Lupita Nyong'o has no idea whether she'll appear in 'Star Wars: Episode IX'.

Lupita Nyong'o

Lupita Nyong'o

The 34-year-old actress stars as alien Maz Kanata in the sci-fi franchise, including a large role in the J.J. Abrams-directed 'The Force Awakens' - but Lupita doesn't know what the future holds for her character.

She said: "I don't know yet. I'll know soon."

Lupita also had a role in 'The Last Jedi', which received rave reviews from critics.

And she has fondly recalled receiving the 'Force Awakens' script from Abrams while she was on holiday in Morocco.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Lupita said: "An assistant was flown to my hotel, with a script in a locked contraption.

"It looked like something out of 'Star Wars'. And he made me sign something and gave me instructions.

"I had a certain number of hours to read the script, and the assistant was just waiting, waiting in Morocco for me to finish reading so that he could put it in that locked thing take it back."

Lupita isn't the only star who is unsure whether their on-screen alter-ego will return in the franchise.

Gwendoline Christie - who plays Captain Phasma - would love to continue playing the commander of the First Order's legions of Stormtroopers, but she doesn't yet know if she'll be afforded the opportunity.

Asked about her character's future in the sci-fi movies, Gwendoline said: "In truth I don't know. And that scares and upsets me because I really want to see this character explored. I'm actually very invested in the character now.

"And that's genuine. That's not just chat. It has opened up a chain of stories and events in my mind about who Phasma is."