When The Rise of Skywalker ended the Skywalker Saga era of the Star Wars movies in order in 2019, it seemed as though that’d be the last we’d see of characters like Daisy Ridley’s Rey, John Boyega’s Finn and Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron. Well, not so in Rey’s case, as it was announced last year that Ridley will return to a galaxy far, far away in an upcoming Star Wars movie centered on her character 15 years after Episode IX. Ridley knew this new Star Wars movie was something she “wanted to do” right away, but it will also entail her taking a “different” approach compared to when she started on the Sequel Trilogy.
In the midst of drawing attention in recent months for her roles in The Marsh King’s Daughter and the 2024 movie release Sometimes I Think About Dying, as well as soon being seen in Young Woman and the Sea, Ridley has been giving a lot of thought to how she’ll be performing Rey this time around, and this time she’s “coming in a bit more eyes wide open.” As the actress told Empire:
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.
You have to remember that when Daisy Ridley was cast as Rey for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, she’d only been acting for a few years, with her credits being comprised of minor roles in British TV shows like Mr. Selfridge and Casualty, short films and the movie Scrawl, although that wasn’t even released to the public until 2019. So Episode VII essentially marked her feature film debut, and at just 22 years old when it began filming, it’s no wonder she didn’t feel like an adult then. But since then, along with shooting two other Star Wars movies, Ridley has expanded her resume with fare like Murder on the Orient Express, Ophelia and Chaos Walking.
So it’s understandable that being in a much different place in her professional life now will require Ridley to approach playing Rey different, and that’s not even accounting for how this Star Wars movie will follow the character constructing the new Jedi Order (although that doesn’t sound like it’s a plot point 100% set in stone). But as we approach the 10-year anniversary of the actress’ Star Wars debut, she still has a lot of affection for the franchise, saying:
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.
Aside from Daisy Ridley’s involvement, all we officially know about this still-to-be-titled Star Wars movie is that it’s being directed by Ms. Marvel’s Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and written by Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight. In January, Ridley said she didn’t know if any other Sequel Trilogy characters will appear in the flick, and we also have no idea when it will even be released. Currently the only Star Wars movie on the theatrical calendar is The Mandalorian & Grogu slated for May 22, 2026, so it may be a while until more concrete updates on this project’s status come rolling in.
For now though, a Disney+ subscription is required for streaming the released Star Wars movies and staying current on the franchise’s TV offerings. Next up on the franchise’s lineup is Tales of The Empire, which dropped its first trailer and premieres May 4.