There had been persistent rumors that Daisy Ridley might be in talks to return as Star Wars sequel trilogy lead Rey "Skywalker" for a future project set in the galaxy far, far away, and the news was finally confirmed during Star Wars Celebration London around this time last year.
Ridley will reprise her role for director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's movie, which will be set a whole fifteen years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. Plot details are still mostly under wraps, but we do know that Rey will be a "powerful Jedi master" running her own training academy when we catch up with her.
While speaking to Empire, Ridley discussed her return and explained why she agreed to play Rey again after the divisive reaction to The Rise of Skywalker.
“I suppose I feel more like I’m owning it. I suppose I owned it the first time. Basically, I’m an adult now. I certainly did not feel like an adult at the time. Obviously, personally, things have changed, and professionally, I’ve had lots of other experiences, and so I definitely feel like it’s a different thing this time. There’s just a lot of joy with me and these films. Honestly, if I wasn’t excited, I wouldn’t have done it. It feels like a great thing to be a part of.”
The Rise of Skywalker was a moderate box office hit, but it was the worst-reviewed film of the sequel trilogy, and you'd be hard pushed to find a Star Wars fan who would rate it particularly highly! For many, the movie was so disappointing that it tarnished the entire trilogy.
With this in mind, was returning to the franchise a difficult decision for Ridley?
“It wasn’t,” she says. “I didn’t say yes right away, Kathy [Kennedy] was like, ‘Take as long as you need.’” Not that it took that long to say yes. “Why wouldn’t I [do it]? Yes, they have been divisive, but also they bring a lot of love and joy to a lot of people. It feels pretty amazing to be able to continue a character – like, can I even remember how to play her? It’s an interesting challenge as an actor to come back to something and try to figure out what’s changed for me and what’s changed for her.”
The Rey-focused Star Wars movie is still untitled, but both "A New Beginning" and "New Jedi Order" have been rumored.
Production is expected to begin in the UK later this year. A recent rumor claimed that casting is currently underway for Rey's two Jedi apprentices (possibly her children) and an unnamed villain. We're still not sure if Rey will be the only sequel trilogy character to appear.