Rumor: Laura Dern Who Played Admiral Holdo to Return for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

John F. Trent |

Nov 16, 2019

A new rumor details that Laura Dern will return for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

The rumor comes from Skyler Shuler, the Editor-in-Chief of Dis Insider.

Shuler writes on Twitter, “Laura Dern is returning for The Rise of Skywalker.”

Laura Dern is returning for THE RISE OF SKYWALKER.

— Skyler Shuler (@Skylerhxc) November 16, 2019

It’s unclear if Dern will actually reprise her role as Admiral Holdo.

Many fans who watched Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi believed Holdo committed suicide after her plan to evacuate the Resistance forces to Crait failed.

Holdo took drastic action and decided to use a lightspeed attack with the Raddus, formerly known as the Dawn of Tranquility, against Snoke’s flagship, The Supremacy. The attack was successful tearing Snoke’s ship nearly in half.

Her death would seemingly be confirmed in the recently released Resistance Reborn book.

After news of the battle of Crait reaches a number of Resistance pilots, one of the pilots, Norra Wexley, questions, “Who’s dead?”

Another pilot named Snap answers her:

“”Not everyone,” Snap corrected hastily at the look on his mother’s face. “But the Resistance leadership is gone. Admiral Holdo, Ackbar, Statura. The entire fleet.”

Later on in the book, Leia would also seemingly confirm Holdo is dead.

“”That call was from a couple of pilots I have scouting, but, and I hope this doesn’t come out wrong, we need more than pilots. We need leaderships. Pilots are crucial, but the First Order took Holdo, Ackbar, others.” She sighed, the grief heavy in her bones. Leaders she had called them, yes but also friends. People she had known most of her life, now gone.”

In a third moment, Holdo’s death would also be seemingly confirmed. This time in Poe’s thoughts.

“He was determined to honor the Resistance, to make up for his mistakes, and to do Holdo and the others who had lost their lives proud.”

However, it’s quite possible that Holdo might have survived. We don’t specifically see her death on screen. It’s just an assumption based on the reaction we see from Leia and Poe. And theses passages from Resistance Reborn are based on information from Poe and Leia, who believe Holdo is dead.

The Raddus is not seen after it jumps into hyperspace. It’s quite possible the ship and Holdo might have survived, but is simply lost somewhere in space. I wouldn’t be surprised if she might be suffering memory loss from the lightspeed attack.

Even the comic book adaptation does not confirm that Holdo is killed. Poe states, “I can’t believe she did that.” Leia simply responds, “I can.”

Poe Dameron and Leia Organa

If Dern does return for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and reprises her role as Admiral Holdo, it means the lightspeed attack might have been even more effective than what many fans believed.