Brian Herring Would "Absolutely" Return as BB-8 for Rey's Star Wars: New Jedi Order Film

The Star Wars universe is bustling with numerous projects currently in the pipeline. The theatrical film slate includes The Mandalorian & Grogu, set for release next May, and a future Star Wars film led by Dave Filoni, reportedly targeting a 2027 release. Furthermore, there are confirmed plans for a sequel focusing on Rey, tentatively known as Star Wars: New Jedi Order, which would pick up the narrative after the events of Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.

This Rey-led film has been confirmed on multiple occasions, with Daisy Ridley herself appearing at conventions to discuss her anticipated return as Rey. However, significant progress on the movie seems to have stalled, leading to questions about whether it will ultimately move forward.

Should the film materialize, fans might wonder if other key Star Wars characters from the sequel trilogy would make appearances. We recently had the opportunity to speak with Brian Herring, one of the actors and puppeteers responsible for bringing the droid BB-8 to life. During our conversation, we inquired if he would be interested in returning to his role as the charismatic robotic companion.

"I would love to. I would absolutely love to do it," Herring stated enthusiastically. "And that's all I'm going to say about it. I don't know anything. I'm usually the last person to find out about these kinds of things. So if it was an opportunity to present those kinds of things, I would absolutely love to do it. It's one of my favorite jobs. So I would be back there in a heartbeat with BB-8. It would be an amazing opportunity to roll with him again; that would be a beautiful thing."

In short, while it doesn't appear that bringing BB-8 back to a live-action film is a current priority, if the opportunity arises for the droid to return, Disney knows exactly who to call.

During the full interview with Herring, discussions also covered the sequel trilogy, the recent Star Wars: Dark Forces remaster, and the process of bringing BB-8 to life in collaboration with the creature department for Star Wars.