Natalie Portman says she’s never been asked to return to the ‘Star Wars’ franchise: ‘I’m open to it’
If asked to do so, Natalie Portman would think about going back to a galaxy far, far away. Portman was asked if Padmé Amidala, the character she played in the “Star Wars” prequels, would ever return to the franchise.”I have no information on this,” she responded (at the 4:09 mark). “No one’s ever asked me to return, but I’m open to it.”
In 1999’s “Episode I: The Phantom Menace,” 2002’s “Episode II: Attack of the Clones,” and 2005’s “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith,” Portman’s Padmé character was the love interest of Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen). She dies giving birth to their twins, Luke and Leia. Her death leads Skywalker to fully cross over to the dark side and become Darth Vader.
Christensen returned to play Vader in the 2022 Disney+ series “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” It wouldn’t be a surprise if the studio found a way to bring Padmé back if Portman were into it. Most recently, Portman returned to the Marvel universe with 2022’s “Thor: Love and Thunder.” That was nine years after she was last seen in the “Thor” franchise with 2013’s “Thor: The Dark World” (Portman also had a brief cameo in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” thanks to an outtake from “Dark World”).
Back in 2020, Portman said she has never shown her children the “Star Wars” movies she starred in. “I think it’s so weird for them to think of me as anything other than their mom,” she said at the time to Fatherly.
Back in 2016, Portman told Insider the order in which she would show her kids the saga once she got around to letting them see it.
“I feel you have to start with ‘IV’ because then all of the revelation — like Darth Vader’s the father — are surprises,” she said, referring to starting with “Episode IV: A New Hope,” over “Episode I: The Phantom Menace.” “I think for the story you have to start with ‘IV.'”
