Star Wars Day has come and gone, and as we look ahead at what's to come from the franchise on the 2026 Movie schedule and beyond, one thing is clear. The sequel trilogy didn't get the same love as other films and shows that day, unless you're me, who made a point to fire it up and rewatch with a Disney+ subscription.

I loved two-thirds of the sequel trilogy back when it came out, and revisiting it years later, I agree with the opinion that it should never be retconned. I will say, however, that one thing has aged really poorly, and the millennial-coded attempts at humor have aged poorly and feel super dated.

There's A Lot Of Millennial-Coded Dialogue That's Aged Terribly

Say what you will about the Emperor's return, the fact that Disney used Fortnite to add a key story detail of the movie, or Rian Johnson's vision, nothing in this trilogy is as bad as the millennial-era attempts at humor. For those who don't know what that means, it'd be all the moments from Episodes 7-9 in which it feels like Star Wars is trying to be The Office.

I'm a millennial, and listen, that style of humor wouldn't be iconic if shows like The Office didn't connect with audiences. That said, there's a time and a place, and when those moments happen in Star Wars, it doesn't feel like I'm in a "Galaxy Far Far Away." It feels like I'm in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and I want to crawl out of my skin watching moments like this:

To be clear, I cringed at that scene when I first watched it back in 2017. It felt dated then, and while I still love Star Wars: The Last Jedi, man, it's really painful to watch now.

It's not the only instance, either. There's the "who talks first" part between Poe and Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens, and the general bullying of C-3PO all throughout The Rise of Skywalker. Then again, 3PO gets roasted across all nine movies, so I can't act like that was so off-brand. It's more like the trend of slowly looking at him like he's some kind of idiot, again, a trope of millennial humor that has aged poorly. There's no punchline; it's just mean.

Hopefully Future Star Wars Movies Are More Timeless

The first thing I'll say is that Star Wars, as a franchise, is not known for its humor. I also find it painfully unfunny when Jar Jar steps in feces and says, "Ooh, icky, icky poo."

Even so, that's more of a timeless physical gag. It's not the most mature joke, but there's never an era in which stepping in animal poop won't appeal to at least someone sitting in a theater. Even if that person is a seven-year-old child, they're gonna laugh every time.

The biggest issue with the millennial humor is that it is very much of the era, and as such, heavily dates Star Wars Episodes VII-IX in a way the other Skywalker Movies weren't. I liken it to watching Saturday Night Live in the mid-70s, and seeing all the surrealist humor. I get that it's supposed to be funny, but it just doesn't appeal to people these days.

As such, I wasn't surprised the films weren't on the top ten list of most-streamed Star Wars stuff on May 4th, and I won't be surprised if that continues to be the case going forward. There are things to like about the movies, but the dialogue and dated humor are pretty hard to get past.

There are popular film franchises, and then there's the Star Wars movies. Generations grew up on the galaxy far, far away (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription), including the sequel trilogy. A lot changed throughout those three titles, including the role of Andy Serkis' Supreme Leader Snoke. And the actor/director recently got real about the "massive challenge" of bringing that character to life on the big screen.

When The Force Awakens hit theaters in 2015, it looked like Snoke was being set up as the trilogy's larger villain. That's why it was a huge twist when he was killed off in The Last Jedi, eventually making way for Palpatine's return in The Rise of Skywalker. During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Serkis was asked if he expected Snoke to be the "big Bad" of the entire sequel trilogy. He responded with:

That certainly sounds like a difficult way to craft a character. While Snoke appeared briefly as a hologram in The Force Awakens, it sounds like Andy Serkis found it difficult to craft his version of the villain. This is mostly because the writing was ongoing as he filmed his role in the two Star Wars sequel films. So he didn't have all the information and context that might have helped him bring the character to life. Although his discomfort didn't read to fans like me who saw the movies in theaters.

Andy Serkis previously admitted to being "gutted" about Snoke's death in The Last Jedi, especially following the awesome scenes he got to do in Rian Johnson's subversive sequel. In his same podcast appearance, the Lord of the Rings icon shared his reaction to reading the script for the first time. In his words:

Talk about emotional whiplash. Andy Serkis got some great material as Snoke in The Last Jedi... until the character was unceremoniously killed off. There were countless questions about Snoke's backstory, many of which were never answered. Although The Rise of Skywalker revealed he was actually brought to life with clone technology courtesy of Palpatine. And not even the actor could have predicted how things turned out.

Despite all of this, Serkis spoke positively about working on the set of The Last Jedi, particularly in that epic Throne Room scene with Kylo Ren and Rey. In his words:

Snoke might have been shockingly killed off, but it was yet another example of how The Last Jedi subverted fan expectations after The Force Awakens. There were countless theories about Serkis' character, most of which went down the drain. That's show business, I guess.

The Star Wars franchise will return to theaters with The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22nd as part of the 2026 movie release list. For now, Andy Serki's tenure as Snoke can be streamed on Disney+.

The Star Wars sequel trilogy occupies a strange space in modern film discourse. The movies were all, by the primary metric of performance, box office receipts, incredibly successful. Yet, opinions regarding whether or not the films are actually, you know, good, vary wildly. There’s a decent chance that if you’ve seen all three, you really dislike at least one of them, and many seem to have been disappointed by all of them.

Other people really love the sequels, or at least parts of them. People feel all sorts of different ways about the sequel trilogy; however, the one constant among them all is that they tend to feel very strongly about whatever opinion they hold. Brian Herring, one of the actors and puppeteers behind BB-8, the droid most seemed to like, recently told GameReactor that, while the sequels are certainly polarizing, it’s nothing we haven’t seen in Star Wars before. He explained…

Please give me a moment to pause and recover from the realization that it’s been more than 20 years since the release of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and thus it is actually true that there are adults in this world who were not alive when the prequels came out. I'm too old.

