Nearly 10 years after her debut as Rey Skywalker, Daisy Ridley has discussed the significance behind her return to Star Wars, citing it to be “quite different” than before. Star Wars: The Force Awakens introduced the world to Ridley and the Star Wars galaxy to Rey, forever changing the Star Wars mythos with her key role in the sequel trilogy. While Ridley experienced some unfortunate backlash in the aftermath of her debut, motivating her to take a long hiatus from social media, Ridley has maintained an overall positive outlook, especially going into her return to the franchise.
In speaking with BBC The One Show, Ridley reveals what it means to her to be returning as Rey after half a decade and longer, explaining the difference between her approaches then and now. Ridley reminds audiences that she was only 21 years old when she first debuted as Rey, and now that she’s older, “it is a bit different.” She goes on to say that “the idea of it is quite different,” because while she may not always necessarily feel older than she was then, she is. The experience is thus “something I know, but also something new.”
What Rey’s Return Means For Star Wars
She’s More Important To The Franchise Now Than Ever Before
Ridley’s return as Rey is highly significant to the franchise, and because of Ridley’s experience during the sequel trilogy, she’s ready to take on this weight of responsibility. She handled Rey’s backlash (and continues to) with absolute grace, something she was capable of doing at a very young age – even if it did have an impact on her health at the time. Ridley already seems to be in a much better place with Star Wars, and considering the fact that Rey is now the face of Star Wars’ cinematic future, this is a wonderful sign of what’s to come.
Our Take On Rey’s Return
It’s So Much More Than It May Seem
The significance of Rey’s return truly does surpass anything audiences may be thinking currently. It’s much more than just a simple continuation of a story; Rey and her future are changing the Star Wars story as we know it, branching this saga out in brand-new ways that will no doubt go far beyond the Skywalkers’ own story. She has the chance to truly transform how Star Wars evolves from this point forward, moving on from Palpatine and his Galactic Empire to instead protect the galaxy from other forces. Rey is quite literally championing Star Wars’ next major era.
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It’s one thing to go back into Star Wars’ past, as viewers will eventually know how those past events come to shape the Star Wars timeline that’s covered in the episodic movies. Going into the future, however, is bold, fresh, and new, as it’s completely unexplored and uncharted territory. Rey being the face of this future is absolutely thrilling, as she still has connections to its past – but not the kind that would hinder the creative process. It will be wonderful to see Rey once again in Star Wars, and it’s even more promising that Ridley’s ready for it, too.
Source: BBC The One Show