Natalie Portman Reveals She's Open to Star Wars Return as Padmé Amidala

Star Wars actress Natalie Portman admits she'd be open to returning to the franchise as Padmé Amidala. Portman portrayed the Queen of Naboo in the three Star Wars prequel films: 1999's Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, 2002's Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, and 2005's Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Unfortunately, Padmé died giving birth to both Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, but as we've seen previously, death won't stop Lucasfilm from bringing a beloved character back. Just look at Hayden Christensen in the Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Disney+ shows. But when it comes to a Padmé return, Portman is keeping an open mind.

Natalie Portman was a guest on What Happens Live in promotion of her new Netflix drama May December, where the Star Wars topic was brought up. She told host Andy Cohen that "no one has asked" her about a return to Star Wars, but "I'm open to it." When discussing work on the prequel films, she added, "It was the first time I worked digitally. I don't think anyone was shooting that way then. It was my first time working with a green screen. It was a whole new set of skills to pick up and a whole new world to enter."

Natalie Portman recalls Taika Waititi forgetting she was in Star Wars

Future Star Wars director Taika Waititi forgot that Natalie Portman was already a member of the Star Wars family when he invited her to star in his upcoming film. Portman and Waititi worked together in Thor: Love and Thunder, where Waititi asked Portman about her interest in a Star Wars appearance. "Natalie said to me, what do you do next? And I said 'I'm trying to work on a Star Wars thing," Waititi told Rolling Stone back in 2022. "Have you ever wanted to be in a Star Wars movie?' She said, 'I've been in Star Wars movies,' I forgot about those ones."

According to Waititi, some Star Wars fans may get upset with him over his movie. "It will be … dramatic pause… a Taika Waititi film," the filmmaker told Variety at the premiere of Searchlight's Next Goal Wins. "It's gonna piss people off."

Waititi's untitled Star Wars film is one of the many long-gestating projects at Lucasfilm, though it's still in development unlike the project once rumored to be produced by Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige.

"I've got a really good idea for it," Waititi told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes began. "It's just as with all films, it's this middle part. You're like, 'What's going to happen?' And then you look at all of those films that are so great, you're like, 'Well, I guess they can't meet some smuggler with an alien sidekick.'"