‘Star Wars’ Report: Lucasfilm Replaced Rey-Led Future With ‘Mandalorian’ Era
The future of Star Wars may have changed years ago.
As The Mandalorian and Grogu heads toward release, former writer Damon Lindelof is now revealing how differently Lucasfilm once viewed the franchise’s sequel trilogy heroes.
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The film marks the first Star Wars theatrical release since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which closed out the Skywalker Saga in 2019. Since then, Lucasfilm has announced multiple films, lost several writers and directors, and shifted much of its focus toward Disney+.
Only a handful of theatrical projects currently appear to be moving forward. That includes Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, alongside the long-developing Rey movie starring Daisy Ridley.
Lindelof was previously attached to write that Rey-focused project before departing in 2023. Speaking recently on the House of R podcast, he revealed his version of the film was meant to directly address the franchise’s internal struggle between nostalgia and reinvention.
“There is a force of nostalgia and there is a force of revision, and they are at odds with one another,” Lindelof said.
Lucasfilm’s Focus Shifted After ‘The Mandalorian’
More revealing were Lindelof’s comments about how Lucasfilm originally viewed Rey, Finn, and Poe after the sequel trilogy launched.
“When Episode VII came out, we all knew what it was,” he said. “It was Rey and it was Finn and it was Poe.”
According to Lindelof, that direction changed once The Mandalorian became a hit for Disney+.
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“I think that’s what they decided it was a couple seasons in,” he said. “Once Filoni and Favreau start building out ‘Boba Fett’ and ‘Ahsoka’ and everything is just hinging out of the Mandalorian/Grogu world, then it does become their new center.”
The comments offer one of the clearest indications yet that Lucasfilm’s long-term plans changed significantly after the sequel trilogy ended.
Reports previously suggested Lindelof’s version of the Rey film would have featured an older Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker.
The project has since gone through multiple creative changes. Writer George Nolfi is now attached to the film, though Lucasfilm has still not announced a production date.
Finn and Ben Solo Discussions Return
Despite the uncertainty around the sequel trilogy’s future, discussion around those characters has intensified again in recent months.
At MEGACON Orlando 2026, John Boyega revealed he had already spoken with Dave Filoni about a possible return as Finn.
After a fan shouted, “Get Dave on the phone,” Boyega responded: “I actually have, actually.”
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The moment surprised many fans, given Boyega’s past criticism of Lucasfilm’s handling of the character. Back in 2020, the actor publicly argued that Finn’s story was sidelined after Star Wars: The Force Awakens heavily teased his Force sensitivity.
Interest in Ben Solo also remains high.
Last year, Adam Driver revealed he had spent years developing The Hunt for Ben Solo alongside director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns.
According to Driver, the project was ultimately rejected over concerns about how Ben Solo could still be alive after The Rise of Skywalker.
The revelation sparked petitions and online campaigns calling for Lucasfilm to revive the movie.
