New Star Wars Rumor Reveals Lucasfilm’s Future Movies Hinge on Rey

Rey will reportedly be integral to future Star Wars movies that are in development. Per The Hollywood Reporter, as Lucasfilm plots out a course for the franchise’s next slate of films, the one thing they seem to be set on is bringing Rey back. The character is said to be a part of “several movies” that are being considered, which include the “New Jedi Order” movie that was revealed at Star Wars Celebration 2023 and the recently announced trilogy from writer/producer Simon Kinberg.

An unnamed source told the outlet, “[Rey] is the most valuable cinematic asset, in some ways maybe the only one, Star Wars has right now.” One thing Lucasfilm needs to figure out is if they are going to move forward with a continuation of the Skywalker Saga (which concluded with 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) or produce standalone franchise movies.

Daisy Ridley portrayed Rey in all three installments of the Skywalker Saga’s sequel trilogy, making her debut in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The films chronicle her transformation from orphaned desert scavenger to Jedi Knight as Rey discovers her connection to the Force and learns from classic heroes like Luke Skywalker. While the sequel trilogy’s overall narrative proved to be very divisive (with Rey’s familial ties to Emperor Palpatine a particular point of contention), the character herself became a popular figure amongst the fan base thanks to Ridley’s earnest performance.

[Related: Is the Rey Skywalker Movie Still Happening? (And Should It?)]

Rey’s return to the big screen has been in the cards for a while now. The aforementioned New Jedi Order movie (which is said to take place 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker and follow Rey as she teaches a new generation of Force users) was one of three cinematic projects Lucasfilm unveiled at last year’s Star Wars Celebration London. Unfortunately, things have not gone smoothly during development. Back in October, the film lost yet another writer when Steven Knight became the latest scribe to drop out. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy remains attached as director.

Lucasfilm is at a bit of a crossroads regarding upcoming Star Wars movies. Of the bevy of projects that have been announced post-Rise of Skywalker, only Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian & Grogu has amounted into anything tangible, already wrapping production well ahead of its May 2026 release date. That film should be a hit when it comes out, but the future beyond that is very cloudy. As Lucasfilm looks to generate excitement for the next wave of Star Wars movies, building a new series around Rey seems like a logical decision. She’s a character audiences are familiar with, and all three sequel trilogy films grossed over $1 billion at the box office. Disney is looking to employ a “less is more” approach for their big properties, prioritizing quality over quantity. A new Star Wars movie needs to feel like an event, and getting fans buzzing about what’s next for Rey could do that.

The polarizing responses to the sequel trilogy would theoretically be reason for Lucasfilm to leave the Skywalker Saga and its related characters behind and move forward with an entirely new story, but that isn’t guaranteed to work either. What’s more, Ridley has encountered fans who are interested in seeing her return, suggesting that time may have healed some of the wounds of Rise of Skywalker (similar to how the prequels are now viewed more favorably). With the studio struggling to get some momentum going on movie side, it sounds like Rey might be their best hope for a fruitful future.