To be fair, the internet did exist when the prequel trilogy came out, though it certainly wasn’t as widely used as it is today, and that was where the initial backlash to the prequel trilogy happened. That trilogy did have a very similar experience, as all three movies were massively successful, but so many fans seemed to hate them. The backlash was so bad that it really hurt some people. Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best admitted a few years ago that he contemplated suicide due to the hate he received.

But a funny thing happened as time passed. The prequel trilogy has since been reevaluated by critics and fans alike. And while nobody is necessarily arguing that the prequels are masterpieces, there does seem to be a general feeling that the movies are, at the very least, fine. Herring seems sure that ultimately the same thing will happen to the sequel trilogy. He said…

While we’ll have to wait 10 years to know for sure, there’s a pretty decent chance that Brian Herring is correct and the sequel trilogy will get its own reevaluation. The people who tended to be against the prequels are the people who grew up with the original trilogy, and it’s the group that grew up with the prequels that has grown up defending them. It’s a safe bet the same will happen with the sequel trilogy. And by then, there will likely be a whole new batch of Star Wars movies for everybody to focus their opinions on.

This has been a big week for the Star Wars franchise, to say the least. Days ago, Kathleen Kennedy announced she would step down as president of Lucasfilm and hand the reins over to Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. As a new chapter for the production company begins, Kennedy is speaking about her experiences. With that, she made some comments about Rian Johnson’s stint working within the galaxy far, far away, and he's has since responded.

Kathleen Kennedy Makes Claims About Why Rian Johnson Only Made One Star Wars Movie

Let’s start with Kennedy’s comments. The producer, who became president of Lucasfilm since 2012 after George Lucas sold the company to Walt Disney Studios, recently reflected on her time in the position. She discussed the highs and lows of the job while speaking with Deadline. When specifically asked about the films Rian Johnson was reportedly set to helm following 2017's The Last Jedi, Kennedy said the following:

Kennedy responded by suggesting that one reason Johnson didn't return to helm his other films was due to him being "spooked" by the negative reactions that The Last Jedi received by people online. Upon its release, the film (which made $1.3 million at the worldwide box office, as noted by Deadline) received positive reviews from critics, though there were fans who were dissatisfied with it for a myriad of reasons. Even today, there are those who continue to express their grievances.

That's not the only reason Kennedy attributes to Johnson not directing further SW films either. She also points out that another factor was the writer/director's desire to focus his energy towards the Knives Out movies starting in 2018.

How Rian Johnson Responded To Kennedy’s Comments

Rian Johnson eventually caught wind of Kathleen Kennedy’s comments. With that, he took to X, where he reposted an article covering Kennedy's quotes and shared his take. In his words (which have had punctuation added to them):

Well, there you have it, two conflicting sets thoughts here on why there’s only Rian Johnson-helmed Star Wars movie thus far. Although Johnson's response is brief, it seems he doesn't agree with the notion that it was negative fan energy that turned him away from the massive IP. The question still remains, though: would Johnson direct another one of those films?

In the summer of 2025, Johnson was asked about whether he’d return to Star Wars. He admitted that he’d kicked around ideas with Kathleen Kennedy after The Last Jedi but that he'd ultimately been “busy making murder mysteries” since his 2017 sci-fi film. Still, Johnson also shared that he “would be thrilled” to do something else Star Wars “down the line” should the opportunity present itself, but he’s currently rather happy doing his “own stuff.”

Fear not, though, fans, as there are upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows are on the way. The Mandalorian & Grogu will mark the franchise's first big-screen release since 2019’s Rise Of Skywalker. Also, the Ryan Gosling-led film Star Wars: Starfighter is set to be released in the summer of 2027. It goes without saying that this is a busy time for Lucasfilm and, with projects in the works and a new leadership team in place, only time will tell if Rian Johnson ends up returning to the fold!

Every movie in the Star Wars canon instigates some debate, but I think it’s fair to say that there is no more controversial title than Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi. There are many (admittedly including myself) who love the way in which it manages to subvert expectations and explore new directions for the franchise, but there are others who hate it for those exact same qualities. There is definitely a “pick a side” vibe that has developed among fans, and rising star Josh O’Connor most definitely has: he not only adores The Last Jedi, but he admits that seeing it for the first time moved him to tears.

O’Connor recently had the chance to work with Johnson on the newly released Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (which is now available to stream with a Netflix subscription), and he offered great praise directly to the filmmaker for his contribution to the Star Wars universe while participating in a game of “Guess Your Movie” with Letterboxd. During a discussion of the blockbuster film, the actor specifically highlighted his love for the final scene, which is what specifically brought him to tears. Turning to Johnson, O’Connor said,

For those who don’t specifically recall, Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s final scene centers on a poor farm boy on the planet Canto Bight, who uses the Force to pick up a broom while doing chores. The final shot has him looking up into the stars with the sweeping instrument in hand – reminiscent of a Jedi holding a lightsaber – and it opens the idea that the ability to manipulate the energy that binds the universe together doesn’t just belong to a specific few (which pairs perfectly with the revelation that Rey’s parents were “nobodys”).

As recognized by Josh O’Connor, it’s a big, powerful moment in the Star Wars canon… but it has itself been rendered somewhat controversial in the years since because of further developments in the franchise. The divisive response to The Last Jedi led LucasFilm and Disney to pivot away from the bold choices made by Rian Johnson, and more traditional choices were made by J.J. Abrams & Co. in the making of Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker. In addition to Rey being made into a Palpatine descendant, the idea of the Force being democratized was abandoned, and there has been no follow up with the kid whom fans have dubbed Broom Boy.

