Star Wars: What George Lucas Would Have Done With The Sequel Trilogy

Anyone who detested J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens, thought Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi was "a terrible movie," and is wary of what's to come in Episode IX might not have liked what Star Wars creator George Lucas had planned for the sequel trilogy any better. 

After Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney — forking over his outlines (which were then scrapped by J.J. Abrams and the House of Mouse head honchos) for Star Wars: Episode VII, Episode VIII, and Episode IX in the process — fans have wondered what could have been, and how Lucas intended to conclude the saga he started back in 1977. What once was but a mystery is now a bit less enigmatic. 

In a companion book to James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction series, screenshots of which were shared to Twitter by the book's illustrator Livio Ramondell, Lucas has revealed what the sequel trilogy would have entailed if he was still in charge — and it's likely not what anyone was expecting.

Lucas' Episode VII, VIII, and IX would have explored the scientific explantations for the Force, diving into a "microbiotic world" and examining a network of creatures that "operate differently than we do." The creative calls them "the Whills," entities who control the entire universe and "feed off the Force." 

He added that if he would have held onto Lucasfilm, this vision for the sequel trilogy would have come to life — and he realizes that "a lot of the fans would have hated it," just like they did the three prequel films. But for Lucas, getting hit with hate would have been worth it, since at least his "whole story from beginning to end would be told." 

For many Star Wars lovers out there, the Force being a scientific phenomenon — like Lucas seems to have intended it to be — that can be manipulated by the right people doesn't quite work. Heck, that was a major reason why most had an adverse reaction to The Phantom Menace's midichlorians, those intelligent cells within living beings (Jedi in particular) that allow them to use the Force, since they went against the description of the Force given in A New Hope — "an energy field created by all living beings." 

It sounds like Lucas' Force-controlling Whills in his planned sequel trilogy would have invalidated that statement as well, as the creatures have a solid link to the midichlorians. Within the Story of Science Fiction companion book, Lucas explained that the "midichlorians are the ones that communicate with the Whills" (via Slashfilm). In essence, the Whills are the Force in Lucas' mind — and people are just "vehicles" for them to "travel around in."

Lucas' ideas for the seventh, eighth, and ninth entries into the Star Wars saga may excite some fans, but they'll likely disappoint just as many. Those rallying for the Disney to bring Lucas back to "fix the franchise" would be wise to take a breath and decide how they really want the sequel trilogy — and the Rian Johnson-directed trilogy that comes after it — to play out.