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Credit: LucasfilmStar Wars is ready to fall in love again.
Lucasfilm’s planned Episode X is reportedly building its story around a romance between two brand-new leads, and the search for the pair is already underway. Written by Simon Kinberg and directed by Jon Watts, the film would continue the Skywalker Saga beyond Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019), with Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker stepping back into a mentor role rather than leading the charge.
That marks a clear passing of the torch for a sequel era carried by a more ensemble team of Rey, Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo (Adam Driver). It also arrives during a period of transition at Lucasfilm, with Kathleen Kennedy stepping down as president earlier this year and Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan taking on new leadership responsibilities at the studio.
Casting Is Reportedly Underway for a “Romance-Driven” Episode X
Star Wars insider @fiveswalker shared the latest update on X on October 29, indicating that Lucasfilm is actively searching for the film’s two stars.
“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.”
In a follow-up post, the scooper offered a glimpse of how the material is being received behind the scenes. “‘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 label is telling. Young adult storytelling tends to center on coming-of-age journeys, first love, and characters finding their place in a bigger world, which would set Episode X apart from the war-driven scale of earlier saga entries. Romance has always been part of Star Wars, from Han and Leia to Anakin and Padmé, but rarely has it been positioned as the defining thread of a film.
This romance-focused story would mark a genuine change of direction for the Skywalker Saga. Romance has run through the franchise from the very beginning, from Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa’s (Carrie Fisher) slow-burning bond in the original trilogy to Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Padmé Amidala’s (Natalie Portman) doomed marriage in the prequels, and the brief kiss shared by Rey (Ridley) and Ben Solo (Driver) in the closing moments of The Rise of Skywalker.
Yet across what will be five decades when Episode X lands in the future, love has largely played a supporting role, shaping characters and raising the stakes while the larger conflict between the Jedi and the Sith, or the Rebellion and the Empire, took center stage. Even Anakin and Padmé’s relationship, central as it was to his fall, ultimately served a bigger story about the rise of Darth Vader. Making romance one of the “key definers” of Episode X would flip that balance, placing the relationship itself at the heart of the saga for the first time since George Lucas launched it in 1977.
Meet Episode X‘s New Duo
This latest update builds on earlier details from the same insider, who had already sketched out the two leads.
“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.” An orphan with a dark mark against his name and a royal perfectionist make for a classic odd-couple pairing. It also offers a natural route into the wider galaxy, with the female lead acting as a bridge to familiar faces.
Where Does This Leave Rey?
Insider Daniel Richtman previously reported that Watts’ film will feature two leads, with Rey serving as their mentor. According to Richtman, her standalone movie isn’t dead, but it is on hold.
That project, directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and often referred to as New Jedi Order, was one of three films 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 was set to follow Rey as she rebuilt the Jedi Order, a premise that would sit comfortably alongside a mentor role in Episode X.
Lucasfilm has not confirmed that the Rey movie has been canceled or folded into Kinberg’s trilogy. Still, with newer projects moving ahead, the 2023 slate no longer looks like a reliable guide to the studio’s immediate plans.
A Trilogy Still Finding Its Footing
Kinberg has seemingly been developing the trilogy since late 2024. Watts, who directed Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), also co-created Star Wars: Skeleton Crew with Christopher Ford.
Disney has not officially greenlit the film, and no release date or detailed plot has been confirmed. For now, Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling, remains the franchise’s next confirmed theatrical release in May 2027.
Episode X is shaping up to be a very different kind of Star Wars movie: younger, more personal, and built around a love story at its core. Fans who connected with Rey will likely still see her, just in a guiding role rather than front and center. Whether that approach wins over audiences will depend on who Lucasfilm casts and whether the proposed trilogy clears its final hurdles. Until Disney gives the green light, these details remain early glimpses of a galaxy that is still being written.
How do you feel about this new direction for Star Wars? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