I don’t know if there will ever be peace in the fan community regarding The Last Jedi, but I will say this: if Josh O’Connor is the kind of person who cried while watching that movie, he’s clearly a passionate Star Wars fan, and after seeing all of his excellent work in recent years, I don’t think anyone would be upset to see him become a part of an upcoming Star Wars movie or TV show.

When it comes to upcoming Star Wars movies and shows, the horizon is certainly more bare than one might have expected a decade ago, when The Force Horizons first hit theaters, or even six years ago when Disney+’s franchise TV shows debuted. The only projects with footage filmed are Jon Favreau’s Mandalorian & Grogu and Shawn Levy’s standalone Star Wars: Starfighter, with others in various stages of development, and I’m bummed that Rian Johnson isn’t directing any of them.

Johnson is, of course, the filmmaker who helmed 2017’s polarizing The Last Jedi, and one who previously voiced plans to craft a whole trilogy, even if later updates watered down those initial reports. Currently promoting his latest Knives Out mystery with Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc, the series-best Wake Up Dead Man, the director talked with Polygon about how he thinks telling a purposefully simplistic story is a cardinal Star Wars sin, and that his new film intentionally follows Last Jedi in challenging religious and ideological norms. As he put it:

One of the most acclaimed and celebrated Star Wars projects of any era is Rogue One, which managed to give fans something extremely familiar while also telling a completely new story. And one that then spawned the further-prequelized and even more beloved series Andor, which also struck out to tell a story that avoided feeding into the Skywalker Saga just for the sake of it.

While he's not directly taking a swipe at the third feature of the latter-day trilogy, J.J. Abrams' The Rise of Skywalker, the points made can certainly be applied. That movie essentially pretended as if The Last Jedi's story-expansions and unique ideas were suggestions rather than canon, resulting in some low-hanging plot fruit that felt far too beholden to everything that came before.

Johnson continued, pointing to the franchise's history of bucking expectations and sparking debates:

The Force Awakens sparked a wave of fan hate for killing off Harrison Ford's Han Solo, and it was somewhat reminiscent (in a far less vitriolic sense) of the backlash that followed The Empire Strikes Back's cliffhanger conclusion that saw Han being trapped in carbonite and sent to Jabba the Hutt. All these years later, though, that kind of ending can be appreciated as a genius narrative move that went against the grain. Han's death in Episode VII felt more like Ford backing out of the role than a decision meant to challenge viewers.

The Mandalorian initially seemed like it was there to buck trends and subvert expectations, but it quickly gave up its standalone value to become enmeshed with bigger-picture Star Wars storytelling, bringing in an aged-down Luke Skywalker, an age-appropriate Boba Fett, and more recognition-guaranteed characters. Favreau's big-screen adventure will likely go even harder on those connections, for better or worse, which means Starfighter is the best shot we have at seeing something totally new from this gargantuan universe. (On the big screen, I mean, since Star Wars Visions consistently brings the unexpected goods.)

I know I'm not the only fan out here hoping for Rian Johnson to dip his toes back into The Force for another crack at it, although I'd possibly be even more enthused for him to lend his talents to a new Muppets movie, which he is 100% down for. Can we go ahead and just count Yoda as a Muppet now? And can we get Frank Oz to have a conversation with himself as both Yoda and Fozzie?

Filmmaker Rian Johnson has become synonymous with the Knives Out franchise over the years. And while the third installment Wake Up Dead Man was the hardest to write, he was working with some longtime collaborators like cinematographer Steve Yedlin. And he spoke to CinemaBlend about his many years making movies with Johnson, dating back to when they were teenagers.

Yedlin has worked on a ton of Rian Johnson projects over the years, including his subversive masterpiece Star Wars: The Last Jedi, as well as the comedy mystery series Poker Face (which is streaming with a Peacock subscription). I had the chance to speak with him ahead of the release of Wake Up Dead Man, where Yedlin spoke about his years-long working relationship with Johnson. As he told me:

This sounds like a pretty ideal way to work in the film industry. Not only does Steve Yedlin know that Rian Johnson will likely hire him for any future projects, but they've found a way to collaborate that helps to make each other better. And their trust is part of the reason why projects like the Knives Out franchise look and feel so fresh.

While Rian Johnson can't write the Knives Out movies in advance, it's safe to say that he's got his cinematographer on lock. Later in our conversation, Yedlin spoke about why their working relationship functions so well, saying:

This truly does sound like a winning combination. Because while Rian Johnson offers feedback and direction to Yedlin, it's seemingly in an open-ended way that allows the accomplished cinematographer to use his own expertise and artistic vision. This alchemy of filmmaking is likely why their projects are so consistently captivating, spanning genres and both TV and film. Wake Up Dead Man definitely is a visual treat, one that looks and feels unique to the previous Knives Out films.

Wake Up Dead Man leans more into gothic imagery, and overall feels more spooky than the previous two Knives Out movies which lean more into camp. There are some visually striking moments, especially in the way light comes in and out of the church set, which is the primary location of the film.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is in theaters now as part of the 2025 movie release list, and will start streaming on December 12th for those with a Netflix subscription. Personally, I'll be looking forward to whatever Rian Johnson and Steve Yedlin work on together next.

The Star Wars universe is vast, but few things spark more fan outrage than the Sequel Trilogy—though honestly, I think Rey catches way too much heat. Still, the criticism hasn’t just come from the outside. John Boyega, who played Finn, has been open about sharing many of those frustrations, while still always wearing his love for the Jedi epic proudly.

After hearing him lay out what his version of the sequels would’ve looked like, it’s even more clear he’s not just an actor who showed up for a paycheck—he’s a fan who actually gets it, and has his own ideas for how the third trilogy should have gone, highlighting something I think is missing in many big blockbusters these days: creatives who listen to fans, and are longtime fans themselves.

