What Daisy Ridley says about her 'Star Wars' future, Lucasfilm shake-up

NEW YORK – "Star Wars" fans are questioning how the departure of Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy will affect the franchise. However, one of its stars doesn't believe Kennedy's resignation will change much.

"It won't affect me going forward if it were to be true," Daisy Ridley, who played Rey in the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy, told USA TODAY in December when asked if Kennedy's rumored exit would change Ridley's future with the franchise. The actress stopped by to promote her latest film, "We Bury the Dead," weeks before Kennedy officially stepped down.

"I think what's lovely is people are excited because they want to see (the films), which is great," Ridley said.

Last February, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Kennedy would resign later in the year. Disney, which owns Lucasfilm, confirmed her exit on Jan. 15.

Ridley laughed at the notion that even while she promotes films that are "literally made," she can't talk about any potential future projects. At London's Star Wars Celebration in 2023, Kennedy announced a new "Star Wars" movie, one of three, which will star Ridley. Fans have speculated about the timeline since, although Kennedy did caution that the studio was still in "the very early days" of development.

Everything is so accessible now, "it's really wonderful to be part of something where people maybe don't know as much," Ridley said. "And I love that people want to know, but it will also be a great surprise then when the thing is done."

She wouldn't elaborate on "the thing." But if it's something that can eventually be seen in movie theaters or streamed on Disney+, it will now fall under the purview of new leadership. Kennedy plans to transition back to full-time producing. She will be succeeded by Dave Filoni, who will oversee creative as Lucasfilm president, while Lynwen Brennan will serve as co-president.

As for any potential timeline of Ridley's return to "Star Wars," the actress offered a "maybe" when asked if news could break in 2026.

"I don't know about 2026," she said. "In the future sometime, yeah."

Contributing: Brendan Morrow and Nicole Fallert