According to new reports, Episode X, the next chapter of the Skywalker Saga from writer Simon Kinberg and director Jon Watts, will build its narrative around a romance between two new characters. Lucasfilm is reportedly already looking for the actors to play them.
Romantic relationships have been woven through every era of the saga. Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) shared a slow-burning connection across the original trilogy. Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) carried a doomed marriage through the prequels. And Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) ended with a fleeting kiss between Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Ben Solo (Adam Driver).
Still, each of those relationships has supported something larger. The Jedi and the Sith, the Rebellion and the Empire, and the rise of Darth Vader have always been the main attractions, with even Anakin and Padmé’s story ultimately feeding into his transformation. Putting romance at the center would rebalance the saga in a way not seen since George Lucas introduced it in 1977.
On October 29, Star Wars insider @fiveswalker shared an update on X about the film’s casting process.
“Like I previously stated, casting is underway for episode 10. They are looking for an early 20s duo,” they wrote. “It will go heavy on the romance aspect between the two. It will be one of the key definers [of] the film.” They followed up with a hint at early reactions to the story. “‘Very YA but very good’ is something I was told,” they added. “I personally would love a romance-focused Star Wars story, so I am quite excited.”
That “YA” tag says a great deal. Young adult stories usually revolve around growing up, first love, and characters figuring out where they belong in a bigger world. For a franchise known for galactic wars, that would make Episode X a far more personal kind of Star Wars movie.
The same insider had earlier described the two leads in some detail. “Episode X will have duo leads like Finn and Rey,” the scooper explained. “Their dynamic is very much that archetype, but with a more clearly defined romantic component. [The] male lead comes from a harsh orphaned background just like Rey and is swept up into the story after being implicated in a killing.”
“[The] female lead comes from high society, a perfectionist. Royalty,” they continued. “She and the male lead are caught up in a big adventure together, with her bringing him into the larger ‘world’s stage’ of Star Wars characters we know.”
It is a classic opposites-attract setup: a young man from nothing with a killing hanging over him, paired with a polished royal. Her background also gives the film an easy way to bring in familiar faces from the wider galaxy.
The new pairing would also mean a handoff from the sequel era, which centered on Rey, Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo. Ridley is expected to return, though in a mentor role.
Insider Daniel Richtman previously reported that Watts’ film will feature two leads with Rey guiding them. He also said Rey’s own movie is on hold rather than canceled. That project, directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and often called New Jedi Order, was announced at Star Wars Celebration Europe in April 2023 alongside James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi and Dave Filoni’s New Republic film. It would have followed Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order, a story that fits naturally with her becoming a teacher in Episode X.
Lucasfilm has not said whether the Rey film is canceled or has been merged into Kinberg’s trilogy. Either way, the 2023 lineup now looks like an unreliable roadmap.
The shift arrives as Lucasfilm itself is changing. Kathleen Kennedy stepped down as president earlier this year, with Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan taking on new leadership duties.
Kinberg has reportedly been working on the trilogy since late 2024. Watts, best known for Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), already has Star Wars experience as co-creator of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew with Christopher Ford.
Fans should keep expectations measured for now. Disney has not officially greenlit Episode X, and there is no release date or confirmed plot. The next Star Wars film in theaters is Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling, in May 2027. Whether this love story makes it to the screen depends on who Lucasfilm casts and whether the trilogy clears its final approvals.
What are your thoughts on this reported update for Star Wars: Episode X? Let us know in the comments down below!
