A few years after seemingly bringing her time in the franchise to a close, Daisy Ridley is offering some advice to future female Star Wars actors. Ridley rose to international stardom with her work in the Lucasfilm franchise as Rey, the main protagonist of the sequel trilogy who tries to restore peace to the galaxy by putting a stop to Kylo Ren and the First Order while also learn of her mysterious family origins, of which she learns she was the descendant of Emperor Palpatine. Though she would garner rave reviews for her performance in the films, the Star Wars sequel trilogy was memorably met with much division among audiences.
While speaking with Variety to discuss the Sundance premiere of her new film Sometimes I Think About Dying, Ridley reflected on her time working in a galaxy far, far away. Asked whether she has any advice for future female Star Wars actors, the former Rey performer expressed the need to “tune out” fan backlash and her confidence in the franchise’s future. See hat Ridley shared below:
The world is a crazy place. It’s important to tune out the stuff. Not just with ‘Star Wars,’ but with everything, you try and be in the moment and enjoy what it is because life moves quickly. Amandla Stenberg can handle herself. She’s been working for a long time. I sat next to someone at the ‘Wakanda Forever’ premiere, an executive, and they said [‘The Acolyte’] is amazing. Everyone knows how things are and how they can be. We’re all living in that, with people saying more than they need to and commenting more than they need to. It’s so individual. Find the good in it all and enjoy it.
Will Daisy Ridley Return To Star Wars?
Ridley wasn’t the only sequel trilogy actor to be at the center of online harassment from toxic Star Wars fans, with Kelly Marie Tran and John Boyega being targeted by a number of racist backlash in addition to general toxicity. Despite this division, many audiences have remained intrigued at the possibility of a Rey return to the Star Wars franchise in the future. Ridley herself has remained fairly coy about her potentially journeying back to a galaxy far, far away, previously teasing that she would “always be Rey” while also noting that she felt Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker gave her character a fitting finale as she buried the Skywalker lightsabers at Luke’s childhood home.
Interestingly, Ridley sparked major Star Wars return speculation this past December when she revealed she had enjoyed a lunch at Lucasfilm HQ, though she did note in her social media posts that there was “nothing saucy happening.” Considering 2020’s The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special did act as a sequel to the sequel trilogy and saw Rey attempting to continue the Jedi Order by training Finn in the ways of the Jedi, there is clearly a path forward for the character to continue in the franchise should Lucasfilm look to expand the franchise past the sequel trilogy. While neither Ridley nor Boyega reprised their roles for the Disney+ special, their characters remain alive and well in audiences’ hearts for more consistent Star Wars stories in the future.
Everything We Know About Star Wars’ Future
Even if Daisy Ridley were never to return to the fold, the future is looking bright for the Star Wars franchise, especially in regard to its female stars and characters. In addition to the Disney+ series mentioned by Ridley, the Amandla Stenberg-led The Acolyte, production is currently underway on Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka series and Wonder Woman vet Patty Jenkins is developing a Rogue Squadron movie, most recently confirming work was still underway after it was nearly put on the backburner. While audiences wait to see what comes next from the franchise, and Ridley’s potential return, they can revisit her Star Wars tenure available to stream on Disney+ now.
Source: Variety