Reports Show Zendaya May Play Luke Skywalker's Wife in 'Star Wars'

As the ever-expanding Star Wars universe continues to evolve, fans may soon witness Mara Jade stepping into a galaxy far, far away.

For decades, Mara Jade has remained one of the most beloved characters in Star Wars lore—despite never appearing on screen. Introduced in Timothy Zahn’s acclaimed “Heir to the Empire” trilogy, she played a pivotal role in the Expanded Universe, serving as the Emperor’s Hand before ultimately becoming a Jedi Master and marrying Luke Skywalker.

But when The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, Mara Jade, along with many other Expanded Universe characters, was rendered non-canon.

Mara Jade’s story spans multiple Star Wars novels and comics. Zahn’s “Heir to the Empire” (1991), “Dark Force Rising” (1992), and “The Last Command” (1993) introduced her as a former assassin under Emperor Palpatine, who later forged an unlikely alliance—and romance—with Luke Skywalker.

Their story continued in the “Hand of Thrawn” duology, where they ultimately married, and the graphic novel “Union” (1999) depicted their wedding. The couple later had a son, Ben Skywalker, but tragedy struck when Mara Jade met her demise at the hands of her nephew, Jacen Solo, in “Sacrifice” (2007).

While elements of Thrawn’s original storyline have already been reworked into Disney’s Star Wars canon, Mara Jade’s fate remains unknown. However, in recent years, her potential return seemed more plausible now than ever before.

Grand Admiral Thrawn has long been a fan-favorite Star Wars villain, and Dave Filoni reintroduced him into the canon through Star Wars Rebels. With Lars Mikkelsen then reprising his role as Thrawn in the live-action Star Wars: Ahsoka series on Disney+, speculation built about what this could mean for Mara Jade’s future.

Who Could Play Mara Jade in Star Wars?

Brie Larson’s potential involvement in Star Wars has been a hot topic for years. Reports surfaced over two years ago suggesting that the Marvel star had been in talks with Lucasfilm to portray Mara Jade. Additionally, Larson herself previously revealed that she auditioned for all three films in Disney’s Star Wars sequel trilogy but was ultimately not cast in J.J. Abrams’ or Rian Johnson’s films.

Fan discussions over Mara Jade’s casting have included names like Elizabeth Olsen (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) and Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3). But with Larson’s established relationship with Disney and Marvel, the possibility of her stepping into the role remains compelling—especially given her well-documented love for the Star Wars franchise.

Now, rumors are swirling about a Mara Jade-centric Disney+ series. While there has been no word on this project from Disney or Lucasfilm, entertainment scooper, My Time to Shine Hello, reports that the studio is actively developing a Mara Jade series (via Comic Book Movie). Not only that, but a separate report claims that Zendaya (Euphoria, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Dune) has met with Lucasfilm.

While these unconfirmed scoops are not thought to be linked, it does pose the question of whether Zendaya could be tapped to play Mara Jade in the live-action Star Wars universe. The buzzy actress recently starred in Dune: Part Two (2024) and Challengers (2024).

She will return to the small screen for Euphoria Season 3, and star in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey alongside Spider-Man franchise co-star, and real-life boyfriend, Tom Holland.

A Mando-Verse Crossover in Star Wars

At Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy revealed that the franchise would be expanding its storytelling horizons. Among the major announcements was Dave Filoni’s upcoming feature film, which is set to unite characters from The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, The Book of Boba Fett, and the recent Skeleton Crew series in a battle against Thrawn.

With this Mando-Verse crossover seemingly taking direct inspiration from Zahn’s “Heir to the Empire” storyline, bringing Mara Jade into the mix would feel like a natural progression. A powerful Force-sensitive character with deep ties to Thrawn, Palpatine, and Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade could play a key role in the battle for the galaxy.

While the Mando-Verse movie is still on the slate, no real word has been made about the project, with the studio pivoting to bringing The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) to cinemas first. The Jon Favreau-helmed project is leading Lucasfilm’s slate and it remains unclear if the feature film will replace the fourth season of the TV show or not.

Further ahead, Mara Jade could also get her debut in Filoni’s Ahsoka Season 2, which he is still writing. The sophomore season of the Disney+ series was announced last January alongside news of The Mandalorian and Grogu.

In the movie, Pedro Pascal returns as Din Djarin, where he is joined by Sigourney Weaver in an undisclosed role, with additional rumors of The Bear‘s Jeremy Allen White starring as Rotta the Hutt.

Would you like to see Mara Jade make her live-action debut? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!