Actress Daisy Ridley played the Jedi Rey in 2015’s “The Force Awakens.” Although many fans felt that the first film in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy, directed by J.J. Abrams, played it relatively safe, 2017’s “The Last Jedi,” directed by Rian Johnson, was much more divisive. Colin Trevorrow left the third installment due to creative differences, leading Abrams to return for 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” which course-corrected so hard from Johnson’s film that it failed to satisfy anyone. While it remains unclear what the franchise will look like going forward, Ridley’s old comments about the podcast have resurfaced following Adam Driver‘s admission that he is “done” with a galaxy far, far away after Disney scrapped his Kylo Ren/Ben Solo follow-up film, “The Hunt for Ben Solo.”
Daisy Ridley Admits That The ‘Star Wars’ Sequel Trilogy Was ‘Divisive’
On November 7, a fan account shared a clip from the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, where Ridley sat down with host Josh Horowitz to discuss the lackluster reception of “The Rise of Skywalker.”
When Horowitz noted that the 2019 film was “divisive, to say the least,” Ridley agreed, “Yeah.”
“You were feeling very confident. Everybody felt very confident. J.J. was confident,” Horowitz noted, before asking, “Were you surprised by how divisive the reception to it was?”
“Was I surprised?” Ridley asked herself. “I think it’s still upsetting because you don’t want people to feel like you’ve not served the thing that they’re a fan of.”
Ridley Admits That ‘The Last Jedi’ Was ‘So Divisive’
Ridley then admitted that 2017’s “The Last Jedi,” directed by Rian Johnson, was “so divisive.”
Horowitz gave a tongue-in-cheek response: “You think?”
“Yeah. So it really felt like the first one, everyone was fairly responsive in a similar way. ‘This works, thank God. How did it happen? A miracle,’” Ridley recalled. “Rian’s one [was] super divisive. And then the last one? Super divisive.”
However, she noted that the criticism of the three films “didn’t change how” she felt about doing them.
Will Daisy Ridley Reprise Her Role As Rey?
In 2023, at the Star Wars Celebration fan event in London, Ridley returned to the stage to announce that she would star in a new film about the New Jedi Order. The film, which would have been directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, would have taken place years after 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker” and would have featured Rey trying to rebuild the Jedi Order.
However, after several writer changes, progress on the project seems to have stalled. No official announcements have been made, but fans are beginning to suspect the movie will be folded into the new trilogy Simon Kinberg is writing. Jon Watts has been tapped to direct the first feature, but Lucasfilm has not made any official announcements. Those will likely come at the Star Wars Celebration fan event in 2027, which will coincide with the 50th anniversary of “A New Hope.”
Daisy Ridley Has Plenty Of Other Projects In The Works
It seems Ridley will not be returning to a galaxy far, far away anytime soon, because she’s already attached to a handful of new projects. Earlier this week, it was announced that she would star in a new horror movie, “Get Rid of It,” along with “Smile” star Sosie Bacon and “Blink Twice” actor Simon Rex. Filming is expected to begin in early 2027.
Ridley will also play a starring role in the Paramount+ adaptation of “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.” If it’s renewed for a second season, this could mark a significant time commitment for Ridley. The new series is being produced in association with the Irwin Allen Estate, which was behind the 1961 feature film and the ABC TV series of the same name.
Ridley will play lead ocean scientist, Lee Crane, who joins a secret government program after her twin sister dies in a tragic Arctic expedition. She will lead the USS Seaview, a retro-futuristic vessel that only powers up once she steps onboard. She will lead her crew on a series of dangerous undersea missions to contain supernatural forces, including the powers of the mythical city of Atlantis.
The series has no release date yet, but Deadline reports the writers’ room is underway.
Adam Driver Says The ‘Ship Has Sailed’ For Ben Solo
Earlier this week, Adam Driver appeared on The Rich Eisen Show while promoting his new movie, “Paper Tiger.” While he was there, he was also asked about his character’s fate. Although he portrayed the First Order enforcer Kylo Ren in two movies, he was redeemed as Ben Solo in 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker” before he died after fighting a resurrected Emperor Palpatine.
When asked about his character’s fate, Driver replied, “It’s over. No more ‘Star Wars.’ We tried. We tried to do one more. But they were like, ‘No, he’s dead.’”
When Eisen asked if someone wanted to “resurrect” his scrapped “Star Wars” film, Driver replied, “If they wanted to…” before he added, “But, but I’m… I’m not… If they wanted to, fine, but we’re not… It’s not our call. I think the ship has sailed, though.”
When asked for details about the plot, Driver wouldn’t say anything. This has fans hopeful that, just as elements of the New Jedi Order film are probably being reworked into the new trilogy, parts of “The Hunt for Ben Solo” may also be used going forward.
Rebellions are built on hope, and apparently, so is Ben Solo’s return.
