Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Newcomer Thinks Her Character Could Get a Spinoff

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker might have closed the journey of the Skywalker Saga, but it left the door open for a number of characters’ adventures to continue, with actress Naomi Ackie sharing that she thinks Jannah’s journey has the potential to be explored in another project. Given that the film concluded with Billy Dee Williams’ Lando offering to explore the galaxy with her in search of her family, seemingly setting up either a spinoff or hinting that Lando himself was somehow connected to her, learning more about Jannah seems inevitable. While Lucasfilm has yet to reveal what their next feature film might be, Jannah’s brief appearance in the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga just means there’s that much more material to explore in any medium.

“Jannah was a completely new character and I like the idea that the Star Wars universe is expanding,” Ackie shared with Digital Spy. “I think Jannah could get a spinoff. She has a really rich backstory that [director] J.J. [Abrams] told me about, and a future that we still don’t know about.”

With The Rise of Skywalker being the end of a more than 40-year journey, the film largely focused on familiar characters, though Jannah’s brief screen time managed to win over fans, thanks to her commanding screen presence and courageousness when facing the First Order. That bravery in the face of danger was also what excited Ackie about the part.

“Getting the Star Wars role was really surreal,” the actress revealed. “I loved playing Jannah because she’s strong and brave. She’s one of the first black female leads to enter the Star Wars universe in 41 years and I felt the importance of that. For me, it was about everything from having natural, textured hair to not being shy of talking about what more the industry needs to do.”

As it currently stands, Lucasfilm has secured release dates for three Star Wars films in December of 2022, December of 2024, and December of 2026, yet no clues have emerged about what these projects could be. Potentially complicating matters in the live-action feature-film department is the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has halted production on all movie projects for the foreseeable future.

The world of Star Wars TV, on the other hand, continues to expand. Two more seasons of The Mandalorian are on the way, as is a new series focusing on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story‘s Cassian Andor, a series focusing on Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a “female-centric” series from the co-creator of Netflix’s Russian Doll.

Stay tuned for details on the future of the Star Wars franchise.

Would you like to see more Jannah stories? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!