It's not easy to end long-standing franchise. The pressure of a satisfying conclusion is nearly impossible, and there have been countless franchises and TV shows that have failed to stick the landing. And even if certain fans like an ending, there's no guarantee that the rest of the fandom feels the same. HBO's fantasy drama Game of Thrones is a prime example of this, as its final season was divisive among the fans. But according to Daisy Ridley, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker won't suffer from the same fate.
J.J. Abrams had his work cut out of him with Episode IX, as The Rise of Skywalker will not only end the current trilogy but the greater Skywalker Saga as a whole. It's a narrative decades in the making, Abrams is going to have to really nail it in order to make the rabid fanbase happy. This certainly feels reminiscent of what happened ahead of Game of Thrones' conclusion, although Rey actress Daisy Ridley was recently quoted saying,
I think this ending will be less controversial.
Well, that's a relief. Daisy Ridley seems confident about the events of The Rise of Skywalker, specifically the film's mysterious ending. She doesn't think the movie will be as controversial, meaning that the fans should hopefully be a bit happier to seeing the Space Opera's conclusion than the final episodes of Game of Thrones.
Daisy Ridley's comments to MTV News are sure to be a relief for the hardcore Star Wars fans out there, who are worried about how J.J. Abrams will end the nine-film narrative with The Rise of Skywalker. Abrams helped kickstart the property back up with The Force Awakens, introducing a slew of new characters to interact with franchise favorites. Now he'll be able to end the story he began, while also concluding the long-running story that began back with A New Hope.
Comparisons are sure to be made between Game of Thrones' final season and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, given the finality of their stories. And after seeing the latest Episode IX footage from the D23 Expo, it seems that both projects' female leads may be taking a similar narrative path. All eyes are on Rey's story, and if she'll be turning to the dark side as Dany did.
The new footage from The Rise of Skywalker helped to amp up excitement for the upcoming blockbuster, while not having to release a full trailer until close to its December release. The last thing shown in that teaser is a vision of Dark Rey, dressed in all black and wielding a double sided lightsaber a la Darth Maul. Fans are eager to see if she'll actually fall to the dark side, and you can't help but see the narrative parallels with Daenerys Targaryen in the final season of Game of Thrones.
Khaleesi ultimately submitted to her darker urges, burning down King's Landing and countless innocent lives when she finally conquered the city. It was a plot twist that was divisive for the fandom, as she'd been the shining hero of the show throughout her tenure on Game of Thrones. Will Rey follow suit? It's unclear, although Daisy Ridley doesn't think that the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will inspire so much backlash.
All will be revealed when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
