Filmmaker Kevin Smith is a massive fan of Star Wars and also has many connections in Hollywood, allowing him to not only theorize about the saga, but also have access to those involved with creating films. Smith recalled how he heard one theory about the identity of Rey’s mom that was so shocking to him that he was compelled to contact Star Wars: Episode IX director JJ Abrams about it.
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“We were talking about [Star Wars: The] Clone Wars coming back and I said to him, ‘I got a theory that that’s the way to start introducing Ahsoka slowly into the live-action movies by bringing her back prominently in the cartoon,’” Smith recalled on his Fatman on Batman podcast about discussing the saga with a colleague. “Because now that they don’t have Princess Leia stories to tell, they need another strong female character in the universe and Ahsoka’s been there for years, much beloved, just isn’t in the movies.”
He continued, “So I was like, ‘I think maybe they’re doing that so they can slowly bring her into the movies.’ And then Brian [Volk–Weiss] blows my f-ckin’ mind by going, ‘Maybe that’s who Keri Russell‘s playing?’ and then I said, ‘What the f-ck, man?! I wanna see your version of Star Wars!’ Then I was like, ‘No, that can’t be it, I think Keri Russell probably plays Rey’s mom,’ and then he f-ckin’ drops the bomb and he goes, ‘What if it’s the same person?’”
Since the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which was directed by Abrams, audiences wondered who Rey’s parents could have been, as it was her quest to find them that motivated much of her journey. In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, writer/director Rian Johnson detailed that Rey’s parents were nobodies, crushing many theories fans had developed about Rey’s connection to characters previously featured in the saga.
With Russell’s character yet to be confirmed, Smith was far from the first person to theorize she could be playing a version of Rey’s mom, though the filmmaker saw a huge opportunity to connect Rey to an unexpected Jedi who debuted in the animated series.
“So, instantly, I wrote to JJ Abrams, ‘You must do this.’ Could you imagine? That would be f-ckin’ wild,” Smith joked. “I don’t think it is, but that was one of the greatest fan theories I’ve ever heard about. Wouldn’t that be hot? Not only is Ahsoka in these movies but she’s f-ckin’ Rey’s mom! And somewhere, Rian Johnson’s like, ‘What the f-ck?! I said no! I said they were trash!’”
It’s possible that the final film in the Skywalker Saga could potentially reveal that Rey’s parents were Jedi who fell on dark times and became “nobodies” by the time they became Rey’s parents and ultimately abandoned her on Jakku.
Fans will have their theories answered when Episode IX lands in theaters in December of 2019.
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[H/T YouTube, Kevin Smith]