How John Boyega Would Have Handled The Sequel Trilogy

John Boyega is a Star Wars fan—and that matters, especially now, as franchise storytelling continues to split between creators who honor legacy and those more focused on subverting it. If you’ve ever felt let down watching iconic characters get sidelined for the sake of a twist, you’re not alone—and the Force Awakens performer clearly gets it. At Florida Supercon 2025 (via Popverse), the Attack the Block star laid out his vision for the franchise, and honestly, it sounds a lot like what fans have been asking for all along. As he told the crowd:

But the franchise veterans’ take highlights a refreshing counterpoint: honoring expectations isn’t lazy—it’s powerful when done right. He then shifted focus to the newer generation of characters:

The Pacific Rim actor is hitting on a lot of fan complaints with the newer entries in the franchise, and how a lot of characters feel like they know how to do everything automatically. But, the star doesn't seem to be against new characters—he’s more against shortcuts.

So what kind of story would he tell, if given the keys to the galaxy? The former Stormtrooper-turned-Resistance hero says he’d dive deep into the lore—specifically, the kind pulled from classic video games that longtime fans know and love.

Boyega Would Have Pulled From Fan-Favorite Video Game Lore

This is where Boyega sets himself apart from the “just-here-for-the-gig” crowd—by name-dropping Knights of the Old Republic, a fan-favorite video game series set thousands of years before the Skywalker saga (streaming with a Disney+ subscription). As he put it:

A KotOR movie has been rumored for years, but nothing’s come of it, and as a lifelong fan of the sci-fi juggernaut series, I can’t help but wish more filmmakers were like John Boyega. He takes a not-so-subtle jab at Rian Johnson’s take on Luke, but not out of spite—because he actually cares.

I don't think the British actor is trying to shock for shock’s sake, but wants to tell stories that respect the lore and reward the fans who’ve stuck with it. It’s time to start giving more power to the fans who grew up loving these worlds and now have the perspective and passion to honor them. We’ll see what the future of upcoming Star Wars movies holds, especially with Daisy Ridley’s return—but honestly? They should just hand Boyega the keys and let the man cook.

Next up in the galaxy far, far away: the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu, blasting onto the 2026 movie schedule and theaters May 22, 2026.

Although it’s not officially scheduled yet on the upcoming Star Wars movies slate, Daisy Ridley’s big screen return as Rey is still in the works, with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy directing and George Nolfi writing the script as of January 2025. The untitled movie will follow Rey 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker as she forms a new Jedi Order. Coming much sooner, however, is a story shedding more light on what happened to the character after The Last Jedi, and it sounds intriguing.

Lucasfilm has announced Star Wars: The Jaws of Jakku, an Audible Original that will be released on Thursday, October 9. Clocking in at three hours and 53 minutes, this audio book, which is written by Cavan Scott and narrated by Helen Sadler, follows Rey returning to Jakku and looking to have a breakthrough with her Jedi training. Upon arriving on the desert planet with Finn and BB-8 in tow, she meets a young girl who’s on a dangerous mission to save her family. This trio of Sequel Trilogy will embark into Jakku’s “pitch-black tunnels” beneath the sands and run into various threats to help the girl accomplish her objective.

This won’t be the first time Star Wars fans have had the opportunity to check in on Rey between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. The novel Resistance Reborn previously highlighted her as one of the few remaining survivors of the Resistance who was traveling around the galaxy trying to regrow their ranks. Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron also starred in Spark of the Resistance, which saw them going on a rescue mission to the isolated planet of Minfar.

Star Wars: The Jaws of Jakku, however, will be a more personal story for Rey. Not only is she returning to the planet she grew up on, she’ll make significant progress with her Jedi training during this time, setting up where we find her at the beginning of The Rise of Skywalker. It’s also the second way Jakku has recently been spotlighted, as the trio of comic book limited series Battle of Jakku — Insurgency Rising and Battle of Jakku — Republic Under Siege and Battle of Jakku - Last Stand, chronicled the final conflict in the Galactic Civil War, including why Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa didn’t participate in it.

The Jaws of Jakku will be the Star Wars franchise’s fourth Audible Original, following Padawan’s Pride, Seeds of Starlight and Haunted Starlight, with the latter two being set during the High Republic era. Although past Star Wars audio books have later been turned into novels, like 2019’s Dooku: Jedi Lost, it’s unclear if that will happen with any of these Audible Originals following a period of exclusivity. Also arriving next month is the YA book The Last Order, which will follow Finn and Jannah tracking down a ship full of young passengers that have been kidnapped by The First Order after The Rise of Skywalker.

As far as Star Wars movies go, the film series set in a galaxy far, far away will resume when The Mandalorian & Grogu is released on May 22, 2026. After that is the Ryan Gosling-led Starfighter, which is set to come out in 2027.

Star Wars movies returned to theaters with the sequel trilogy, as well as standalone movies (both of which are streaming with a Disney+ subscription). Filmmaker Rian Johnson famously directed The Last Jedi, which subverted fan expectations and became a talking point for years. There were rumors that he might be returning for The Rise of Skywalker, and now the Poker Face creator has shared the truth behind that chatter.

Prior to creating the Knives Out franchise (streaming with a Netflix subscription), Johnson took bold narrative swings with The Last Jedi that I personally think have aged well. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he was asked about when, chronologically, he had talks to potentially direct Episode IX. He shed light on this rumor, saying:

That does clear things up. While it sounds like there was some talks, Rian Johnson wasn't campaigning to direct a follow-up to The Last Jedi. And ultimately that's not the way that Kathleen Kennedy decided to take the final chapter in the sequel trilogy.

