Fan Turns Unused STAR WARS Episode IX Script into Comic

Upon release in December 2019, The Rise of Skywalker wound up being pretty divisive among Star Wars fans. Although these days, what isn’t? But before J.J. Abrams returned to direct the final installment, Jurassic World’s Colin Trevorrow was helming the final Skywalker film. He departed the project, but not before he and writer Derek Connolly completed a script, titled Duel of the Fates. That script leaked online last year, giving fans an idea of what might have been.

Now, thanks to Boing Boing, we’ve learned that a fan has now spent a year taking that script and bringing it to life in comic book form. Star Wars devotee Andrew Winegarner has adapted the screenplay into the first six issues of what will be a 7-issue adaptation of Duel of the Fates, and posted it online. All free of charge, of course. Winegarner hopes that eventually, Marvel Comics will publish it as an alternate universe tale. Similar to what Dark Horse Comics did in their Star Wars: Infinities and Star Wars: Visionaries series years ago.

Lucasfilm

On his website, Winegarner wrote, “Like many fans, I was disappointed with The Rise of Skywalker, a retread of Return of the Jedi that didn’t seem to follow the trajectory of the story set up in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. I was thrilled that Colin Trevorrow & Derek Connolly’s Duel of the Fates leaked, both the script and amazing pre-production artwork which I incorporate into my adaptation. Having read [Duel of the Fates], I can state that I enjoy it much more than [The Rise of Skywalker].”

This is a fascinating “What If?”-style look into what could have been. And certainly the closest fans will ever likely see that version of Episode IX in any kind of visual storytelling. This is a truly unique treat for Star Wars fans by a Star Wars fan.