There’s a certain point in the Star Wars rumor cycle where excitement turns into mild existential confusion, and I think we may have crossed it again. A new report suggests that a major legacy character could return in an upcoming Star Wars trilogy set after The Rise of Skywalker, but not in the way fans might expect. I’m not opposed to revisiting familiar faces in a galaxy far, far away, but this particular rumor raises more questions than it answers.
According to a recent report from Comic Book Movie, a familiar hero is expected to play a “huge role” in a planned Star Wars trilogy being developed by Simon Kinberg — but won’t actually serve as the lead. The scoop, which traces back to Daniel Richtman via SFFGazette, claims that Rey Skywalker, portrayed by Daisy Ridley, will appear prominently... even as the story itself centers on a new group of protagonists.
Rey Is Back But Not the Focus
That setup sounds reasonable enough on paper. Lucasfilm has been stuck in a holding pattern since The Rise of Skywalker closed out the entire Skywalker Saga in 2019, and moving the timeline forward has long felt like the cleanest path ahead. With the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu arriving on the 2026 movie schedule and other projects orbiting the post-Episode IX era, it’s clear the studio wants to establish a new status quo without completely severing ties to what came before.
Still, this specific framing is… odd.
Rey was positioned as the emotional and thematic anchor of the sequel trilogy. Bringing her back in a supporting capacity — “front and center,” but not the protagonist — feels like a hedge. Lucasfilm appears to want the comfort of familiarity without fully committing to the baggage that comes with it. Rey is important, but not "too" important. Present, but not driving the story.
Where This Rumor Leaves The Rey Solo Movie
Part of the confusion comes from how this rumored trilogy overlaps with other announced plans. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is still attached to a standalone Rey-focused movie set roughly 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker, though that project has gone through multiple writers and long stretches of silence.
If Kinberg’s upcoming Star Wars films also feature Rey in a major capacity, it’s hard not to wonder whether these projects are meant to complement one another — or quietly replace each other. Is the solo film a bridge into the trilogy? Or is the trilogy the real priority, with the solo movie slowly drifting into limbo?
The powers that be have not clarified, and that silence only adds to the uncertainty.
The Fan Reaction Problem
There’s also the audience response to consider. Rey remains one of the most polarizing characters in modern Star Wars — not because of Ridley’s performance, but because of how unevenly her arc was handled across three films with three different creative visions.
Reintroducing her without a clearly defined purpose risks reopening old debates rather than charting a confident new direction. If she’s back, fans are going to want to know why — and what she represents now.
Kinberg does have a Star Wars pedigree thanks to his work on Rebels (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) and Lucasfilm leadership has suggested this trilogy could be a long-term cornerstone stretching well into the 2030s. If Rey’s role is meant to bridge generations — mentor rather than messiah — that could work, in theory.
For now, though, this remains firmly in rumor territory. No casting confirmations, no official announcements, and no concrete release dates. Just another intriguing, slightly baffling piece of the ever-shifting Star Wars puzzle.
Whether this ends up being a thoughtful evolution or another attempt to play it safe remains to be seen. But if Rey Skywalker is coming back without truly leading the charge, I’m less excited than I am… confused.
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