Later in that same interview, he was asked if the possibility of directing Episode IX affected his work on The Last Jedi. Specifically, if he had to cram in more story and twists upon realizing he wasn't going to stay on. He shut that down, instead offering:

Rather than a two-movie narrative, The Last Jedi told a more contained story that was always meant to be the second part of a larger trilogy. Rather than offer teases for upcoming Star Wars movies, instead Johnson wrapped up a number of ongoing plot lines... albeit in surprising ways. Snoke was unceremoniously killed off, Ray was (temporarily) revealed to be no one, and Luke Skywalker returned to The Force after his time in isolation.

For years after The Last Jedi's release, there were reports that Rian Johnson was getting his trilogy of Star Wars movies, but he's yet to return to the galaxy far, far away. There doesn't appear to be any progress on that point, but hopefully the timing will work out one day.

The Last Jedi is streaming on Disney+, along with the rest of the Star Wars franchise. George Lucas' beloved universe isn't expected to return to theaters until Daisy Ridley's Rey movie arrives.

There are major franchies and then there's Star Wars. With generations growing up on the galaxy far far away (and streaming it with a Disney+ subscription), eyes are always on the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows that are on their way. Fans have been wondering for years about Rian Johnson's trilogy of movies, and the filmmaker recently got honest about whether or not we'll ever actually see them.

Johnson's The Last Jedi was a subversive masterpiece in my opinion, which is why I've been hyped to see the Knives Out filmmaker return to the franchise. He's been busy with those whodunnits and Poker Face (which is streaming with a Peacock subscription), so there hasn't been much news about his Star Wars venture. The director spoke to Rolling Stone and got honest about the likelihood of us actually seeing that announced trilogy. In his words:

Well, now I'm bummed. While Johnson still has interest in more projects within George Lucas' colorful galaxy, there aren't any real plans for that. Instead, the filmmaker is keeping busy with original IPs, including the ongoing Knives Out franchise (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription).

When Knives Out was a huge success and the first sequel Glass Onion was quickly greenlighted and produced, fans like me wondered how this might influence Rian Johnson's Star Wars trilogy. And it turns out that my fears might have been warranted, as he's seemingly not moving forward with those movies anytime soon... if at all. Excuse me while I go re-watch The Last Jedi for the millionth time.

The Star Wars franchise has been noticeably missing from theaters since The Rise of Skywalker was released back in 2019. While the franchise has continued growing thanks to new shows on Disney+, it should be interesting to see if/when the beloved property returns to the big screen. We just shouldn't expect Rian Johnson to be the first director to start production.

Lucasfilm announced a new trilogy of Star Wars movies, including Daisy Ridley's return as Rey. None of those are coming from Rian Johnson, although their development is still early. As such, we shouldn't expect any big screen adventures on the 2025 movie release list. But that won't stop fans from holding out hope there's a Star Wars flick sooner rather than later.

I have never been shy about expressing my love for Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I published my four-and-a-half star review for CinemaBlend the day the critic embargo lifted, and I stand by every point I made: from my appreciation of the unexpected plot twists and visual style to my lukewarm feelings about the Canto Bight storyline. That being said, since seeing J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker and witnessing all of the ways that the final film in the Skywalker Saga tried to reverse all of the changes Johnson made, I have wondered about what kind of communication that went down between the two directors as The Last Jedi was developed – particularly in regards to the role/non-role ultimately played by Andy Serkis' Supreme Leader Snoke.

Thanks to Rolling Stone, that relationship has now been clarified. A new interview with Rian Johnson is principally about the second season of Poker Face (now available to stream in full with a Peacock subscription), but the filmmaker is also asked about the discussions he had with J.J. Abrams in the making of The Last Jedi and the shocking fate of Snoke. Watching The Force Awakens, one might get the sense that the villain is being set up as the true big bad of the sequel trilogy... but Johnson felt it was more dramatic for him to act as a stepping stone for Adam Driver's Kylo Ren:

While J.J. Abrams was seemingly thinking about mirroring a Darth Vader/Emperor Palpatine dynamic for Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke, Johnson felt it was more dramatic to do something fresh and different with the characters instead of just echoing what audiences have already seen.

As for the discussions that Johnson had with Abrams, the former says that there were conversations about the big picture direction of the Star Wars franchise – but Abrams was in the midst of making The Force Awakens, and Johnson was left to his creative instincts to run with the canon ideas. Said the Knives Out director,

Rian Johnson was also dealing with a certain pressure generated by the legacy of the canon. In discussions of the original trilogy, people love Star Wars a.k.a. A New Hope, but the best movie in the canon is Empire Strikes Back, and it's because of the way it rocks the audience in the aftermath of the previous chapter. The seminal 1977 blockbuster is a classic hero's journey and a tale of good defeating evil, but the sequel has said hero learn a devastating truth about his parentage, lose his hand, and see his friend frozen in a block of metal.

The Last Jedi writer/director was given specific instructions from LucasFilm and studio president Kathy Kennedy to bring something like that to the experience of The Last Jedi. While there are people who didn't like what resulted, he went with what he felt was the best and most dramatic direction for the story. Johnson continued,

Love it or hate it, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a key piece of lore in the franchise, and if you're in the first camp, you can stream the blockbuster ad infinitum with a Disney+ subscription.

Luke Skywalker’s reclusive, broken state in Star Wars: The Last Jedi was only one of the many reasons audiences had issues with the flick. Some fans embraced the portrayal of a weathered Jedi master disillusioned with the Force, while others were less enthusiastic. The most extreme fans even sent death threats to director Rian Johnson. But it turns out Mark Hamill had his own idea for how his iconic character could have ended up on that lonely island, and his version is significantly darker (and maybe even better) than what we saw on screen.

