Star Wars Actress Natalie Portman Says She Would Return To Franchise

It has been over 18 years since actress Natalie Portman left the Star Wars franchise after her character’s death; however, she does not rule out a return. The actress played Padmé Amidala in the second trilogy and gave birth to Luke and Leia. Critics highly acclaimed her participation, and she played a pivotal role.

GQ magazine asked the actress if she would be willing to return to this galactic franchise, to which she replied yes. However, Portman also commented that no member of the Lucasfilm production ever requested her return. Padmé’s return would not be a problem, considering that the studio has a facility to bring back the dead.

Image via Lucasfilm

Natalie Portman: “I was never asked to return to Star Wars, but I am willing”.

These were part of Natalie Portman’s comments in an interview with GQ magazine about a possible return to the Star Wars franchise. She emphasized that in the 18 years that she has been out of the franchise. Yet, she was never asked to participate in any of the instalments of this saga.

The last time we saw Padme in Star Wars, she was pregnant with Anakin Skywalker. However, when he switched to the dark side, he strangled her out of anger, causing her death, after the birth of the twins, from the physical and emotional damage received.

In the interview, Portman commented: “I have no information on this, No one’s ever asked me to return, but I’m open to it”.

Image via Lucasfilm

One question after Portman’s comments is how she could return to the Star Wars world. Her character died in Part 3, so there would be no way out. However, this would not be entirely true. Something that Star Wars is good at is to reviving dead characters. This was the case with the Sith Darth Maul, who died at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace. However, he appeared in the Han Solo: A Star Wars Story movie afterwards.

Perhaps director Taika Waititi, who was in charge of Thor Love And Thunder, which featured Portman, can have a solution. He is also developing a new film with LucasFilm from the Star Wars franchise.

Taika Waititi May Have Another Solution

According to Natalie Portman’s comments about her Star Wars return, Waititi asked about the possibility of the actress participating in the production and having her Star Wars debut. She initially thought it was a joke from the director, considering he usually does this kind of game, but then she remembered her participation in the first trilogy. About this, she said the following:

“He says he did because he like asked me if I wanted to be in a ‘Star Wars’ movie. And I was like, ‘I was,’ I thought he was joking. He’s such a joker that I thought it was a joke. And then afterward he said in some interview that he was like cringing afterward.”

Image via Lucasfilm

Waititi, in an interview, commented that he was looking for a new character for his film. He said he wants to tell a story not tied to plots already presented in the franchise. He is looking for new characters, stories and events to tell to expand the Star Wars world. On this, the filmmaker explained:

“Look, I think for the ‘Star Wars’ universe to expand, it has to expand. I don’t think I’m any use in the ‘Star Wars’ universe making a film where everyone’s like, ‘Oh great, well that’s the blueprints to the Millennium Falcon. Ah that’s Chewbacca’s grandmother.’ That all stands alone, that’s great, though I would like to take something new and create some new characters and just expand the world, otherwise it feels like it’s a very small story.”

This could answer Natalie Portman’s possible return to Star Wars. Now that her character Padmé does not exist in this story, nothing impedes her reappearance in the franchise. 

Featured Image Via Lucasfilm

I am a circus aerialist influenced by Dick Grayson and Spider-Man. Fortunate to write about the characters that inspired me. I also have a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in International Trade.