Daisy Ridley won Best Breakthrough Performance at this year's MTV Movie Awards, and if you scour through every film critic's reviews of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," you'll see that her portrayal of Rey was widely considered a highlight of what was already an incredibly popular movie. Fans immediately responded to her strong female character, and whelps of joy were heard around the world when she squared off against Adam Driver's Kylo Ren in the movie's climactic lightsaber duel. Throw in the exciting mystery surrounding her lineage, and you've got the makings of an all-time great character.
With Ridley set to reprise her role of Rey in Rian Johnson's "Star Wars: Episode VIII" and (presumably) Colin Trevorrow's "Star Wars: Episode IX," it would seem that the franchise would not need any new center stage cast members. However, the series may be getting just that.
Star John Boyega, who played Finn in "The Force Awakens," recently introduced a screening of "Secrets of the Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey" in the United Kingdom. During his introduction, he referred to new cast member Kelly Marie Tran as the new "lead" in the film.
Huh?
As of right now, we don't know who Tran will be playing, but it sounds as if her character is far more important than initially thought. Disney and Lucasfilm have yet to reveal any plot details for "Episode VIII," so it's impossible to try and piece together who Tran's character is. One thing is for sure, though, this will be the actress' biggest role thus far.
Tran has previously been seen in episodes of "College Humor Originals," "Comedy Bang! Bang!" and other smaller projects. She also has a handful of short films on her resume. But who is she playing in "Episode VIII," and how does it constitute as a lead role?
Our hope is that Boyega was only speaking in general terms when he made his comments. Tran seems to be a talented and energetic performer and we're excited to see her in the "Star Wars" universe, but Ridley was so captivating as Rey that it's hard to imagine her character being squeezed out for a new face.
We'll keep you posted as more details about Tran's role in the film begin to emerge.
"Star Wars: Episode VIII" will arrive in theaters on Dec. 17, 2017.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Great_Katzby