Mark Hamill recently took part in an interview on NPR’s Bullseye with Jesse Thorn (posted to NPR’s official YouTube channel) to promote his 2025 movie release, The Life of Chuck. During the chat, Hamill opened up about his original take on why Luke would walk away from everything. He envisioned a personal tragedy so painful that not even the Force could bring him back from it:

It’s brutal. And honestly? It’s the kind of emotional gut-punch that would’ve brought a whole new layer of depth to Luke’s exile. Instead of a Jedi knight hiding out because of a failed student and a terrifying Force vision, the Fall of the House of Usher star imagined a man who walked away from his beliefs because he couldn’t live with the consequences of love and loss. It’s not just about failure, but grief. That shift in motivation would’ve grounded Luke’s retreat in something deeply human, and frankly, devastating.

To be clear, Hamill didn’t suggest this as a criticism of director Rian Johnson’s story. In fact, he’s spoken often about ultimately trusting Johnson’s vision, even if he initially disagreed. However, this alternative idea presents a fascinating “what if” scenario, one that could have added haunting emotional complexity to Luke’s character arc in The Last Jedi.

There’s something poetic about it, too. Luke, who once represented hope and light for an entire generation, undone not by a galactic war or cosmic prophecy, but by something as simple—and devastating—as family tragedy. It’s not about Jedi versus Sith. It’s about a man broken by love, and possibly, his own guilt.

Would Disney ever approve of such a tragic backstory? Perhaps not, as it's quite a dark interpretation. However, given the serious and sometimes dark tones of some Star Wars shows, like the critically acclaimed Andor (available to stream with a Disney+ subscription), it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility. The SW saga includes numerous characters who commit terrible acts, most notably, Anakin Skywalker, who, in Revenge of the Sith, slaughtered an entire group of Younglings, albeit off-screen.

Mark Hamill’s idea presents a compelling piece of character development that could have worked well on-screen. It would have reframed Luke’s isolation not as a sign of cowardice or failure, but rather as a period of mourning.

Perhaps it was never meant for canon. But, in true Jedi fashion, Hamill trusted his instincts and imagined something that—while heartbreaking—rings with emotional truth. And maybe that’s what Luke Skywalker needed more than anything: not just a moment of redemption, but a moment of real, unfiltered humanity.

Mark Hamill’s latest project, the new book-to-screen adaptation of Stephen King’s novella The Life of Chuck, is currently showing in theaters. Be sure to check your local listings. Anyone who wants to check out The Last Jedi can also stream it on Disney+.

Alright, *cracks knuckles*, let's get into this.

The Star Wars universe is vast in a galaxy far, far away, but you want to know what people love to hate? Rey, for some ungodly reason, and I'm kind of tired of it because people are way too hard on her – especially after I just rewatched the Star Wars sequels for the first time in a while.

Let me preface this by saying that I do not claim to be someone who grew up loving Star Wars. When I was five, my older brother and father were going to a Star Wars premiere, and I was at home playing with my American Girl dolls. I was not interested in this world until very late, probably when I began high school in 2012.

However, as someone who has been a part of the fandom for 12 years now, I have some connection to this world. I am allowed to have an opinion, and it's that everyone is way too hard on both Rey and Daisy Ridley. I really have to talk about it because it's driving me crazy.

Rey's Story Is Diminished By The Flaws Of The Sequels Around Her

Before you come at me with your pitchforks, hear me out. Rey isn't a bad character – the sequels are bad stories.

The first three Star Wars films have a rock-solid story, but then the prequels came along, and they earned a fair amount of criticism. Now, years later, people are looking at the Star Wars prequels with an air of respect, and Hayden Christensen is getting the flowers he deserves and vindication on his work– which is excellent! Ewan McGregor even got a whole series dedicated to his version of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

But I genuinely don't think the same is going to happen to Rey because the sequels' flaws diminish her story in general. There are so many moments in these movies where I genuinely scratch my head at what happened because it just doesn't make sense, and then Rey is right in the middle of it, somehow going along with what is happening.

I think the first of the sequels – The Force Awakens – set up a really good premise. We had this nobody girl who didn't have a family, didn't have a name and didn't really care for one, who was trying to survive on Jakku, and the Force called her into this crazy galactic war. It's basically the recipe for success. Heck, Luke basically started as nobody as well – it was only later that he discovered his true origin.

But as the films go on, the plot gets messier and messier, and it falls apart, taking Rey along with it.

She Didn't Have The Core Trio That Luke Had –– At Least, Not As Strong Of One

I stand by the fact that a core trio always surrounds every good movie or TV series that has a substantial freaking fandom.. The Harry Potter series had Harry, Ron and Hermione. The new Spider-Man films have Peter, Ned and M.J. One of the best anime ever, Attack on Titan, has Eren, Mikasa and Armin. It's just a staple, and the original Star Wars movies had that too with Luke, Leia and Han.

And Rey… didn't have that. She didn't have that support system.

Sure, there was Finn and Poe, but both of them felt so disconnected from Rey. Both felt like they were going on their own adventures when, most of the time, in any of these other scenarios, the trio was constantly helping each other out. I didn't feel that camaraderie with them at all.

That's a shame. I really like both Finn and Poe, as well as their actors, and I would have loved to see more friendship moments between the three of them as we saw with Luke, Leia and Han. But nope, that didn't happen.

The Movies Themselves Tried To Do Something Different, And People Hated It, But If You Do The Same Thing, People Also Hate It

At the beginning of the Sequel Trilogy, Rey was pretty much a carbon copy of Luke. Obviously, she did not have the same background, but she was a person who had nothing to do with the fight happening and was brought into it thanks to external circumstances beyond her control. The Force Awakens—which is my favorite—relied too much on the original films.

