The highly-anticipated prequel to The Hunger Games movie franchise, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is set to release this November. Fans are eager to know if Jennifer Lawrence will reprise her role as Katniss Everdeen in the prequel.

No Official Announcement from Lawrence As of now, there has been no official announcement from Lawrence regarding her involvement in the prequel. The movie takes place 65 years before the events in the original trilogy, placing it around 49 years before Katniss’ birth. Therefore, Lawrence’s appearance in the movie seems unlikely.

Speculations And Theories

Rumors surfaced last April that Lawrence would make an appearance in the prequel, possibly as Katniss’ grandmother. However, the book from which The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is based on never directly confirms any of the characters to be related to Katniss. While many fans have theorized Lucy Gray Baird or Maude Ivory Baird to be her grandmother, both characters have already been cast for the prequel, making Lawrence’s appearance even more doubtful.

Lawrence Is “Done” With The Franchise

In an interview with The New York Times, Lawrence shared her initial reaction to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes being in development. Her response seemed to indicate that she will not be involved in the prequel, as she mentioned being “done with all of her franchise commitments.”

Why Lawrence Can’t Return

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place long before Katniss was born, and the prequel has no place for Lawrence’s character. Even if she were to play her grandmother, the top contenders for the role have already been cast, seemingly ruling out the possibility.

The prequel has introduced a new female lead, Rachel Zegler, who is roughly the same age as Lawrence was during the first Hunger Games movie. Zegler is coming off a successful superhero movie, just as Lawrence was when she played Mystique in X-Men: First Class, suggesting that she might be on a similar career trajectory.

In conclusion, while Jennifer Lawrence has not been officially announced as part of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes cast, it seems highly unlikely that she will make an appearance in the prequel. Fans will have to wait until November 17 to see the prequel and the new story it tells.