After 8 Years, The Most Debated Post-Sequel ‘Star Wars’ Movie Is Dead

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Even though the recent Star Wars sequels were controversial, Disney has been looking for ways to expand on that period with a new film. One of their first ideas for a follow-up movie has now been scrapped. The sequel trilogy began with The Force Awakens in 2015 and concluded with The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. Since then, the Star Wars franchise has mostly stayed away from that time period and hasn’t released any new movies at all.

Despite earning a massive $4 billion in ticket sales, the negative reaction to the Star Wars sequel trilogy prompted Disney to change how it handles the beloved franchise. Since The Rise of Skywalker, Disney+ has released a lot of Star Wars TV series, and the story has expanded through books, comics, and games. However, recent major projects have mostly avoided directly continuing the events of the sequel era. That’s about to change, but not with the project fans have been anticipating since 2018.

Rian Johnson’s ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy Has Been Shelved At Disney


Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

I was so excited when Rian Johnson was announced to be creating a new Star Wars trilogy, but sadly, it looks like that project is no longer happening. The Hollywood Reporter says it’s “effectively dead.” It’s been years since it was first announced around the time The Last Jedi came out – which, as far as Star Wars is concerned, is still his biggest contribution – and Disney seems to have moved on without it. It’s really disappointing news for a fan like me who was really hoping to see his vision come to life.

J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens successfully relaunched the Star Wars franchise with the potential for a great new trilogy. While the 2015 film borrowed heavily from the original Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope, it added enough fresh material to kick off a new generation of stories. For the 2017 sequel, Abrams took a step back to produce, allowing Rian Johnson to write and direct The Last Jedi. Abrams then returned to direct the final film, The Rise of Skywalker, replacing Johnson.

Why Johnson’s ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy Took So Long to Fade From Possibility


Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

While The Force Awakens was a hit, many fans disliked how The Last Jedi portrayed Luke Skywalker, despite Mark Hamill’s return to the role after a long absence. They felt his death didn’t do justice to such an important character. Although other aspects of the film received criticism, Luke’s storyline was the biggest point of contention. Because Rian Johnson directed The Last Jedi, fans were very hesitant about him potentially directing three more films in the series.

Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Rotten Tomatoes Scores
Movie Year Tomatometer Popcornmeter
Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens 2015 93% 84%
Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi 2017 91% 41%
Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker 2019 51% 86%

The negative reaction to The Last Jedi led some fans to skip Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018, resulting in the first financial failure for a Star Wars film, even though Solo was a decent movie. This likely worried Disney about the future of the franchise and director Rian Johnson’s involvement. Since then, only The Rise of Skywalker has been released, and it was created to finish the trilogy without Johnson’s contribution.

It’s common for even the most criticized Star Wars movies to gain a better reputation over time. This is especially true now, with new TV shows often revisiting and adding context to older stories. Disney might have been hoping this would happen with The Last Jedi, given the positive reception to shows like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, which are starting to explore similar storylines. However, after nearly ten years, The Last Jedi remains unpopular with many fans, so it’s understandable why Disney has decided not to move forward with Rian Johnson’s planned trilogy.

Killing Johnson’s ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy Could Still Be Short-Sighted Given the Franchise’s Cinematic Future


Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

After a gap since 2019, a new Star Wars movie is coming to theaters in 2026. Recent Star Wars TV shows have been popular with fans, helping to rebuild excitement for the franchise. The upcoming film, which follows the story of The Mandalorian and Grogu, is seen as a stepping stone to bigger, more traditional Star Wars movies, with two more planned for release in the near future.

Both Star Wars: New Jedi Order, bringing back Daisy Ridley as Rey Skywalker, and Star Wars: Starfighter, introducing a fresh set of characters, are set after the events of the last Star Wars trilogy. Rian Johnson’s planned trilogy would have also been set around the same time, but details were never fully revealed. If both New Jedi Order and Starfighter are successful, it could signal that audiences want to see more stories set in this era.

As a Star Wars fan, I’m starting to think cancelling Johnson’s planned trilogy might have been a mistake, even though it made sense at the time. Honestly, maybe it’s better to release sequel-era movies slowly, one at a time, instead of committing to a whole trilogy upfront. If his first movie hadn’t done so well, all the work Disney has put into bringing Star Wars back to the big screen could have been wasted, and they’d still have had two more films to worry about!

Why the End of Johnson’s ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy Is Actually the Best Thing For Him

Look, I’m a huge fan of Rian Johnson. His filmography really shows what a talented director he is – especially when you consider everything he’s done both before and after The Last Jedi. He’s clearly got a knack for sci-fi, proven by movies like Looper and the recent Three-Body Problem series, and let’s not forget his amazing work on Breaking Bad, including directing what many consider to be its best episode. But honestly, if I had to pick one thing that really showcases his skills, it’s the Knives Out movies with Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc. Those films are just brilliant and a true highlight of his career.

The 2025 film Wake Up Dead Man will be the third in a series of interconnected murder mysteries. If it’s as strong as the previous two, director Rian Johnson will have created a remarkably consistent trilogy. While Wake Up Dead Man concludes Johnson’s current contract with Netflix, he recently told The Hollywood Reporter that he’s already beginning to brainstorm new ideas with Daniel Craig for future installments in the series.

Rian Johnson would jump at the chance to return to Star Wars if given the opportunity, but with his previous trilogy plans cancelled, he’s able to dedicate more energy to the Knives Out series. The success of Knives Out suggests many more sequels are possible, and audiences clearly want them – something that isn’t the case with a potential future Star Wars film from him.

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2025-11-27 02:05