I sometimes think that's fine. If it's not broken, don't fix it, right? But Star Wars fans of all ages wanted something different, something new, a twist of some kind. You're never going to get a better plot twist than Luke finding out Darth Vader is his father, but you can try.

The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker attempted to do that with their stories, trying something new and testing out new lore—but it just fell flat, and fans hated that more. Rey didn't have that same solid storyline that protected Luke during her three movies because things kept changing so constantly. It's no wonder people found her hard to follow.

And When Has Star Wars Lore Ever Been Clean-Cut?

Star Wars lore is messy and dirty. And yet, people will blame Rey's character for her questionable family relations.

When, on God's green Earth, have we ever had a clear vision of what the entire lore of the Star Wars universe is? The only time was during the Original Trilogy, but other than that, things have been changed, redone, retconned and so much more. Now we're getting upset over something about Rey's parentage? Or Palpatine being back? Or whatever the heck it is now?

At this point, I've learned to let go. If I let go of all this lore in the back of my head and focus on the story at hand, I would enjoy the movies a lot more. Sure, it's there for information, but when there are thousands of things that are conflicting and fighting in your brain, it's time to chill.

That's how I'm able to enjoy Rey a lot more. Oh, did they change that up? Strange, but okay. Everyone is entitled to their opinion; that's the beauty of being human. But don't blame Disney for messing up the lore of this series with Rey and everything else when it's been messy for years.

I'm Nervous For Her In These Reported New Movies

Rey is not the person we need to be harping on. As someone who waited years to see a young, badass female live-action Jedi on screen (that wasn't Ahsoka Tano from The Clone Wars and Rebels), Rey was a good answer, and Daisy Ridley was a good choice.

But her character was harped down by poor story choices, poor characters around her, and sometimes lore that doesn't make sense, even if you can separate parts of it. I don't know how they're going to use her in a new series of movies.

I'm nervous for Ridley and for the character, and I hope that they deliver something great. There have been some great Star Wars projects over the last year, from The Mandalorian to Ahsoka to Andor, but will this creative team be able to bring that same amount of magic to a new franchise and make Rey the star she is supposed to be?

I don't know…but I suppose we'll have to wait and find out. I think until then, I'll rewatch the Star Wars films once more when I have the chance, and be excited for all the upcoming Star Wars movies.

As one makes their way through the Star Wars movies in order and the accompanying TV shows, it’s easy to lose track of all the ways in which lead characters like Luke Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, Din Djarin and Ahsoka Tano, to name just a few, shine. But what about the side characters? What about the supporting players who get opportunities to step up big in a galaxy far, far away? Well, we’re here to go over a handful of such examples, although one important note, this list will only be covering the live-action Star Wars movies and TV shows.

Shmi Skywalker Allowed Anakin To Go With Qui-Gon

Shmi Skywalker could have refused Qui-Gon Jinn’s request to take Anakin away from Tatooine and be trained as a Jedi. However, she knew her son was destined for a life better being a slave, so she made the heartbreaking choice of letting him go. It’s just unfortunate that this decision led to the rise of the Empire and the destruction of the Jedi Order.

Carson Teva And Trapper Wolf Saved Din Djarin And Grogu

Din Djarin, Grogu and the Frog Lady would have been eaten by the spiders on that ice planet had New Republic pilots Carson Teva and Trapper Wolf not intervened. The two used the blaster rifles they carried aboard their X-Wings to kill the creatures. However, they weren’t feeling generous enough to help Djarin fix up the Razor Crest, as they’d already decided to drop the arrest warrant placed on him.

Clone Trooper Destroyed The Crab Droid

Unlike every other entry on this list, here we have a nameless character, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve recognition. During the Battle of Utapau, this clone trooper managed to get up close and kill one of the Separatist’s crab droids, which is hard enough for multiple clones to accomplish on a normal day. Then mere seconds later, this clone managed to destroy another one from afar.

Kino Loy Ignited Narkina 5 The Prison Uprising

After realizing that none of the prisoners on Narkina 5 would ever be freed, Kino Loy agreed to help Cassian Andor with instigating a breakout. After them and their allies made their way to the facility’s intercom system, Kino inspired the rest of the prisoners to rise up and escape. It was an inspiring moment tinged with tragedy since Kino couldn’t escape with everyone else since he couldn’t swim.

R2-D2 Smuggled The Death Star Plans Off The Tantive IV

When it became clear that Princess Leia wouldn’t be able to deliver the plans to the first Death Star to the Rebel Alliance, she entrusted R2-D2 with the plans, as well as a message for Obi-Wan Kenobi, so that Darth Vader wouldn’t obtain them. It paid off, as the astromech droid and C-3PO were able to flee from the captured Tantive IV on an escape pod, landed on Tatooine and eventually found Obi-Wan.

C-3PO Bailed Out Hera Syndulla On Behalf Of Leia

Hera Syndulla disobeyed orders when she traveled to Seatos with a squad of New Republic fighters to help out Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren. As a result, she was in danger of being court-martialed, but C-3PO arrived to bail her out of this situation to pass along “evidence” from Leia Organa that Hera was following her orders. The golden protocol droid’s timing could have used a little work, but better late than never.

Jar Jar Binks Advocated For The Chancellor Emergency Powers

Ok yeah, in hindsight this move spelled the beginning of the end for the Republic. However, if Jar Jar Binks hadn’t given that speech in favor of giving Chancellor Palpatine emergency powers, then the clone army would never have been into action and the Republic would have been overwhelmed by the Separatists. So in the short term, this was arguably a good move.

