The galaxy far, far away has entered the world of gambling, as fans can now place actual bets on whether or not Luke Skywalker is the father of sequel trilogy protagonist Rey. Introduced in The Force Awakens, the young scavenger’s past is one of the great mysteries the franchise is saving for a later date. All that was revealed in Episode VII was that as a child, Rey was left on Jakku by her family, where she stayed until she met Finn and BB-8, getting swept on a grand adventure. The enigmatic nature of her history has generated a plethora of wide-spanning theories as fans try to deduct where Rey came from.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi writer/director Rian Johnson has said Rey’s heritage will be addressed in his installment of the saga, but there’s no telling if there will be a big parental revelation a la The Empire Strikes Back in Episode VIII, or if it’s a topic to be explored in Colin Trevorrow’s Episode IX. As fans await the answers from Lucasfilm, they now have the opportunity to place their money where their mouth is and show the ultimate form of confidence in their own Rey hypothesis. Star Wars gambling is now an actual thing.

Offshore book MyBookie has placed odds on Luke being Rey’s father (hat tip Sports Insights). Though they will surely change between now and the movie’s December premiere, right now “No” is a small favorite at -130. “Yes” currently has even odds. Fans were already invested in learning more about Rey, and this element just adds to the intrigue. Now, moviegoers could literally have something personal at stake if they choose to take part in this. Star Mark Hamill was his typical trickster self joking about the odds on Twitter:

Hmm...I could make a fortune betting on this! (but I better remember to use a pseudonym) #ReysRelative #insiderKnowledge #MyBookie #WaitFor8 https://t.co/7N5AsXW66X
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) June 14, 2017

There are convincing cases to be made for both sides of the argument. Of course, the Skywalker family lightsaber called out to Rey on Takodana. However, in Episode VII Rey believes Luke is nothing more than a myth, and at Celebration Orlando, Daisy Ridley revealed The Last Jedi marks the first time the two characters meet. Comments made by talent in the months leading up to a tentpole’s release cannot always be taken at face value, but it sounds as if Rey and Luke do not have a history together prior to their fateful encounter on the Jedi Steps. For those contemplating placing a bet on “Yes” and hoping to cash in, this is something to keep in mind. It’s also worth pointing out that there was no mapped out story for the remainder of the trilogy post-Episode VII, giving the new movies a sense of unpredictability. There’s really no telling which one is the “safer” gamble.

“Rey Skywalker” certainly has potential within the confines of the story (Luke training his own offspring after failing with Ben), but in the time since The Force Awakens came out, many fans have expressed a desire for Rey to be from a different family altogether. One of the common complaints about the saga is that everyone is seemingly related to one another. This helps underscore the operatic sensibilities of the episodic films, but it makes the universe feel quite small at the same time. The Skywalkers still have a very large role to play in the sequels, considering the main villain is from the bloodline and The Last Jedi is a title that directly refers to Luke. Just because Rey is an adept Force user doesn’t mean she has to be the granddaughter of the Chosen One. If Episode VIII is as different as everyone says, having Luke say, “I am your father” could be disingenuous.



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