Is Episode IX the last for Daisy Ridley? It sure sounds that way! The actress, who first joined the Star Wars family as Rey in 2015’s The Force Awakens, opened up in a new interview about the future of her character in the franchise.
Disney recently revealed they have many more Star Wars films coming every other year until 2027, but that doesn’t mean Rey will appear. In fact, Ridley, 27, “can’t actually imagine” doing more, she told Vulture.
“The ending to Rise of the Skywalker, it’s very satisfying. It felt like an end,” the Murder on the Orient Express star said. “I don’t know what’ll happen in however many years. There are so many characters in the Star Wars world who’ve never been explored. There’s so much for the filmmakers to work on. So right now, I don’t think so. But who could say, really? An opportunity might present itself.”
She then quipped: “I love how the movie hasn’t come out and people are like, ‘What about going forward?’ Right now, it feels like a really nice full stop on the Skywalker series.”
During Star Wars Celebration in April, director J.J. Abrams gave a few details about the upcoming film, which will feature Princess Leia, despite Carrie Fisher’s 2016 death. The film will include unused footage of Leia from The Force Awakens – some of which are shown in the trailer. In one moment, Leia appears to hug Rey, who has tears in her eyes. The scene was compiled by different footage, but Ridley remembers the moment that she was hugging Fisher.
“It’s not a million miles away from what this scene is. It was very sad,” the U.K. native shared. “I found it very moving to watch it, because I do remember the original. And it’s a strange thing to do, for someone that’s not around anymore to be brought back to life. It’s eerie that it resonates so much with what the story is this time. It’s pretty amazing.”
While emotional, Ridley also laughed when remembering what Fisher told her during their embrace: “She was actually whispering, ‘This is a f—king long hug.’ I was trying to do my acting, like, ‘Oh, my God, Carrie!’ There wasn’t any discussion about what we were gonna do.”
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will hit theaters December 20, 2019.
