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Rachel Zegler a Favorite To Play Princess Leia in Future ‘Star Wars’ Film

Rachel Zegler as Snow White
Credit: Disney

Following her portrayal of Snow White in Disney’s live-action remake of the same name, Rachel Zegler has been at the center of some intense fan discussions over the past few weeks, some of them good, but most of them, without a doubt, pretty bad.

Over the past couple of years, Zegler has faced backlash from fans after she criticized the original Snow White (1937), which many now believe is one of the main reasons the live-action film is massively underperforming at the global box office, with the film having grossed only $182.6 million worldwide so far against its whopping $240-270 million budget.

However, the film faced several problems prior to its theatrical release, from the casting of Zegler, who’s of Latin descent and therefore doesn’t have “skin white like snow,” to the reimagining of the seven dwarfs, who were originally real actors but were changed to CGI characters, as well as Zegler’s political views regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Rachel Zegler as Snow White holding a lantern in the dwarfs' cottage

Credit: Disney

But while the new film has received overwhelmingly negative reviews and has also bombed at the box office, there’s no denying that Rachel Zegler, who had already appeared in blockbuster films such as Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake (2021) and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), has some serious acting chops on her.

As such, she could be the perfect fit for another Disney Princess.

While there are no such conversations within Disney or Lucasfilm or anywhere else taking place, last year, many fans took to Reddit to fan-cast Rachel Zegler as none other than Princess Leia, who was, of course, famously played by the late Carrie Fisher in the Star Wars films.

A thread in the Rachel Zegler subreddit sparked a lively discussion on the topic, with users praising her acting talent and ability to embody the spirit of a Disney Princess.

“Someone cast her as a Star Wars princess, please,” one fan wrote on the subreddit, prompting others to express their agreement.

While Leia Organa isn’t necessarily viewed by many fans as a “traditional” Disney Princess in the same way the likes of Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, and Sleeping Beauty are, with Disney having only acquired the Star Wars franchise through its purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012, she is still recognized as one of the most iconic characters in the Star Wars saga.

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in 'Star Wars'

Credit: Lucasfilm

Either way, Zegler’s versatility as an actress has made her a prime candidate for a role like Princess Leia. Though she has not yet been officially linked to Star Wars, the Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) actress has already expressed her own interest in joining the franchise.

Last year, in response to a potential Star Wars: What If…? series on Disney+, Zegler responded to rumors of her involvement on X (Twitter) by poking fun at the “Somehow, Palpatine returned” scene from Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)–which has long become an Internet meme–by fan-casting herself as the character Shara Bey, the late mother of Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) who has appeared in the Star Wars comics.

Zegler noted that Shara Bey’s ship, RZ-1, shares her initials, saying, “As a fan of the [Star Wars] comics, I would like to throw my hat in the ring to voice Shara Bey, mother of Poe Dameron, because her ship was an RZ-1 (my initials!) for green squadron.”

Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron

Credit: Lucasfilm

Related: R-Rated ‘TMNT’ Reboot Could Land Gina Carano in Lead Role

More recently, Zegler openly reacted to the fact that Leia, the strong-willed rebel leader and Princess of Alderaan, is actually a Disney Princess. In an interview with CinemaBlend, the Hunger Games star was evidently delighted to learn that Leia had earned the title.

Fans quickly responded to the video to note how perfect Zegler would be in the Star Wars franchise. One fan responded by saying they “might actually watch Star Wars if Rachel stars in it.” Another wrote, “I WANT HER IN STAR WARS OMGGGG.”

“Rachel is the Leia to my Han Solo,” another said.

Rachel Zegler as Snow White

Credit: Disney

But not everyone is happy with the idea of Zegler being in Star Wars. One user said, “Maybe she can help tank another classic?” referencing, of course, Snow White‘s commercial struggles. Another wrote, “Don’t let her ruin Star Wars any more than it already has been.”

Zegler’s fans, however, were quick to defend her, with one pointing out that “she’s literally doing nothing in this clip except being charming and half the comments are ‘SHES RUINING CINEMA!!!!!!!!!'”.

Another said, “People are seriously pressed and upset over nothing. She can act and sing” (although we’re not sure about seeing Leia sing after seeing The Star Wars Holiday Special).

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in 'The Star Wars Holiday Special'

Credit: Lucasfilm

Among those who aren’t fans of Rachel Zegler is the popular YouTuber Critical Drinker, who posted the following “announcement” on Reddit as an April Fool’s joke, in which he says that Zegler will play Princess Leia Organa in a brand-new series titled Leia: Origins:

“Lucasfilm chair Kathleen Kennedy announced today a new 8 part Disney Plus TV show. LEIA: Origins. The series will track a young Leia Organa who is saved by a “diverse” group of Aldaaranians to save Leia from an Empire coup plot on her home planet. Rachel Zegler will play Leia.

Kathleen Kennedy addressed questions about whether the Star Wars tv shows will course correct in the face of growing criticism? Kathleen Kennedy responded that Star Wars has blazed a new trail for minorities and women all over the world and if that sink ships she will be the one saluting as the ship sails to the bottom of the ocean.”

[The above text has been edited for accuracy]

Rachel Zegler has also been fan-cast as the fan-favorite character Ahsoka Tano, who was introduced in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) before becoming a recurring character in the animated series of the same name, as well as Rebels.

L: Rachel Zegler as Snow White R: Ariana Greenblatt as Ahsoka Tano

Credit: Inside the Magic

Although there are no plans to cast Zegler as Princess Leia or Ahsoka Tano, the fan-demand and her interest in the Star Wars franchise highlight the possibilities. If Disney ever considers recasting Leia for future installments, Zegler’s name could be at the top of the list.

After all, there are many Star Wars projects coming up, from Disney+ shows (both live-action and animated) to new theatrical releases. The question is, would Disney even have Zegler back after the whole Snow White debacle?

Snow White is out in theaters now.

Would you like to see Zegler play Princess Leia in Star Wars? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!

About Daniel Roberts

Dan is a huge fan of Star Wars, Disney, Jurassic Park, Ghostbusters and Harry Potter, and has written for numerous entertainment websites.

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