Rey Skywalker actress Daisy Ridley has spoken exclusively with Screen Rant about her upcoming Star Wars movie at this year’s SXSW event, and it sounds like her future in Star Wars’ movies and TV shows is about to look very different. There are several upcoming Star Wars movies currently in the works, one of which is Rey’s new Star Wars movie, rumored to be titled Star Wars: New Jedi Order. Although details about the movie have been slow to come out, Ridley has provided some new insight into what her Star Wars future will hold.
Evidently, not only Rey but also Daisy Ridley have matured in between Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and New Jedi Order. Speaking exclusively to Screen Rant’s Liam Crowley during the We Bury The Dead SXSW suite interview, Ridley gave new details:
Liam Crowley: Yeah, all great stories set in this genre. It’s about the human beings behind it. Daisy, every time I’ve seen you in a movie, you’ve been front and center as the leading woman. Obviously, when you started on Star Wars, you were the lead of those three movies. Since that, you’ve still been leading, and you’ve had that experience to pull from. When you’re going back to that world now with your next Star Wars film, and you have films like We Bury the Dead and Clean Air, where it’s resting on your shoulders, you’re going into Star Wars again with a brand-new cast. So, what does it feel like to eventually go back to that world and be a leader without the Harrison Fords and Mark Hamills of the world?
Daisy Ridley: I don’t know that I ever really see myself as a leader because the whole is always greater than the sum of the parts. So, I’ve had the opportunity to inhabit amazing characters that have amazing stories and amazing arcs and an amazing emotional journey in whichever space that each film provides for that. I don’t know that I think about that so much. I think about creatively staying open and being collaborated with, and I always find it exciting to work with new people. So each film feels like a sort of new discovery in that way.
Crowley: As far as we know, you’re the only one returning.
Ridley: Well, yeah, I started off the youngest, and now, I won’t be. I’m an adult, and I would hope that, because I’ve also worked with people who have not been on film sets at all and knowing how overwhelming it can feel each time, I think we all just hope that the people coming in who are joining anything, whether it’s for the first time or the fifth time or a new project, that they feel as comfortable as possible.
Crowley: Does this story this time around, does it feel as grand as the sequel trilogy? Are we getting a little bit more intimate?
Ridley: We shall see.
Ridley and Rey were both quite young when the sequel trilogy began with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but in the decade since, both the actor and the character have gained more experience and confidence.
Daisy Ridley Is The Experienced Star Wars Actor Now… & She’ll Be Mentoring The Future’s Heroes
Ridley’s Role Will Look Different From The Sequel Trilogy On And Off The Screen
In her interview with Screen Rant, Ridley spoke about how she was the young one on set while filming the sequels, and how that will no longer be the case when she begins working on this new movie. Now, she will be the experienced actor with years of working on Star Wars movies under her belt, and, as is pointed out in the interview as well, myriad other movies Ridley has been in since. This transformation for Ridley will be mirrored in the growth of her character, Rey, in New Jedi Order.
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As the title New Jedi Order suggests, Rey is very likely to be a mentor and even the founder of a brand-new Jedi Order. This is a massive undertaking, but there’s little concern about Rey being ready for it. New Jedi Order will be set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker in the Star Wars timeline. Not only will this mean Rey has gotten more than a decade of experience growing her strength in the Force, but also, Rey was trained by Luke and Leia themselves. No one is better positioned to take on this role.
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We Can’t Wait To See Where This Story Goes Next
There’s been plenty of discourse already about audiences not wanting to see this movie come out, but my excitement about seeing where Rey’s Star Wars story goes next is easily drowning it out. The Skywalker Saga officially ended with The Rise of Skywalker, and New Jedi Order will be the furthest point in the Star Wars timeline we’ve seen so far. This will truly be a new age in the franchise, and I personally can’t wait to see what that entails.
It’s also more than time for Star Wars to have a new Jedi Order. Yes, not getting to see Luke’s Temple at its height was a disappointment, but I’ll never bemoan watching the Jedi flourish, especially not decades after we’ve gotten to see a full-fledged Order. Daisy Ridley’s comments about New Jedi Order at SXSW are thrilling, and I am anxiously awaiting the next step of her Star Wars journey.