Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Writer Dodges Questions About Wedge Antilles Appearing in the Sequel

It should come as no surprise when the Star Wars franchise makes a point to bring back familiar faces with each new installment. The upcoming Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will see the return of Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian plus none other than Ian McDiarmid as The Emperor. Earlier this year, a rumor began to circulate that another notable character from the original films would return with Denis Lawson reportedly returning as pilot Wedge Antilles, having previously appeared in the three films of the original trilogy. Though still unconfirmed, it’s seeming more and more likely given a recent interview with one of the creatives behind the film that he could be back.

Speaking with Uproxx about the sequel, co-writer Chris Terrio opened up about the process of actually writing lines for the characters in the film, the kind of characters that are legends to those now making the movies. When pressed about whether one of the words that he wrote in the screenplay was “Wedge,” Terrio expertly dodged the question with Abrams like precision.

“I cannot answer that. Although, I’d love to speak to you after the film comes out about that very question. Unless you’re asking, ‘Can you wedge the ship between those other two ships?’”

Wedge made his debut Star Wars: A New Hope and is one of the only Rebel Alliance pilots to appear in all three original trilogy films. Additionally, Wedge appeared in the animated Star Wars Rebels and various other novels set after the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. His appearance in The Rise of Skywalker was first rumored after his likeness appeared on the cover of the Spanish version of the upcoming novel of the novel Star Wars: Resistance Reborn, set immediately after the events of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

In the new novel, per the publisher’s website, “The Resistance is in ruins. In the wake of their harrowing escape from Crait, what was once an army has been reduced to a handful of wounded heroes. Finn, Poe, Rey, Rose, Chewbacca, Leia Organa—their names are famous among the oppressed worlds they fight to liberate. But names can only get you so far, and Leia’s last desperate call for aid has gone unanswered.”

The upcoming film is set to conclude not only the sequel trilogy of films, but the entire Skywalker Saga that kicked off with A New Hope in 1977. Since this new trilogy began in 2015 with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, former Rebels have popped up, such as Nien Nunb and Admiral Ackbar. It won’t come as too much of a surprise that Lawson would make his return, as he previously claimed Lucasfilm had already approached him about a role back in 2014.

It’s unclear what type of role Wedge would have served in that 2015 sequel, other than appearing amongst fellow Rebels, with the dwindling resources of the Resistance possibly allowing Wedge a larger role in the upcoming film, potentially offering him a more exciting opportunity.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker lands in theaters on December 20th.