New ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy Confirmed to Continue the Skywalker Family Saga

Yes, we’ve known for a while that Luke, Leia and Han (and Chewie, and R2, and C-3PO) figure into Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and that it’s very likely that one of the new cast members is a part of the Skywalker family. But it’s been unclear if the rest of the trilogy will continue the Skywalker story or pass the legacy on to another heroic character. According to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, we can expect all three of the new films to be Skywalker-centric.

In an interview with Costco Connection (of all things!), Kennedy said, “The Saga films focus on the Skywalker family,” and went on to add, “The stories follow a linear narrative that connects to the previous six films. The Force Awakens follows Return of the Jedi and continues that generational story.”

The keyword here is “generational.” Director J.J. Abrams previously revealed that they’re deliberately keeping the last names of Finn (John Boyega) and Rey (Daisy Ridley) a secret for the time being. In addition, we recently learned that Adam Driver’s villain wasn’t born with the name Kylo Ren, but adopted it later.

The most recent teaser featured Finn wielding a lightsaber, but if the rumors we’ve heard are true, that was likely a bit of misdirection. And if Rey isn’t the daughter of Leia and Han Solo, then it would be pretty wild if Kylo Ren is actually a Skywalker who turned bad — and it wouldn’t be the first time that family has had issues.

As for the Anthology films, now given the subtitle “A Star Wars Story,” Kennedy says they will have more freedom to tell stories about other characters in the universe without being bound to the Skywalker saga.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18, followed by Star Wars: Rogue One on December 16, 2016.

25 Star Wars Easter Eggs in Other Movies and TV Shows