Daisy Ridley recalls the divisive reception to ‘The Last Jedi’

Ridley discussed the films on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast with host Josh Horowitz. Asked whether she was surprised by the reception to 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” she said: “I think it’s still upsetting because you don’t want people to feel like you’ve not served the thing that they’re a fan of.”

She recalled that audiences had responded to 2015’s “The Force Awakens” in broadly similar ways, but said Rian Johnson’s 2017 film was “super divisive.” She also called the reaction to “The Rise of Skywalker” “super divisive.” Ridley added that the criticism did not change how she felt about making the films.

Ridley announced in 2023 that she would star in a film about the New Jedi Order, with Rey seeking to rebuild the Jedi. The project, which was to be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, has undergone several writer changes, and no official updates have been announced. Fans have speculated it could be folded into a new trilogy being written by Simon Kinberg, but Lucasfilm has not confirmed that.

The comments resurfaced after Adam Driver said he was done with “Star Wars” following the scrapping of his proposed Kylo Ren/Ben Solo film, “The Hunt for Ben Solo.” On “The Rich Eisen Show,” Driver said the project had been rejected because his character was dead, adding that “the ship has sailed.”