19 movies we’re definitely looking forward to in 2019

LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 03: (L-R) Actors Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac and John Boyega attend the press conference for the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Last Jedi at InterContinental Los Angeles on December 3, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Disney )

2. Star Wars: Episode IX

The Last Jedi left many fans scratching their heads; Solo left many more outright unimpressed. But regardless of your feelings on the last two Star Wars movies, it’s almost impossible not to be excited for Episode IX, the third and final installment in the new Star Wars trilogy. The Last Jedi ends on the Resistance being shattered, but hopeful; Rey and Finn reunited; and Kylo Ren being a sourpuss. Now, for the last of the three movies, we get to find out how this story arc ends.

Of course, this will be far from the end of the Star Wars franchise for the foreseeable future, which may slightly undercut the emotional payoff of Episode IX. But no matter what other Star Wars movies are released in the near future, this is likely to be the last we see of Finn, Rey, and Poe for quite some time. With Kylo having declared himself Supreme Leader of the First Order, there’s certainly a lot that can go wrong for our heroes.

The question yet remains as to whether or not Kylo will get a redemption arc; The Last Jedi certainly flirts with the idea, though he sticks with the dark side in the end. And it has at last been confirmed that Mark Hamill will be returning as Luke Skywalker one last time, whether in flashbacks or as a Force ghost.

There’s really no information at all on what the plot will entail—Lucasfilm is being as secretive as ever—but ultimately it seems fair to assume that at long last the Resistance and the First Order will meet in combat. As the new movies continue to subvert the ideas of the old, it will be interesting to see how that final battle unfolds.