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Spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
After decades of storytelling, Star Wars' Skywalker Saga finally came to an end with The Rise of Skywalker. J.J. Abrams was tasked with crafting a satisfying ending, and blockbuster covered a ton of ground narratively. All movies have some scenes that don't make it to the theatrical cut, including some Leia scenes that were deleted from Episode IX. Although a new rumored scene for Finn has some fans calling for Lucasfilm to "Release the J.J. Cut". Move over Snyder Cut, there's a new fan campaign on the internet.
The call for the J.J. Cut began partly due to some fans' dissatisfaction with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. But a series of rumors about the movie recently hit reddit, including an alleged deleted scene which saw Finn using The Force. As a result, some fans of the galaxy far, far away have taken to social media to call for a rumored 3-hour cut of Episode IX.
Fans have long theorized that Finn was Force Sensitive. He ended up being the Jedi red herring in The Force Awakens, as Rey was the one whose power was truly emerging. But he did wield a lightsaber twice throughout the course of that, surviving a duel with the far more experienced Kylo Ren. One rumored deleted scene, which comes from an anonymous source on Reddit, claims that Finn would have used the Force to unlock a door. What's more, another rumored claimed that Finn was trying to tell Rey about his connection to The Force during one point of the movie.
This possible scene where Finn has Force abilities is one of the biggest reasons behind the #ReleaseTheJJCut movement. Indeed, that hashtag is currently trending on Twitter, with plenty of fans putting their two cents in. But most of them are citing the same reddit post, which is unverified at this time. But given how much momentum the Snyder Cut movement has had recently, fans are feeling empowered to make their feelings known.
Star Wars fans can currently re-watch the Skywalker Saga on Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.
Another rumored scene in the reddit post was focused on Kylo Ren, and teased his eventual redemption. Some fans are calling for that scene to be released, as Adam Driver reportedly gave a stellar performance.
Now that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is in theaters, the cast and crew can finally speak to the movie's contents, or lack thereof. Oscar Isaac recently revealed that he pushed for Poe and Finn to be a romantic couple in the movie, before "Disney Overlords" shut it down. It was a romance shippers were theorizing about since The Force Awakens, and it looks like that's another reason why some moviegoers are hoping the J.J. Cut of Episode IX is released to the fandom. Check it out below.
In the reddit post alleging insider information regarding Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the main point is that Disney reportedly interfered with J.J. Abrams' vision for the blockbuster. The pressure was on, with the House of Mouse allegedly making Episode IX more neat, and including more fan service. But one of the most devastating comments is that the theatrical cut wasn't the same movie the cast/crew shot.
The Star Wars franchise continues to be a divisive one. The galaxy far, far away is deeply personal for the fans, having been passed down across generations and decades of filmmaking. We've seen how riled up the fans can be, with both the positive and negative. While The Last Jedi was the subject of backlash due to its subversive nature, The Child aka Baby Yoda has consistently since debuting on The Mandalorian.
It remains to be seen if the various points of that anonymous reddit post are legitimate. Although regardless of whether or not they're confirmed, it's clear that the fans are responding to those claims, with #ReleaseTheJJCut trending on social. But does the campaign have the same legs and passion as the Snyder Cut? Only time will tell.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
