Damon Lindelof has shed new light on the uncertain future of Star Wars.
This week marks Lucasfilm’s first theatrical release since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with The Mandalorian and Grogu heading into Memorial Day weekend carrying major expectations for the franchise.
At the same time, questions remain about where Star Wars is actually heading next. Several previously announced projects have stalled, changed creative teams, or disappeared entirely in recent years.
One of the few films still in development is the Rey-focused project starring Daisy Ridley, first announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023. Progress on the movie has appeared uneven since then, but new comments from former writer Damon Lindelof have now revealed what the project was originally meant to explore.
The comments also suggest Lucasfilm may once have had a much clearer long-term plan for Rey, Finn, and Poe following the sequel trilogy.
A Different Future for Rey, Finn, and Poe
Former Lost creator Damon Lindelof recently opened up about his departure from the Rey-focused film during an appearance on the House of R podcast.
Lindelof revealed that his version of the project was designed around the tension between honoring legacy characters and pushing the franchise into something new. “There is a force of nostalgia and there is a force of revision, and they are at odds with one another,” he explained.
The writer also suggested the franchise’s priorities dramatically shifted after the success of The Mandalorian on Disney+.
“When Episode VII came out, we all knew what it was,” Lindelof said. “It was Rey and it was Finn and it was Poe.”
That vision, according to Lindelof, eventually changed internally as the franchise expanded deeper into the Mandoverse era overseen by Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau.
“I think that’s what they decided it was a couple seasons in,” he said. “Once Filoni and Favreau start building out Boba Fett and Ahsoka and everything is just hinging out of the Mandalorian/Grogu world, then it does become their new center.”
The comments offer one of the clearest acknowledgments yet that the sequel trilogy’s original leads may no longer sit at the center of Lucasfilm’s broader plans. Reports previously indicated Lindelof’s version of the film would have featured an older Rey leading a rebuilt Jedi Order.
His departure from the project became one of several high-profile creative shakeups attached to modern Star Wars development. Multiple films announced since 2019 have either stalled, changed writers, or quietly disappeared altogether.
Fans Push For More From ‘Star Wars’ Sequel Trilogy Characters
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Lucasfilm’s direction, fan interest in the sequel trilogy characters has shown little sign of slowing down.
Over the past month, speculation surrounding the Rey project intensified after Ridley unexpectedly exited the upcoming film, Killa Bee. Shortly afterward, a U.K.-based casting call tied to a casting director associated with Star Wars reportedly began searching for two “very important” child roles for a project filming in the coming weeks.
Neither development has officially been linked to Lucasfilm. Online discussion escalated quickly regardless, particularly among fans convinced the Rey movie may finally be moving forward again under writer George Nolfi.
Meanwhile, John Boyega recently reignited speculation around Finn during an appearance at MEGACON Orlando 2026.
After a fan shouted, “Get Dave on the phone,” Boyega responded: “I actually have, actually.”
The moment marked a notable shift after years of public criticism directed at Lucasfilm and Disney. Back in 2020, Boyega openly criticized the handling of Finn following Star Wars: The Force Awakens, arguing the trilogy abandoned the character arc many fans expected.
Interest in Ben Solo has remained equally persistent.
Last year, Adam Driver revealed that he, director Steven Soderbergh, and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns had spent years developing The Hunt for Ben Solo before the project was ultimately rejected.
According to Driver, concerns reportedly centered on how Ben Solo could still be alive after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Fan campaigns calling for the project’s revival soon followed, including petitions and billboard efforts online.
What are your predictions for the future of Star Wars?
