On December 10, during the massive Disney investor call, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy laid out the future ofStar Wars, both in theaters and on the Disney+ streaming service. Nine shows and two feature films are en route to bring fans and audiences tothe world-famous faraway galaxy in the coming years… but among them all, one project, already announced years prior, was missing from the lineup.Rian Johnson’sStar Warstrilogydid not make an appearance at the Lucasfilm blow-out, leading many to wonder if it even exists at all.
The absence of what was at one point the designated future of the biggest original film franchise on the planet is as loaded and complicated as the relationship between the brand and the Oscar-nominated writer-director. The fate of the missingStar Warstrilogy from Rian Johnson is inexorably linked to the aftermath of his contribution to the Skywalker canon, 2017’sStar Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.
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Announced on Jun 16, 2025, a month beforeThe Last Jedimade its cultural impact, Rian Johnson’s untitledStar Warstrilogy was revealed as the next big saga, free from the constraints of the Skywalker family. In an official post on StarWars.com, Lucasfilm praised Johnson and his efforts: “As writer-director ofThe Last Jedi, Johnson conceived and realized a powerful film of which Lucasfilm and Disney are immensely proud.”
Surprising though it may seem today, the news was initially welcomed with open arms byStar Warsfans across the board - without knowing how Johnson would challenge and deconstruct the basic elements of their favorite franchise, this announcement communicated the studio’s confidence and pride in the forthcomingEpisode VIIIto those looking forward to its release the most. The next era ofStar Warscinema would come from a critically-celebrated storyteller withdeep adoration for the material- the future was bright.
One month later, many of the same fans looking forward to the Rian Johnson trilogy were sputtering and snarling about hisStar Warsfilm after storming out of movie theaters worldwide.The Last Jedidivided the franchise’s massive followingin a way no singular piece ofStar Warsmedia had ever before. Despite a huge box office return and extremely positive reviews from critics, the movie remains contentious, now serving as something of a litmus test for hardcoreStar Warsfans.
In the three years followingThe Last Jedi’s release, the future ofStar Warshas changed dramatically. In 2017, Disney’s plans were composed of spinoff films, led by the “Star Wars Story” series - after 2018’sSolo: A Star Wars Storyunderperformed, it became clearStar Warswasnot as bulletproof as Disney assumed. Former Disney CEO Bob Iger announced the franchise’s output would be receiving a hiatus after the Skywalker saga’s finale: “The conclusion that we reached was three years was the proper amount of time to not only take a breather and reset, but to really gear up for the next films released,” Iger said during theMoffetNathanson Media & Communications Summit in May 2019.
TheKnives Outdirector’s trilogy has also been an easy way for his loudest critics to spread misinformation. In February 2019, Rian Johnson dispelled widespread rumors his trilogy had been canceled. “No it isn’t true, I’m still working on the trilogy. With all due respect to the movie bros, who I’m sure are lovely kind bros with good fraternal intentions,”Johnson tweeted. As the director alludes in his tweet, it’s likely the rumor was created in bad faith byStar Warsfans who may not have been fully satisfied by Johnson’s creative choices.
The most significant piece of evidence is the rhythm at which the franchise currently operates.MainlineStar WarsmediafollowingThe Last Jedisteered in a direction arguably opposite to Johnson’s artistic intentions. Although an official reason has never been given, it is widely-assumed the vicious backlash toThe Last Jediblindsided Lucasfilm’s executives, who then put into motion a contingency plan to win back fans who were put off by Johnson’s incredibly bold and divisive story decisions.
This directional change was at its most obvious inThe Last Jedi’s follow-up. 2019’sStar Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalkerreworked and removed parts ofEpisode VIII’s lasting implications, twisting and contorting them to fit with elements common toStar Warsmythos, from resurrected classic villains to the reintegration of genetically-selected Force-sensitive bloodlines. It is difficult to imagine a director returning to a franchise whose immediate sequel to their film was pathologically obsessed with erasing its predecessor, especially given Johnson’s lifelong personal connection toStar Warsas both a fan and filmmaker.
More recently, the second season ofThe Mandalorianechoes the fan-favored intentions ofThe Rise of Skywalker, sidelining its central duo in favor ofcopious cameos, easter eggs, and backdoor pilots, not-so-subtle fanservice likely designed to keep as many hardcore fans glued to the franchise as possible. The finale’s surprise post-creditsannouncement of a Boba Fett seriesis, presumably, the finalStar Warsannouncement for the foreseeable future, and withtwo feature films in the worksfromtwo celebrated filmmakers,Star Warscinema has a future after the Skywalker saga… Just not with Rian Johnson.
It is currently impossible to definitively determine if the Rian JohnsonStar Warstrilogy is officially canceled, as neither Lucasfilm nor Johnson himself has publicly spoken about the project in over a year. However,given the franchise intentionsof theStar Warsmedia that immediately came afterThe Last Jedi, alongside the plans for the future now publicized and on calendars for years to come, all of it indicates the future ofStar Warsdoesn’t belong to never-before-known residents of the galaxy, but instead the many familiar faces that have stuck with audiences for generations.
Star Wars: The Last Jediis available now on Blu-Ray and Digital.
