Who Will Be Returning in 'Star Wars: Episode IX'?

All Star Wars fans—drop what you're doing and read this.

The cast and crew for the upcoming film, Star Wars: Episode IX, has just been released, and the list is so much better than I expected. So, in this article, I'll be giving you the list of actors and actresses that will be appearing in the upcoming Star Wars film.

Here we go!

The following actors and actresses will be returning to their roles from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi:

• Daisy Ridley as Rey
• John Boyega as Finn
• Adam Driver as Kylo Ren
• Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron
• Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico
• Lupita Nyong'o as Maz Kanata
• Domhnall Gleeson as Admiral Armitage Hux
• Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca
• Billie Lourd as Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix
• Anthony Daniels as C-3PO

New cast members include Naomi Ackie from Lady Macbeth and Richard E. Grant from Logan and Game of Thrones. Actress Keri Russell was also rumored to join the cast of Episode IX. However, her name was absent from the list.

Who else will be joining the cast of the film? So glad you asked. One returning cast member is Billy Dee Williams.

It's been confirmed that Williams will be reprising his live-action role as the charming gambler, Lando Calrissian, for the first time since Return of the Jedi in 1983.

Writer/director of The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson, had previously considered using Lando as the master codebreaker who helps Finn and Rose get onto the Stardestroyer, but decided to make a new character called DJ instead, as DJ was supposed to betray them.

Since the death of actress Carrie Fisher, many fans have been speculating that General Leia would be recast as Meryl Streep, others saying that Leia would be recreated through CGI, like she was in Rogue One, and I personally believed she'd be written out entirely.

However, it was confirmed that Leia will be returning in Episode IX. They will be inserting unreleased footage from The Force Awakens into this film. J.J. Abrams has said this:

“We desperately loved Carrie Fisher. Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.”

And this is what I've been waiting for. For MONTHS, I've been badgering Mark Hamill and J.J. Abrams on Twitter, asking, "Will Luke Skywalker return in Episode IX?"

It was unclear as to whether or not he would return, but according to the Star Wars website, the cast of Episode IX "will be joined by veteran Star Wars [actor], Mark Hamill."

I AM SO HYPED for this. Because the thing is, if we had an Episode IX without Han, Leia, Luke, Lando, or Ackbar, then it would bomb at the box office.

And I thought that if they could get Mark Hamill to do at least one scene in Episode IX, everything would be perfect, but not only are Lando and Luke coming back, but so is Leia!

As Luke died at the end of The Last Jedi, he'll probably be a Force-ghost in this movie. And Leia will likely have a very minor role in this movie, and it will probably simply be a cameo appearance.

Now, who won't be coming back in this installment? Andy Serkis most likely won't reprise his role as Supreme Leader Snoke. For those of you who still think Snoke was wasted, Kylo Ren is the main antagonist of this trilogy.

So, sorry to all of you who thought Snoke would still be alive and was actually Mace Windu in disguise.

Also, I don't think Captain Phasma will be returning, either. We saw her get burned to death in The Last Jedi, and I don't want some bullcrap explanation for how she survived that.

Episode IX will be written by J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio, and directed by Abrams. Filming is scheduled to begin at Pinewood Studios in August, and the film will be released on December 15, 2019.

The score, once again, will be composed by John Williams, who has composed every SW episode since A New Hope.

Now, I'm slightly doubtful that Yoda will be returning for this film, but I'm not gonna abandon hope. Will Obi-Wan Kenobi be in this movie? Hell no. Unless they have some footage of Alec Guinness from before he died, I don't want to see Obi-Wan in this movie.

It would also be a pretty bad idea to have the prequel Obi-Wan Kenobi in this series, as none of these characters, not even Luke, have any real connection to Ewan McGregor's likeness.

Anyways, I cannot wait for this movie. I can't wait to see Force-ghost Luke, I can't wait to see Lando onscreen again, and I can't wait to see how they pay tribute to Leia in this movie.

Overall, I'd say my expectations are pretty damn high. MAKE ME PROUD, ABRAMS!!!