The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson confirmed Rey’s parents will be “addressed” in the new Star Wars movie, but that doesn’t mean their identities will be clarified.
The identities of Rey’s parents will be “addressed” but not necessarily confirmed in The Last Jedi, per the film’s director, Rian Johnson.
Even Daisy Ridley (who plays Rey) hinted that the question of the identities of her character’s parents may not be answered with certainty in the new movie. In an interview with ABC News’s Paula Faris, Ridley mentions Darth Vader’s revelation to Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back that he is Luke’s father. Apparently, many people didn’t believe Vader was Luke’s father when Empire first came out. Why accept the word of a Sith lord, after all? Ridley also said she thought fans would sort out Rey’s parentage by the end of The Force Awakens. So the answer may be more obvious than we think.
It looks like, however, Lucasfilm is still keeping up the mystery in The Last Jedi:
"Ridley: “…I think, even though a lot of questions are answered in The Last Jedi, I think it’s still that thing of, um, discovery.”"
In the same interview video, Faris asked The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson about Rey’s parents:
"Faris: “Are we going to find out who her parents are?”Johnson: “It’s something that is absolutely going to be addressed in the movie.”Faris: “It will be addressed, but there won’t be clarification?”Johnson: “It depends on… I can’t say. I was about to say something. You almost got me!”"
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It’s difficult to sort out what Johnson and Ridley’s evasions mean. How could they continue make Rey’s parents that much of a mystery? The fact Ridley seems to think it was clear in The Force Awakens who Rey’s parents are suggests one or both of them is someone familiar, like Luke. So why not just explicitly state that? Why leave it up in the air? There are a couple of things to note about the interview above, however. Ridley’s and Johnson’s answers may be their attempts to keep Star Wars fans guessing and talking about The Last Jedi. They may also be tactics to divert fans from jumping to an obvious conclusion, like Luke as Rey’s father.
One thing is certain: The Last Jedi or Episode IX needs to state explicitly once and for all who Rey’s parents. Otherwise, fans will debate their identities for all eternity.