Naomi Ackie, who played stormtrooper-turned-freedom-fighter Jannah in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, would be open to reprising the role in the upcoming New Jedi Order movie. While at the Sundance Film Festival to promote her new film Sorry, Baby, Ackie spoke with Screen Rant and discussed her possible future in the Star Wars franchise, enthusiastically stating she would await Lucasfilm’s call. “Ask them,” the actress said, referencing the studio. “Star Wars, get it together! … I get a call, we’ll see what happens, I’ll see if I’m free!”
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Announced during Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023, New Jedi Order is a standalone film set 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. Daisy Ridley reprises her role of Rey, who will spearhead a new era for the Jedi Order. Over the past couple of years, the project has encountered hurdles behind-the-scenes, cycling through numerous writers. Recently, The Bourne Ultimatum co-writer George Nolfi signed on to pen the script, taking over for Steven Knight. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is attached to direct New Jedi Order, which does not have a release date yet.
Ackie debuted as Jannah in The Rise of Skywalker, playing a minor supporting role. Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron meet her on Kef Bir while seeking the Sith wayfinder. The film reveals Jannah was part of the First Order before defecting; she and her company join forces with the Resistance and participate at the Battle of Exegol. At the end of The Rise of Skywalker, Jannah is seemingly set to embark with Lando Calrissian on a mission to find her lost family.
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Assuming New Jedi Order remains on track, it is unknown when it would begin production. The next Star Wars movie scheduled to hit theaters is Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian & Grogu, premiering in May 2026. After that, the expectation is Shawn Levy’s untitled standalone Star Wars film will follow. Ryan Gosling is in talks to star in that project, which could begin shooting as early as this fall.
The Rise of Skywalker hints that Jannah has Jedi potential. The story behind her defection is similar to what happened to Finn, who is confirmed to be Force-sensitive. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be far-fetched if Jannah became a student at Rey’s temple, learning how to tap into the Force’s power and make the most of her abilities. After the character didn’t have much screen time in The Rise of Skywalker, this could be an intriguing way to flesh Jannah out as she takes the next step on her journey. If John Boyega is up for reprising Finn in New Jedi Order, perhaps the movie could also dive deeper into their dynamic, shedding more light on their shared history.
Of course, this all depends on how the New Jedi Order script develops and if there’s a place for Jannah or other Rise of Skywalker characters in the story. The extended time jump leaves open the possibility that Rey and her companions have gone their separate ways in the years after the war; maybe Jannah found her family and opted to stay with them. It’ll be interesting to see how things unfold from here. At one point, Lucasfilm was said to be considering a bevy of different projects starring Rey, so if New Jedi Order loses momentum, the studio could turn to another option and Jannah might appear there instead.
