Star Wars 9 trailer and title: JJAbrams reveals 'Greatest EVIL' – Is it Palpatine?

After 16 months of waiting and wondering, fans finally got their first proper news about The Last Jedi sequel. Episode IX will bring the entire Skywalker triple-trilogy home and expectations are sky high. Star Wars 9 director JJ Abrams and Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy took to the main stage, hosted by superfan Stephen Colbert. Early on, Abrams immediately revealed what faces the remaining heroes and “the greatest evil.” 

Abrams said: “In addition to being the end of three trilogies it needs to work as its own movie. That’s been part of the fun of it and the challenge of it.

“This movie is about the new generation and what they’ve inherited the light and the dark and asking the question, as they face the greatest evil, ‘Are they ready?'”

But what is the greatest evil, Colbert immediately asked?

Is it Kylo Ren?. Are Darth Grievous or Darth Sidious somehow coming back? 

Unsurprisingly, Abrams and Kennedy ducked the question.

But does this really mean that Kylo Ren is going darker than anyone ever imagined?

There have been leaked rumours about some new creature who summons Kylo to a swamp planet. Is this a hidden villain who has been manipulating everything? 

Palpatine had sensed something evil and very powerful somewhere out in the Unknown Regions. Will Episode IX finally reveal what or who it is?

The main panel kicked off today at 11am local time in Chicago, 5pm in the UK.

Fans were left wondering why Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill wasn’t there.

The actor tweeted his apologies: “I’m deeply disappointed I can’t be a part of @SW_Celebration… Recording voice-over for: Dark Crystal prequel, Child’s @ChildsPlayMovie, Scooby Doo, then flyng to NYC to do press for @KnightfallShow on Seth Myers & Live with Kelly & Ryan on Tuesday 4/16.”

STAR WARS 9 IS OUT ON DECEMBER 20