Rey, Finn, and Poe reunite in new Star Wars artwork.
Played respectively by Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac, Rey, Finn, and Poe served as the main trio in the franchise’s sequel trilogy films. It was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023 that Ridley would be reprising her role in a new movie about the “New Jedi Order” set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker. Three years later, the status of the project is unclear, though, and there is no confirmation of whether Finn or Poe will ever return.
On X, the trio is now back in an image created by Bryan Ward. The fan art is a direct nod to the cover of Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire novel and features Rey, Finn, Poe, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Chewbacca, BB-8, First Order stormtroopers, and Daniel Craig as Jorus C’baoth. The caption reads: “Them: I heard they are making new Star Wars sequels based on the Heir to the Empire books! Me: Sequels? ‘Based’ on the Heir to the Empire books? That might work…” Check out the image below:
The caption and the art itself seemingly connects to the false rumor that the sequel trilogy is being remade based on the story that begins in Heir to the Empire. Instead of erasing the sequel trilogy characters, though, they remain at the forefront of the hypothetical story showcased in this image. Furthermore, it is called Heir to the First Order and is the first installment in a trilogy from The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson.
Heir to the Empire, which is a Star Wars Legend novel, is centered on the threat posed by Grand Admiral Thrawn and the remnants of the once mighty Galactic Empire five years after Return of the Jedi. Elements of this narrative, including Thrawn, have now been incorporated into Star Wars canon via the live-action Ahsoka series and other stories set during the early years of the New Republic’s reign.
A similar premise could theoretically be explored with remnants of the First Order in upcoming Star Wars movies set after The Rise of Skywalker, but it does not appear to be the direction that the franchise is pursuing. The first movie in this era is Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling’s Starfighter, slated to be released in May 2027. Plot details remain under wraps, but it has been described as a standalone adventure focused on new characters rather than a direct extension of the sequel trilogy.
As for the image’s inclusion of Rian Johnson, this refers to his movie trilogy that was announced in 2017, ahead of The Last Jedi‘s theatrical release, and that has not moved forward since then. Johnson went on to write and direct three Knives Out movies instead, along with creating Peacock’s detective series Poker Face, and Lucasfilm has prioritized a variety of other projects in the meantime.
The exact combination of characters, plot, and director featured in the fan art is highly unlikely to ever happen, but a live-action reunion between Rey, Finn, and Poe is more plausible. If Rey’s movie announced in 2023 still comes to fruition, it would probably be the most feasible place to bring the three characters back together. Another option is Simon Kinberg’s prospective film trilogy, which will reportedly take Star Wars into its next major era, which the sequel trilogy’s core trio could help usher in.
- TV Show(s)
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The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions
- Cast
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Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal
- Movie(s)
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Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order