Daisy Ridley’s brand-new update about Rey’s upcoming Star Wars movie, rumored to be тιтled Star Wars: New Jedi Order, suggests that Disney Star Wars may finally be correcting one major issue that has plagued Star Wars movies and TV shows for years. New Jedi Order is among the most highly anticipated of Star Wars’ upcoming movies, but details about New Jedi Order have been slow to come out. In fact, until recently, Ridley herself hadn’t seen a script, leading to speculation that the movie was either canceled or delayed.

Rey Skywalker actress Daisy Ridley spoke about New Jedi Order’s delays in a recent interview, explaining that the slower process may actually be a good thing. Ridley said:

“People have talked about it a lot that the release date often affects films and how quickly things go into production…So, the freedom to make sure that this script is the best way to tell this story is wonderful, and I don’t think any fans would want it to be rushed. The wait will be worth it. I know what George is working on, and he is a phenomenal writer. So, I’m really looking forward to reading it, and yes, it’s all worthwhile.“

Not only is this a promising update on New Jedi Order, but also, this comment from Daisy Ridley suggests that Star Wars may finally be fixing a problem that has been recurring for years—most notably in the sequel trilogy.

Daisy Ridley Is (Unconsciously) Echoing Bob Iger Himself

Ridley’s Point About Rushing New Jedi Order Is Consistent With Iger’s Autobiography

However unwittingly, Daisy Ridley’s comments about the benefits of New Jedi Order taking time actually echo sentiments shared by Disney CEO Bob Iger. In his autobiography, The Ride of a Lifetime, Iger wrote:

“One of the biggest mistakes that I’ve seen film studios make is getting locked into a release date and then letting that influence creative decisions, often rushing movies into production before they’re ready. I’ve tried hard not to give in to calendar pressures. It’s better to give up a release date and keep working to make a better movie, and we’ve always tried to put quality before everything else, even if it means taking a short-term hit to our bottom line.”

Ironically, Bob Iger specifically said this in the Star Wars chapter of his book, yet that mentality hasn’t been showcased by Disney Star Wars all that often, especially when it comes to the sequel trilogy movies.

Purchase The Ride of a Lifetime on Amazon

It seems both Ridley and Iger are well aware of the major pitfalls that can come with a release date taking priority. Both perspectives are also correct. When maintaining a release date is treated as the most important thing, hasty decisions can completely undermine the quality of a movie. This is arguably especially true when it comes to the story, as a brilliant script of course takes time. Despite the accuracy of the statement, though, how often has Bob Iger really taken his own advice, particularly when it comes to Star Wars?

Star Wars Never Practiced What Bob Iger Preached

The Rise Of Skywalker Is Case In Point

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is perhaps the single best example of Bob Iger not following his own advice regarding release dates. The Rise of Skywalker continues to be viewed as one of Star Wars’ worst movies, and much of that is due to the at times nonsensical storylines in the movie. The most obvious issue is Palpatine’s return, which is minimally explained in The Rise of Skywalker and still hasn’t been adequately explained to date, even with shows like Star Wars: The Bad Batch providing more context.

An equally significant issue in The Rise of Skywalker is the handling of Leia Organa’s character, especially because the movie was released on the heels of the tragic real-life pᴀssing of beloved actress Carrie Fisher. Rather than taking a beat and figuring out how to forge a path forward given Leia’s importance to the story, The Rise of Skywalker prioritized its release date. This led to some ethically ambiguous (at best) choices regarding using Fisher’s previously filmed footage and some tricks of the trade to bring Leia back to the screen after Fisher’s death.

In addition to this being morally questionable, the strategies simply didn’t work. Leia’s appearances felt morbid, and her story arc made very little sense and felt like a scramble to still craft a narrative with the character in spite of the actress’ absence. The most disappointing aspect of this decision is arguably that audiences would have understood and even appreciated the movie’s release date being pushed back to make sure the treatment of Leia was respectful and the story was still high quality.

Instead, Star Wars pushed ahead, and it did Leia/Fisher a disservice and led to a story that was a bit of a mess. The same has been true of other recent Star Wars movies, even if the issues are less glaring. Solo: A Star Wars Story is a great example, as that movie had plenty of potential but in the end failed to pull it off.

Daisy Ridley’s New Star Wars Movie May Finally Break This Trend

Progress Has Been Slow, But That May Be Good News For Audiences

It’s admittedly been a bit frustrating that many of Star Wars’ upcoming projects, especially the movies, have been shrouded in so much mystery. Star Wars has always held its cards close to the vest, but lately, it’s felt unclear which projects are even truly in the works. New Jedi Order has certainly been on this list, which is clear enough in the rumors that the movie has been canceled.

Clearly, New Jedi Order isn’t canceled, and, hopefully, Ridley is correct that the slower process is for the best. The logic certainly makes sense, and it’s especially important that New Jedi Order gets this right. The Rise of Skywalker remains intensely criticized within the fanbase, and plenty is riding on New Jedi Order being able to win audiences over.

There will always be those who dislike the sequels because they were so divisive (and for a host of other reasons). Even so, New Jedi Order has a real chance to change some viewers’ opinions of Rey and of Disney Star Wars movies. Hopefully, based on Daisy Ridley’s comments about Star Wars: New Jedi Order, Star Wars is about to turn a new leaf when it comes to prioritizing the story and a movie’s quality over the release date.