We’re entirely convinced at this point that George Lucas is a member of X-Men, and his mutant power involves making everything that comes out of his brain into some of the most timeless material in the history of pop culture. Indiana Jones, despite a relative hiccup with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, remains a beloved franchise that will soon meet its swansong later this year with Dial of Destiny, and even Willow, Lucas’ charming-if-mediocre foray into high fantasy, found new life as a Disney Plus series late last year.
We all know that Star Wars dwarfs most pop culture properties in the realm of cultural impact and longevity, and the franchise’s journey has been truly unthinkable; who would have known that a sci-fi epic celebrating heroism and camaraderie would lead to the likes of Andor, The Mandalorian, and Visions?
One of the many advantages a history like Star Wars‘ brings is its capacity for fan service; when an elder Han Solo showed up in The Force Awakens, you could hear the hearts of all generations swell with nostalgic joy.
It makes you wonder if such a phenomenon will manifest another 40 years from now; if an older Daisy Ridley will be game for popping her head onto the big screen for a Rey cameo. According to Ridley herself in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she’s down for a Star Wars return as long as the family wants her, even if the immediate future on the big screen remains a bit murky.
“We’ve all gone through a massive change in the last three years, with lots of crazy things happening. So I really don’t know if there are plans. I just don’t know. But ultimately, I loved my experience, I loved what I got to do and I love the people I got to work with. So, should that happen again, even once, amazing. Because the dream is to really be around nice people that make you feel good and feel heard while you do good work.”
Indeed, even if Rey’s journey came to a satisfying end back in The Rise of Skywalker, there’s no reason she can’t play a role in the story of the next generation’s protagonist, and it sounds like Star Wars has done what Star Wars tends to do, capturing the heart of Ridley and giving her plenty of reason to keep that door wide open.