When Will There Be a Female 'Star Wars' Director? Maybe Sooner Than You Think

Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy is calling for more opportunities for women in Hollywood — and she’s says that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is leading by example. Speaking at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Kennedy said that two thirds of the people involved in developing the next Star Wars film are women, and that 50 percent of her executive team is female. “Having a balance of men and women in the room changes the story, the dialogue, the point of view,” she said.

The fact still remains that all of the directors announced for upcoming Star Wars movies — J.J. Abrams, Rian Johnson and Colin Trevorrow — are men. However, Kennedy says that at least one of the spin-off films will have a woman at the helm. “I’m confident we will eventually hire a woman who directs a Star Wars movie,” she said.

The president of Lucasfilm also promised that the role of Rey (Daisy Ridley) would be “extremely significant” to newest installment The Force Awakens. Kennedy didn’t elaborate on that point, telling The Guardian, “I don’t want to spoil the story.” But her statement certainly bolsters the fan theory that Rey is a Jedi — and specifically, a member of the Skywalker family. So far, Rey’s last name has strategically not been revealed, but it seems likely that she’s either the daughter of Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia and Han Solo. “Rey Solo” is pretty catchy, no? Maybe it will be the new “Anakin.”

Watch all the highlights from ‘Star Wars’ Celebration: