undone, but Marvel’s comic adaptation can give Leia a more substantial role in the final battle with the “Final Order.” It could expand her conversations with Rey, show how she continued to lead the Resistance, and even flesh out the flashback that depicted her Jedi training. The Rise of Skywalker doesn’t have to be the true end of Leia’s story, as long as its comic counterpart doesn’t squander such a ripe opportunity to explore one of the franchise’s most treasured characters.
