Via Ign.com:

Mark Hamill has revealed elements of the ending for George Lucas’ abandoned Star Wars: Episode 9.

Speaking to IGN about the differences in approach to the character of Luke Skywalker between J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson, Hamill suddenly changed tack, and explained:

“I happen to know that George didn’t kill Luke until the end of [Episode] 9, after he trained Leia. Which is another thread that was never played upon [in The Last Jedi].”

This is the first time we’ve heard that Lucas intended to end the ‘Skywalker Saga’ with Luke’s death. While the original Extended Universe saw Leia trained as a Jedi Knight (although not by Luke), it also hadn’t been publicly mooted as part of the films’ storyline.

Similarities remain in The Last Jedi – Luke seems to have met his end a film earlier than Lucas planned for, and Leia does (somewhat controversially) show her skill with the Force – but it’s clear that Lucas had different plans for the returning characters.

It’s not quite clear which of Lucas’ Episode 9s this particular ending comes from. The Star Wars creator’s plans for a sequel trilogy were many and varied – before Disney bought the rights and made one itself.

Before Return of the Jedi had been written, Hamill said he had seen 12-page outlines for each of Lucas’ Episodes 7-9. However, Lucas seemingly abandoned the idea, and incorporated many elements – including the idea that Luke had an estranged sister – into Jedi instead.

Lucas continued to hint at his ideas for a sequel trilogy over the years, from the familiar (Luke, Leia and Han returning as characters later in their lives) to the less familiar (a fractured Empire has devolved into individual tyrannical worlds). However, the critical reception to his prequel trilogy apparently all-but killed off Lucas’ drive to continue with the series for some time.

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