Disney’s Snow White(2025) star Rachel Zegler, who’s certainly no stranger to franchises due to her roles inShazam!andThe Hunger Games is seemingly gearing up to ditch the whole Disney princess thing in favor of joining a very different IP:Star Wars.
Related: Actress Rachel Zegler Confirms ‘Star Wars’ Rumors
It’s hardly a new phenomenon to see actors rounding out the”Disney trifecta” — AKA appearing in a Star Warsfilm or TV show, as a Marvel hero or villain, and in an animated Disney or Pixar project, or a live-action remake. Several of Hollywood’s biggest A-listers have earned this impressive accolade over the years, including Ming-Na Wen, Samuel L. Jackson, and Taika Waititi.
Now, it looks like Rachel Zegler could be next.
AlthoughThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes(2023) alum has yet to make her MCU debut, she did recently suggest that she’s ready to join George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away — and you might be surprised to learn which niche character she’d like to play.
Related: ‘Star Wars’ ‘What If…?’-Inspired TV Series Rumored To Be in the Works
Taking toX(the platform formerly known as Twitter) over the weekend, Zegler responded to rumors of a potentialStar Wars: What If…?series on Disney+. Here, she poked fun at the much-maligned “somehow, Palpatine returned” scene from Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker(2019) before throwing her hat in the ring to play a very specific character: Shara Bey, the late mother of Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), who featured in theStar Warscomics:
as a fan of the comics i would like to throw my hat in the ring to voice shara bey, mother of poe dameron, because her ship was an RZ-1 (my initials!) for green squadron
as a fan of the comics i would like to throw my hat in the ring to voice shara bey, mother of poe dameron, because her ship was an RZ-1 (my initials!) for green squadron
— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) January 13, 2024
If sharing the same initials as her A-wing isn’t sign enough, Zegler does seem to have a vested interest in Shara, being an avid comics fan herself.
For those unfamiliar with the character, she was a pilot in the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War, where she met her husband, Sergeant Kes Dameron. The couple had a son, Poe, and would go on to serve with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) before eventually settling down on Yavin 4. Shara suddenly died six years after the Battle of Endor, but she and Kes passed a lot onto Poe, who followed in their footsteps by joining the New Republic and later, the Resistance.
As of now,Star Wars: What If…?has yet to be officially announced by Disney and Lucasfilm, but it’s interesting to hear that Zegler is interested in playing a character who has strong connections to the divisive Sequel Trilogy. Considering the films didn’t exactly go over well with much of the fanbase — and Zegler’s own real-life controversies — the studio would be taking somewhat of a gamble by casting her in the show.
However, if they lean more towards Shara and Kes’ Original Trilogy antics and their service alongside the Rebel Alliance, that could appease both fans of Poe Dameron and fans of the first threeStar Warsfilms. Plus, Shara did fly with the other pilots of Green Squadron after the Death Star’s shields were destroyed, thanks in part to her husband, who defended Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) and the Millennium Falcon during the final attack.
With this context in mind, aWhat If…the Rebel Alliance Lost the Battle of Endor?orWhat If…Poe Dameron Was Never Born?would be particularly exciting episode premises, as the Green Squadron, in a big way, helped the Rebels overthrow the Galactic Empire, thus changing the course of the galaxy forever. And given how much of a fan-favorite character Poe is, fans would likely be ecstatic to see Shara and Kes’ story play out onscreen.
By no means is Rachel Zegler’s tweet a confirmation of herStar Warscasting, but if and when Lucasfilm decides to follow through with an animatedWhat If…?style anthology series set beforeStar Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens(2015), then Lucasfilm knows exactly who to ring up.
Until Lucasfilm announces herStar Warscasting, Zegler’s confirmed foray into the Disney universe is via Snow White,which is slated to premiere in March 2025. Directed by Marc Webb, the live-action retelling has already experienced something of a rocky road to production due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes, which put all major Hollywood productions on pause over the summer.
Zegler has also ruffled feathers in the Disney community after admitting she didn’t likeSnow Whitegrowing up and essentially called the original 1937 film problematic. While she hasn’t exactly won over yet, she will star oppositeWonder Woman(2017) actress Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen. And with the reboot ofSnow Whiteset to take a modern spin on the source material by making the title character more of a leader, there might be more similarities between her and Shara Bey than expected.
Would you like to see Rachel Zegler join theStar Warsuniverse for a possibleWhat If…?Who do you think she should play? Share your top pick in the comments below!
