I already have concerns that Kinberg's trilogy will be an insult to Rey if the movies are Episodes 10-12 and center on brand-new characters. Even if Rey was included in the trilogy in some capacity, this would effectively push Rey out of the Skywalker Saga just as Star Wars is entering a new era. Now, additional insight into precisely what Rey's role could be in this trilogy has me more concerned than ever that Star Wars might do a great disservice to Rey Skywalker and Daisy Ridley.
Rey Is Rumored To Take On An "Obi-Wan Role" In Future Star Wars Projects
Rey's Star Wars Future Remains Up In The Air
Rumor has it, Rey is expected to take on an 'Obi-Wan Kenobi role' in the Star Wars trilogy. Assuming this description references Obi-Wan's character in A New Hope, this would mean Rey being a ing character in the new trilogy rather than the focus. For multiple reasons, I believe this would be entirely the wrong choice for Star Wars.
Unquestionably, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was largely unpopular, with many still considering it one of Star Wars' worst movies. This came on the heels of the sequel trilogy being highly criticized and changing hands multiple times. Despite that poor reception (and attacks on both Rey and Ridley), Rey is a character with incredible potential. For one, Rey has adopted the last name Skywalker, making her the continuation of the Skywalker legacy.
Rey also holds the future of the Jedi in her hands.
Rey also holds the future of the Jedi in her hands, as she seems to be the last surviving Jedi who has been formally trained, although the whereabouts of characters like Ezra Bridger, Ahsoka Tano, and Sabine Wren remain unknown during this time. This is why Rey's Star Wars movie, rumored to be titled Star Wars: New Jedi Order, made so much sense. Presumably, Rey would be starting her own Jedi Order, taking on the role of Jedi Master and rebuilding the Jedi to be something close to what they had once been.
With news of this new Star Wars trilogy, however, the future of Rey's Star Wars movie is now in question. New Jedi Order has been slow to make progress, with Ridley repeatedly revealing she had yet to see a script and writer Steven Knight walking away from the project for unknown reasons. This makes me all the more concerned that this trilogy could be New Jedi Order's replacement and that, rather than a Rey Skywalker-led film, the trilogy will sideline Rey in the role of older Jedi mentor.
Star Wars: New Jedi Order - Cast, Story, Timeline & Everything We Know
Rey's Star Wars return is happening in Star Wars: New Jedi Order. Here's what is known about the story, cast, and release of Daisy Ridley's film.
Rey Deserves To Be So Much More Than This
Rey Has Just Become A Full-Fledged Jedi—We Need To See That Story
The Rise of Skywalker, however controversial, saw Rey at the height of her power. Whatever Star Wars story comes next for Rey should build upon this momentum, not cut it short. The conclusion of The Rise of Skywalker also left Rey clearly on the precipice of her true beginning as a Jedi. It would be a massive missed opportunity for Star Wars to never reveal what these next steps involved or to skip over Rey's time as a Jedi Master establishing an Order.
Whatever Star Wars story comes next for Rey should build upon this momentum, not cut it short.
Despite some complaints to the contrary, the sequel trilogy was also not really Rey's time to shine. Yes, Rey was the protagonist of the sequels (or at least one of the protagonists), but the movies felt deeply embedded in nostalgia for the original trilogy. After all, one of the biggest complaints about the sequels, especially Star Wars: The Force Awakens, was how extensive the similarities with the original trilogy were. This bled into the storylines for all the sequel trilogy characters, Rey certainly among them.
The sequels also saw Rey on a mission to uncover the truth about her identity and come into her own, which came to a head when Rey learned she was a descendant of the most notorious villain in all Star Wars movies and TV shows. A new movie or trilogy featuring Rey as the star could focus on her character individually rather than how she connects to the various Star Wars characters who came before her. Yet again, this is what was so promising about New Jedi Order; it was going to be a truly fresh start for Rey.
It remains to be seen how Star Wars will grapple with the contradiction of the Skywalker Saga being 'over' and Rey taking on the last name Skywalker.
Rey's New Jedi Order Movies Are A Chance To See A Jedi Leader
Star Wars Risks Repeating The Same Mistakes
New Jedi Order also suggested that Star Wars audiences were finally going to get to see a new Jedi leader long after the Jedi Order fell in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. If Star Wars instead replaces New Jedi Order with Kinberg's trilogy and moves Rey out of the spotlight, this trilogy will be repeating one of the worst mistakes of the sequel trilogy. One of the biggest problems with the Star Wars sequels was the treatment of the original trilogy heroes, especially Luke Skywalker.
He, too, took on the Obi-Wan role, becoming Rey's mentor but never getting to shine as a Jedi Master at the helm of a brand-new Order.
Rather than the Jedi hero many expected him to be following the conclusion of Return of the Jedi (and in light of Legends novels), Luke appeared at the very end of The Force Awakens as essentially a hermit who had lost all faith in the Jedi and the galaxy and who had abandoned those who needed him. He, too, took on the Obi-Wan role, becoming Rey's mentor but never getting to shine as a Jedi Master at the helm of a brand-new Order. This was criticized for good reason.
Star Wars had entirely wasted the opportunity to restore the Jedi Order and feature Luke as the powerful, wise Jedi Master he deserved to be. All signs currently point to history repeating itself in Star Wars' new trilogy, which would be bad news. I'm not operating under the assumption that the fanfare around Rey's return will be nearly as intense as the fanfare was for Luke, because that belief would simply be unreasonable. Luke was the star of the entire franchise, and, for decades, audiences awaited his return.
Even so, if this new trilogy is going to cast Rey in the role of an older Jedi mentor, it will be yet another version of this story. This will be made even worse if the trilogy is indeed Episodes 10-12, which remains to be seen. While the fanbase is still very divided about the sequels, I sincerely hope that this new Star Wars trilogy does Rey Skywalker justice.
