Credit: LucasfilmWhile excitement has simmered ever since Star Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker closed out the sequel trilogy in 2019, fans have been left to speculate about the future of the franchise.
Now, the fog of uncertainty is lifting as a reported title for the post-sequel era film has emerged: Star Wars: Episode X — A New Beginning. This title suggests that the legacy of the galaxy far, far away is about to embark on a powerful new chapter, but at the time, it is unconfirmed by The Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm.
The post-sequel trilogy movie, directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023, where Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy took the stage to unveil the next phase of the beloved Skywalker Saga.
Alongside Obaid-Chinoy’s movie, Kennedy also shared that James Mangold (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) and Dave Filoni (Star Wars: Ahsoka) would direct entries set far in the past, at the dawn of the Jedi (Mangold), and within the New Republic era (Filoni).
The potential title of Episode X follows years of rumors and mounting anticipation, reigniting the conversation about what’s to come. Disney and Lucasfilm have been notoriously tight-lipped since the conclusion of the divisive sequel trilogy, with only fleeting mentions of new projects from directors like Taika Waititi and Shawn Levy—and that whole confusion with Patty Jenkins’ troubled Rogue Squadron.
Daisy Ridley is set to reprise her role as Rey in a film set 15 years after the events of J.J. Abrams’ The Rise of Skywalker. Though early rumors had labeled the project New Jedi Order, the aforementioned new reports indicate that the official title could be A New Beginning.
If the name holds, it would fit perfectly alongside the optimistic tradition established by Star Wars: Episode IV–A New Hope (1977) and Star Wars: Episode VII–The Force Awakens (2015).
This latest film will see Rey stepping into her new role as a master of the Force—and becoming the replacement for Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill)—and working to resurrect the Jedi Order after her climactic battle against Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).
While nothing is concrete in the world of Star Wars filmmaking except for the release date of Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is May 22, 2026, two other slots are expected to be filled by Star Wars movies.
Per IGN, “the release dates for the next three Star Wars movies now stand at May 22, 2026, December 18, 2026 and December 17, 2027.”
While that is a long time to wait for a new movie, Darth Trailer has supplied the internet with a new concept trailer for Star Wars: Episode X–New Jedi Order, which stars Daisy Ridley and John Boyega as Rey and Finn, respectively. And not forgetting BB-8, of course.
The fan-made trailer, which can be viewed below, has since gone viral, amassing over 350,000 views. It features Rey and Finn wielding lightsabers, with the former also battling an unknown Sith or Sith-adjacent character.
It’s by no means going to be a small feat to get the bulk of the fanbase into the theaters for the New Jedi Order movie when it does arrive. Judging by years of discourse and commentary, the sequel trilogy tarnished George Lucas’s Star Wars legacy, with Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII–The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker being too particular contentious entries into the canon.
Daisy Ridley and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy face an uphill battle already. Criticism poured in when Ridley, who played Rey Skywalker in the franchise since The Force Awakens, was announced to be returning to Star Wars, while resurfaced comments from the director stirred the right-wing pot.
Nine years ago, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy spoke at the Women in the World Summit in 2015, where she said she liked and enjoyed making men uncomfortable. The filmmaker and documentarian sat on the panel with fellow director Ava DuVernay (A Wrinkle in Time) and Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep (Only Murders in the Building) when she made the comments.
As expected, this clip—which can be viewed below—resurfaced when Obaid-Chinoy’s involvement in future Star Wars films became public knowledge, with various right-wing commentators calling the speech “woke.” It is then already in the DNA of the New Jedi Order/A New Beginning movie that audiences can expect a more diverse, inclusive version of Star Wars—the very things many “fans” claim to be problematic.
The so-called New Jedi Order era movie establishes Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker as the franchise’s new lead Jedi Master, taking over from Mark Hamill’s iconic hero. Disney’s sequel trilogy uncovered Luke’s journey in establishing a new Jedi Order after the original trilogy finale, Star Wars: Episode VI—Return of the Jedi (1983).
The altercation with his nephew Ben Solo, the young Jedi who was the son of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), grandson of Anakin Skywalker AKA Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen), and who later became the First Order’s Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), led him to abandon his effort and enter self-inflicted exile on the planet Ahch-To.
When Den of Geek asked if Rey’s Jedi role was different from Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill), Ridley gave a coy “short answer” and simply said “yes.”
No other cast or creative has been announced other than its place in the ongoing Star Wars timeline and Ridley and Obaid-Chinoy’s involvement. A release date is also not confirmed, although it can be expected it will be one of the aforementioned slots.
Is the New Jedi Order movie already doomed?
The brewing discourse around the “woke” female-led movie is extremely reminiscent of the conversations and vitriol regarding Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte series, which has just had its second season canceled. Headland, known for her work on Netflix’s Russian Doll, brought the live-action Star Wars universe to the end of The High Republic era.
Upon its announcement in 2020, Variety confirmed The Acolyte to be “female-centric,” which activated the “anti-woke” mob, and throughout its weekly release schedule on Disney+, it was review-bombed and heavily criticized by viewers. The diverse cast, inclusion of pronouns, and additions to the Star Wars lore were all sources of backlash.
Related: Disney Officially Reboots ‘Star Wars’ After String of Disasters, Removes Sequels From Canon
Headland has been very open about what her aims were in the show. For example, after being applauded for playing with gender norms in the relationship of Osha Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg) and Qimir/The Stranger (Manny Jacinto), the creator told Collider it was “so wildly intentional.”
Upcoming Star Wars movies
Fans know that Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, the movie that is leading the feature slate, is the one that will be released on May 22, 2026.
2026 is a big year for Disney, with Bob Iger’s House of Mouse releasing a slew of highly anticipated films, including Avengers: Doomsday (formerly Avengers: The Kang Dynasty), Toy Story 5, The Mandalorian and Grogu, and originally Frozen III, which has since been pushed back to 2027.
How do you feel about the new Daisy Ridley Star Wars movie? Where do you think this new Star Wars story will go? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!