Rey's Return: A New Direction for Star Wars
Daisy Ridley is returning as Rey in an upcoming Star Wars movie, believed to be titled 'Star Wars: New Jedi Order.' At Star Wars Celebration 2023, Lucasfilm officially announced three upcoming Star Wars movies - including the return of Daisy Ridley at the forefront of what was billed as the 'New Jedi Order.'
Star Wars' Rey with the Jedi Council.
Ridley's character Rey was the main protagonist of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, which ended with her claiming the Skywalker surname. The other two movies announced at Star Wars Celebration are focused on the past of the Star Wars galaxy. Rey's story, however, is concerned with the future and will take the Star Wars franchise in a whole new direction.
Star Wars Movie Future Rey Mandalorian Grogu
Little has been confirmed about this project to date as is the same for Dave Filoni's The Mandalorian movie, with writing delayed by the writers' strike. That said, Ridley's return to Star Wars is expected to be the next movie to release theatrically, and here is everything Lucasfilm has confirmed to date.
Rey, Finn, and Poe in The Rise of Skywalker.
Twitter article posted by Rob Keyes
The Star Wars Timeline: New Jedi Order Setting
Star Wars: New Jedi Order is confirmed to take place later in the Star Wars timeline than any other announced project. It is set 15 years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which places the film's events in 50 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin) in the Star Wars timeline.
Daisy Ridley as Rey in Star Wars The Force Awakens in front of Millennium Falcon.
The placement of Star Wars: New Jedi Order is significant for Rey's return, as the sequel trilogy movie events took place across only one year. This will allow Daisy Ridley to play a 34/35-year-old Rey, which is much closer to the star's actual age.
Twitter article posted by Adam Driver Archive
The Story and Cast of New Jedi Order
Although 'New Jedi Order' is not confirmed as the title of Daisy Ridley's Star Wars movie, it is the name of this part of the timeline - which means Rey will be reforming the Jedi Order. According to Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy, this will see the Jedi in chaos as the galaxy tries to decide whether it needs the Order in the wake of decades of chaos and conflict.
Daisy Ridley herself has yet to see a script, but she signed up after being presented with a plot with the actress stating: 'I'm very excited. The story is really cool. I'm waiting to read a script because, obviously, I don't have any other updates. It's not what I expected, but I'm very excited.'
Daisy Ridley is the only confirmed cast member of Rey's next Star Wars movie. John Boyega and Oscar Isaac have both been more open to returning as Finn and Poe Dameron as more time has passed since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker meaning they could be back in some capacity. Based on where Rey's story was left with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's ending, more of BB-8, Chewbacca, and the Millennium Falcon can be expected.
One of the more commonly recurring rumors about Rey's Jedi Order movie is that Adam Driver will reprise his role as Ben Solo, likely as a Force ghost given his death at the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. However, Driver confirmed in December 2023 that he would not be part of the film on the Smartless podcast (via adamdriverarchv on Twitter/X). Driver stated: 'They're doing stuff, but not with me. I'm not doing any more.' This could be a misdirect from the actor, though it seems unlikely Ben Solo will be part of the cast of Rey's New Jedi Order film.
