Who Is Keri Russell Playing In Star Wars Episode 9?

3. A New Resistance General

The Resistance may have survived at the end of The Last Jedi, but it wasn't a win. The band of rebels has seen its numbers depleted and, with the deaths of Holdo and Admiral Ackbar, and now the need to write Leia out of the saga too, there aren't many leaders left. The closest they have now are Poe (a hot head), and Rey and Finn (both of whom are just discovering their places in the fight).

They could do with some more leadership, basically, and like Laura Dern before her, it's a role that Russell could comfortably slip into. We've seen her be an authoritative presence on The Americans, and she's adept at playing someone inherently good as much as she is duplicitous, with plenty of the charm and command of the screen necessary to be a leadership figure and steer forward a new generation.

She could be another former disciple of Leia's, a survivor from the fallen Republic, or just someone who has decided to join the fight and quickly climbed the ranks (assuming there's a decent time jump between Episode VIII and IX), but the Resistance could use another high-ranking member right about now.