Summary
Despite being one of the biggest pop culture franchises, Disney has struggled to get many of itsStar Warsfilms on the screen. The latest in a string of Star Wars movies facing development issues is Daisy Ridley’s newStar Warssequel, which shares some similarities with Henry Cavill’s Superman saga.
Following the end of theSkywalker SagainEpisode IX: Rise of Skywalker, it was assumed that the major characters would be retired from the saga, at least for a while. Many otherStar Warsprojects have been announced and released sinceEpisode IXin 2019, but they’ve all strayed away from the time period following the Skywalker Saga. That all changed in April 2023, when Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy announced three newStar Warsfilms at Star Wars Celebration. One of the three movies is being directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel) and came with the surprising reveal thatDaisy Ridley will return in the film as Rey.
What’s Happening With Daisy Ridley’s Star Wars Movie?
Excitement levers were high for Ridley’s return to theStar Warsfranchise. Plot details confirmed the film would explore the time afterRise of Skywalker, with Rey building her own Jedi order. Obaid-Chinoy is poised to make history as the first female and woman of color to direct aStar Warsfeature and has said she’s excited to bring her perspective to the galaxy far, far away. Ridley has also expressed her eagerness to return to her character, tellingEmpire“If I wasn’t excited, I wouldn’t have done it.”
“There’s just a lot of joy with me and these films. Honestly, if I wasn’t excited, I wouldn’t have done it. It feels like a great thing to be a part of.”
Following the announcement of Ridley’s return toStar Warslast year development on the movie has hit a few roadblocks. Even before the Star Wars Celebration reveal, Obaid-Chinoy’s movie lost its original screenwriters, Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson. They were quickly replaced byPeaky Blinderscreator Steven Knight. However, after over a year in development on the project,Knight also departed theStar Warsmoviein October of this year. A new screenwriter has not been announced in the weeks since, and this latest departure will no doubt have pushed the film’s production back again, leading many to believeRidley’sStar Warsreturn may be in trouble.
The Superman Situation
This isn’t the first time an actor’s much-anticipated return to a franchise has stalled in development. Henry Cavill’s return as Superman hit a major wall in 2022. The actor had appeared as the iconic superhero in three films, that were part of the DC extended universe at the time. After development on a secondMan of Steelfilm stalled and Cavill moved on to star in other projects, it was assumed the actor’s time as Superman might be done. However, in 2022’sBlack Adam, the film’s starDwayne Johnson negotiated with Cavilland Warner Bros. for Superman to appear in the movie’s post-credits scene, which hinted at the actor’s future in the role.
AfterBlack Adamwas released in cinemas, Cavill posted on social media, thanking fans for their ongoing support and that this was “a very small taste of what’s to come,” alluding to the idea that he would be returning asSuperman in future DCEU movies. However, that all changed when James Gunn and Peter Safran were appointed as the new CEO’s of DC Studios. While Gunn and Safran were supportive of shepherding the existing DCEU movies out the door, includingBlack Adam, Blue Beetle,andThe Flash, the duo had their own plans for the DCU which essentially involved an entire reset.
Barely two months after Cavill announced his return as Superman, the actor posted once again revealing he’d met with Gunn and Safran and thathe would not be returning as Supermanafter all. The whole situation was met with scrutiny by fans, with some suggesting that Cavill’s Superman reveal was all a ploy to get audiences to watchBlack Adam. It seemed like Warner Bros. may have jumped the gun, rehiring Cavill without committing to a proper plan for his future as Superman. Although Gunn and Safran’s hiring occurring so soon to Cavill’s return seemed to indicate a changing of the guard had been in motion for a while. Whatever the truth was, the situation was a disappointing one for Cavill and many fans around the world.
Will History Repeat Itself?
While theStar Warsand Superman situations are different they do share one major similarity which is a studio announcing a major star’s return to a franchise, seemingly without having a concrete plan in place for how that return will play out. TheStar Warsscenario differs slightly, as the studio isn’t in the process of anentire reset to its slate, like DC is. Ridley has remained steadfastly attached to the project throughout its entire development, and the whole movie seemingly hinges on her return as Rey. However, there’s something to be said about studios announcing a big-name return, potentially to drum up excitement, before the time was right.
Plenty of prospectiveStar Warsmovies have hit the shelf in recent years, with planned films fromGame of Thronescreators David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, Rian Johnson, and even Kevin Feige never eventuating. Lucasfilm’s track record of developingStar Warsfilms is enough to make fans nervous about the Rey project ever transpiring. However,Ridley has provided hope for the projectin recent weeks, saying“Things are evolving. I continue to be very excited. There will be an update soon.”
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise originally created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, tv shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
