Star Wars 7's Daisy Ridley Talks About Her "Responsibility" for Episode 8

Appearing today on a Facebook Live video, Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley, who played Rey in The Force Awakens, was asked to compare her experiences filming the 2015 blockbuster and the currently-in-production Episode VIII. The actress said they are two different animals--for a number of reasons. She also mentions she's not sure just yet if she'll even be in Episode IX.

"They are two very different things," she said. "Episode VII was like the beginning of the whole thing, and it was terrifying and incredibly rewarding, and I felt like I pushed myself beyond boundaries I thought I had. And now [on Episode VIII], I feel more together and I feel more present."

Given the strong reaction to Rey, Ridley says she now sees herself as the "custodian" of the character.

"Now [on Episode VIII], I look at things and think, 'How are people going to react to that' because of the way that people have responded to Rey. [Princess Leia actress Carrie Fisher] calls herself the custodian of Leia. And now I feel like the custodian of Rey.

"I understand what people loved in Episode VII and so I feel like I'm carrying that responsibility with me, which is nice because I feel like I'm more part of it."

Overall, Ridley said she couldn't say which movie, Episode VII or Episode VIII, she's enjoyed making more. Instead, she sees the overall new trilogy--spanning Episodes VII through IX, as an "incredible journey." Also, interestingly, she said she's not completely sure that she will be in Episode IX.

"It's all this incredible journey," she said. "And if I am in Episode IX, it's all one amazing journey that involves thousands of people--not that it's leading to the end of Episode IX, but the whole thing is this wonderful, joyous experience. And I think of 7, 8, and 9 as parts of one experience. They're not like three different ones."

Episode VIII, which does not yet have a subtitle, comes to theaters in December 2017. It was initially scheduled to debut in May of that year, but was pushed out six months to its new date.

The movie is written and directed by by Looper's Rian Johnson. Production began in February.

Star Wars fans won't have to wait until 2017 for a new entry in the sci-fi series. Standalone anthology film Star Wars Rogue One, directed by Godzilla's Gareth Edwards and telling the story of Rebel forces trying to steal plans to the Death Star, comes out this December.

The Force Awakens is available now through digital video-on-demand platforms and comes to Blu-ray/DVD tomorrow, April 5.