A quiet casting change has become the latest talking point in the long wait for Rey’s return.
More than six years have passed since Daisy Ridley last appeared as Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the divisive finale to Disney’s sequel trilogy. Lucasfilm announced plans to continue the character’s story back in 2023, but the project has remained largely stuck in development ever since.
Now, Ridley’s departure from another upcoming film has prompted fresh discussion about whether movement may finally be happening behind the scenes at Lucasfilm.
According to new casting reports, Gemma Arterton will replace Ridley in the MMA drama Killa Bee, which is scheduled to begin production in the United Kingdom later this month.
Directed by Kenton Oxley, the film follows real-life fighter and nurse Bryony “Killa Bee” Tyrell as she balances hospital work with life inside the MMA world. Elliot J. Langridge and Pippa Bennett-Warner are also attached to star.
The casting update quickly spread through Star Wars fan circles online.
“Daisy Ridley just recently dropped out of her previous signed project which will film at the end of MAY,” one fan wrote online. “The casting call which agency insisted to be Star Wars film begins filming at the end of MAY… ?? Coincidence??”
Another fan responded: “Star Wars Rey movie is coming.”
Lucasfilm has not announced any new filming plans connected to Rey. Still, the reaction reflects how much uncertainty continues surrounding the studio’s sequel trilogy era.
Rey’s Story Was Supposed To Continue
When Disney introduced Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the character quickly became the face of a new generation of Star Wars storytelling.
The scavenger from Jakku evolved from an abandoned outsider into the central Jedi figure of the sequel trilogy. Across Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, Rey trained under both Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa while confronting the growing threat of Kylo Ren and Emperor Palpatine.
By the end of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey had defeated Palpatine, buried Luke and Leia’s lightsabers on Tatooine, and (controversially) adopted the Skywalker name.
Lucasfilm later confirmed plans to revisit the character during 2023’s Star Wars Celebration. The untitled movie from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is reportedly set around 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker and follows Rey as she attempts to rebuild the Jedi Order.
The project immediately became one of Lucasfilm’s most closely watched Star Wars films, partly because the sequel trilogy itself remains one of the franchise’s most debated eras.
Since the announcement, however, updates have been inconsistent.
Several writers have entered and exited the movie, including Damon Lindelof, Justin Britt-Gibson, and Steven Knight. George Nolfi is reportedly writing the latest version.
Ridley has repeatedly tried to reassure fans that the film remains active despite the lack of visible progress.
Earlier this year, the actress told ComicBook.com, “I think the story will be wonderful. I think the wait will be worthwhile. I think it will be a discovery, as all roles are, of where Rey is when we meet her again.”
She struck a more cautious tone when speaking to USA Today.
“I don't know about 2026,” Ridley said when asked whether fans should expect updates soon. “In the future, sometime, yeah.”
Lucasfilm's Film Slate Has Become Increasingly Unpredictable
Part of the concern surrounding Rey’s future comes from Lucasfilm’s broader track record with announced Star Wars films.
Over the past several years, multiple projects have stalled, disappeared, or changed significantly during development. That includes films from directors and writers who were publicly attached before quietly moving on.
The sequel trilogy timeline has been especially unstable.
In 2025, Adam Driver revealed he had spent roughly two years developing The Hunt for Ben Solo, a post-The Rise of Skywalker continuation centered on Kylo Ren’s redemption arc.
Steven Soderbergh was attached to direct the project, with Scott Z. Burns writing the screenplay.
According to Driver, Disney ultimately rejected the film because executives Bob Iger and Alan Bergman reportedly opposed the idea of Ben Solo surviving after The Rise of Skywalker.
Soderbergh later called the decision “insane.”
That rejection has led some fans to wonder whether Lucasfilm may eventually fold elements of that abandoned story into Rey’s future instead. There is currently no evidence that is happening.
Meanwhile, other Star Wars films appear much further along.
The Mandalorian and Grogu reaches theaters later this month, continuing the story established in Disney+’s The Mandalorian.
Lucasfilm has also wrapped production on Star Wars: Starfighter from Shawn Levy, starring Ryan Gosling.
Are you feeling optimistic about Rey's Star Wars return?
