Daisy Ridley is getting ready to return to a galaxy far, far away! If you can believe it, it’s already been almost five years since Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker capped off the sequel trilogy. Now, the sprawling franchise is moving forward with a number of upcoming Star Wars projects, with one being a movie centered around the character of Rey. Ridley has shared (non-spoilery) details about her return to the role of the Jedi and, while discussing it during a recent chat, she revealed the “mourning” period she experienced after finishing her first three films.
The actress spoke to one of the hosts of our own ReelBlend Podcast, Jake Hamilton (for his YouTube channel Jake’s Takes), as she promotes her latest film, Young Woman and the Sea. When Jake asked her about how her current mindset regarding Rey compares to what it was when she left the character several years ago, the star said the following:
I mean, when I left it, honestly, I had a period of mourning. I had worked with a lot of the same people on three films for a significant part of my 20s. So, even aside from everything that Star Wars means – in a logistical way – spending that much time with people and then thinking, ‘Oh, there was a surety that I had in coming back to this and knowing where I was going to be.’ So that was sad, saying goodbye to the comfort of the familiar.
One can definitely understand why she’d feel those emotions after finishing up her initial tenure as Rey, who took on the surname Skywalker at the end of the 2019 movie. Not only was Daisy Ridley saying goodbye to the role, but she was also bidding farewell to a steady job she’d had for several years. So how does she feel now that a few years have passed? Well, she told Jake the following:
And then, over the past few years, a lot has changed for me. I’ve been able to do many different films and personally, I got married. I mean, I was 21 the first time around, so [I’m] coming back to it 10 years later. So I feel like it’s going to be a totally new adventure, and I’m looking forward to it. But I’m also enjoying this time right now.
‘I Don’t Have A Grand Plan’: Daisy Ridley Talks Her Post-Star Wars Roles, And Why Sometimes I Think About Dying Spoke To Her
As of late, the British actress has not only been starring in more projects outside the Star Wars universe, she’s been producing a lot more as well. In the past few years, she has starred and produced Sometimes I Think About Dying and Magpie. Some of her other upcoming movies include an action flick called Cleaner and a survival thriller titled We Bury The Dead. More immediately, Young Woman And The Sea sees her portray Gertrude Ederle, who became the first woman to swim across the English Channel. All in all, the sports biopic provides the actress with yet another opportunity to stretch her wings as a performer.
Of course, there’s still plenty of excitement surrounding her return to the George Lucas-birthed franchise. At Star Wars Celebration 2023, it was announced that Daisy Ridley would be back in a Rey movie of her own. Since, she has teased the movie by sharing that she’s awaiting a script and considering the challenges of stepping back into her iconic role. The movie, which is being directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, is said to take place 15 years from the events of The Rise of Skywalker and during a time at which the Jedi are in “disarray.” Apparently, Rey will also try to “rebuild the Jedi Order” as she promised Luke.
Daisy Ridley may have mourned the end of the first stage of her journey in the sci-fi franchise, but it sounds like she needed that time away from it all. Here’s hoping everything goes well as she prepares to don her lightsaber once more. The film is set to be released in 2026 but, in the meantime, check out Young Woman And The Sea, which hits theaters on May 31 as part of the 2024 movie schedule. The next Star Wars series, The Acolyte, premieres on Disney+ on June 4 as well!