There are popular movie franchises, and then there's Star Wars. Generations have grown up on the galaxy far, far away, resulting in a massive fanbase of passionate moviegoers. With the Skywalker Saga over, all eyes are on the upcoming Star Wars movies coming down the line. We've seen the return of various actors such as Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, but what about Natalie Portman? Funny enough, Portman sounds open to a Star Wars return as Padme. And I'm so hyped about this concept.
Lucasfilm recently revealed its plans for a new Star Wars trilogy, with each movie set at very different points in the timeline. The prequel trilogy has gotten a ton of love lately, thanks to live-action shows that are available with a Disney+ subscription. Natalie Portman recently appeared on Watch What Happens Live, where she was asked if she has plans to return to the beloved space opera. She responded by saying:
I have not been. No one has asked me, but I’m open to it.
Do you hear that sound? It's Star Wars fans out there collectively cheering at the mere idea of Portman returning to the franchise. It's been a long time since she brought Padme to life, so I'm curious about what type of story might inspire her to return as that signature character. Fingers crossed it actually happens.
Portman's comments come as she's promoting her movie May December, which is available with a Netflix subscription. Eventually a caller asked about Star Wars, which is likely a very common occurrence-- despite the nearly decades that have passed since Revenge of the Sith hit theaters back in 2005. But now that the time has passed, she seems ready to play Padme again if the right project pops up.
Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising, as Portman has continued to do major genre work on blockbusters like MCU. In fact, she went from love interest to bonafide superhero in Thor: Love and Thunder as Mighty Thor. It's unclear if her time in that franchise is up, but I wouldn't be surprised if Disney cut her another great deal for her Star Wars return.
Over the past few years, Star Wars' prequels have been getting more love, after being the butt of jokes for years. Fans who were kids when those movies came out are now adults, ones who are happy to see that era expanded thanks to various live-action shows on Disney+.
As previously mentioned, Ewan McGregor returned to Star Wars in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, which bridged the gap between the prequels and OG trilogy. Hayden Christensen also appeared as Anakin Skywalker/ Darth Vader, before returning again in Ahsoka. Let's hope that Natalie Portman is the next one to join in on this trend.
It's currently unclear when Star Wars will return to theaters, but Natalie Portman's May December is out now. Be sure to check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
