Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. While The Rise of Skywalker, which had many problems, was described as the end of the Skywalker saga, the next Star Wars movie will continue the story of Rey, who has now taken the Skywalker name. Though a Star Wars Episode 10 is not happening, the Star Wars sequels will be revisited.
After years with no solid updates on the next Star Wars movies, Lucasfilm has revealed its plans for the theatrical side of the franchise during Star Wars Celebration 2023. That includes Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Star Wars movie, which will pick up from where The Rise of Skywalker left off. Despite the confirmed time jump, Star Wars is officially continuing the sequel trilogy with a brand new project.
Rey Will Return In A New Star Wars Movie
Daisy Ridley will reprise her role as Rey in Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Star Wars movie. The next Star Wars film will take place 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker, and it will see Rey building a new Jedi Order. Daisy Ridley first portrayed Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and later returned for Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Initially said to be a nobody who left Jakku to answer the hero’s call and the Resistance, Rey was revealed to be a Palpatine. Despite The Rise of Skywalker’s problems, Rey’s return to Star Wars is exciting.
The fact that Daisy Ridley will return as Rey in Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Star Wars movie is unprecedented news for the saga, as neither Mark Hamill nor Hayden Christensen immediately reprised their roles after their respective trilogies. Mark Hamill played Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars movie and reprised the role three decades later for The Force Awakens. Hayden Christensen played Anakin Skywalker in the final two entries of the Star Wars prequels and only returned as Darth Vader 17 years later for Obi-Wan Kenobi. Star Wars is, fortunately, breaking that trend by bringing the sequel trilogy heroine less than four years after The Rise of Skywalker.
Why Star Wars Is Bringing Back Rey When Rise Of Skywalker Was So Bad
Though the Star Wars sequels were flawed, just like the original and the prequels had been, The Rise of Skywalker was disappointing on many levels. The Last Jedi premiered to highly divisive reactions in what was arguably the most controversial Star Wars movie ever released, which was both good and bad for The Rise of Skywalker. On one hand, the final entry in the Star Wars sequel trilogy could play safe after The Last Jedi’s risky creative decisions. On the other, The Rise of Skywalker risked feeling like one major retcon rather than its own story, which it unfortunately did.
That said, The Rise of Skywalker still grossed more than a billion at the box office, and while it was the lowest-grossing film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, it certainly did not kill the chances for more of those characters. At a time when interconnectivity and connections are central in the making of successful franchises, Star Wars could not simply ignore its three most recent movies when shaping the future of the saga. Daisy Ridley’s Rey, as well as the other Star Wars sequel characters, have left their mark on the franchise already, and their potential returns will naturally increase the anticipation for the next Star Wars movie.
Rey's Return Could Be Good For Star Wars' Future
Ignoring the Star Wars sequels would perhaps be Lucasfilm’s biggest mistake with the franchise, as the last ten years of the saga would have been for nothing. In addition, Star Wars now has the chance to break its annoying trend of moving away completely from a trilogy after it is done, which has caused the franchise to be distant from live-action versions of icons like Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Obi-Wan Kenobi for too long in the past. Essentially, Star Wars should not wait 30 years to bring Daisy Ridley back as Rey in a Star Wars movie.
Daisy Ridley’s return as Rey also means that other Star Wars sequel characters can make their comebacks, although no other casting announcements for Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Star Wars movie have been made. There is also no confirmation of whether the next Star Wars movie is being envisioned as the beginning of a new trilogy, which is also good news for Star Wars’ future. Not every major Star Wars movie should be part of a trilogy, and the post-Skywalker saga era is the perfect time to experiment with new formats for the franchise. Rey’s return to Star Wars improves Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’s ending and sets up an exciting future.