Migs Mayfeld Killed Valin Hess

Granted, this wasn’t the most strategically sound move considering that Migs Mayfield and Din Djarin were undercover at the Imperial facility on Morak to learn where Moff Gideo’s ship was. However, when Hess started bragging about the thousands that were killed during Operation Cinder, Migs had enough and shot his former superior. This action showed us how traumatized that conflicts left him.

Lando Calrissian Rescued Leia, Chewbacca And C-3PO

Although Lando Calrissian’s betrayal of Han Solo came from a place of wanting to protect his operation on Bespin, his lingering guilt coupled with Darth Vader continuing to change the conditions of their deal made him realize he’d made a mistake. So with the help of his security force, Lando rescued Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO from the Imperials, though they were unfortunately too late to stop Boba Fett from taking the carbonite-frozen Han away.

Boba Fett Jumped Into Action On Tython

Before he took the lead in The Book of Boba Fett, Boba was a supporting character in The Mandalorian Season 2, and one of his best moments in the entire franchise came when he retrieved his armor from the Razor Crest on Tython. Mere moments after suiting back up for the first time in years, Boba wiped the floor with the stormtroopers in his vicinity.

Arvel Crynyd Flew Into The Super Star Destroyer

You may not know his name, but if you’ve seen Return of the Jedi, then you’re familiar with the Rebel pilot who brought down a Super Star Destroyer at the cost of his own life. After the Executor’s bridge deflector shield was destroyed, Arvel Crynyd steered his critically injured A-wing into a kamikaze run into the bridge, resulting in the ship colliding with the second Death Star.

Maarva Andor Inspires Rebellion With Her Posthumous Message

Maarva Andor spent her last days opposing the Imperial occupation on Ferrix, but even in death, she was able to inspire the masses. During her funeral ceremony, a hologram recording was played where she urged the people of Ferrix to rise up against the Empire. So what started out as an event to honor Maarva ended as a riot against this tyrannical force.

Paige Tico Opened The Bomb Hatch

During the evacuation of D’Qar, Poe Dameron organized an assault on a First Order Dreadnought that led to many Resistance casualties. This might have been a complete failure had Paige Tico not opened the hatch to drop her ship’s proton bombs onto the enemy vessel. Sadly, with the rest of her crew dead and their bomber badly damaged, there was no way for Paige to escape getting caught in the fire that engulfed the Dreadnought.

Bo-Katan Kryze Saved Din Djarin

Din Djarin was overwhelmed by some Alamites when he was exploring Mandalore to see if it was inhabitable. Luckily for him, Grogu was able to escape and make his way back to Kalevala, who was able to infer from the little guy that something was wrong. She went back to Mandalore and saved Din from his captors, which inadvertently paved the way for her getting the Darksaber again.

Wedge And Janson Took Down The AT-AT

Once Rogue Squadron learned that the AT-ATs’ armor was too strong for the snow speeders’ blasters during the Battle of Hoth, Luke Skywalker ordered his fellow pilots to use their harpoons and tow cables to bring these walkers down. The only duo that manages to accomplish this (at least onscreen) is Wedge Antilles and Wes Janson, who also fortunately both survive the conflict.

Tala Sacrifices Herself To Save The Path Refugees

When Darth Vader, Reva and their stormtrooper squad arrived at the Hidden Path facility on Jabiim, it didn’t take long for bodies to stop dropping. However, a lot more of these dissidents would have died had Tala Durith not sacrificed herself by detonating a thermal detonator as the Empire’s soldiers surrounded her. This explosive distraction allowed many of her allies to successfully flee the planet.

Sabé Served As Queen Amidala’s Decoy

For a decent chunk of The Phantom Menace, the Queen Amidala presented before the audience and characters like Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi isn’t the real deal, but rather the handmaiden known as Sabé (a role Keira Knightley can’t remember playing). She put her life on the line to keep Naboo’s ruler free from harm at key moments in Episode I, and her decoy act paid off one last time when it fooled Nute Gunray, allowing Padmé to take him captive.

IG-11 Self-Destructed To Save The Group

IG-11 started out wanting to kill the being known then as just The Child, but by the end of The Mandalorian Season 1, the droid sacrificed himself to save the little guy and those in his orbit. Grogu, Din, Cara Dune and Greef Karga were nearly ambushed by stormtroopers ready to open fire on the lava ferry they were aboard, but IG-11 went ahead and self-destructed himself to remove those adversaries from their path.

Galen Erso Hid A Weakness In The First Death Star

Galen Erso was one of the key architects in the construction of the first Death Star, but he also proved to be the catalyst of its destruction. Galen was the one who hid the exhaust port weakness inside the space station. If he hadn’t committed this act of secret defiance, one which ultimately cost him his life, then the Empire would have later wiped out Yavin IV and, with time, the entirety of the Rebellion.

Paz Vizsla Bought Time For His Fellow Mandalorians

Paz Vizsla spent most of his screen time clashing with Din Djarin, painting him in a somewhat antagonistic light. But as The Mandalorian Season 3 was wrapping up, the warrior died in a very sympathetic light, as he stayed behind to buy some time for his fellow Mandalorians by fighting off Moff Gideon’s Praetorians Guards on his own.

Yoda Rescued Obi-Wan Kenobi And Anakin Skywalker

In Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker weren’t strong enough to defeat Count Dooku on Geonosis. Fortunately, Yoda showed up moments later and he dueled his former apprentice (which made for one of the franchise’s best lightsaber battles) and probably would have won if given more time. The only reason Dooku managed to escape was because he tried to crush Anakin and Obi-Wan with some rubble, prompting Yoda to focus on saving them.

Kelleran Beq Saved Grogu

Up until The Mandalorian episode “The Founding,” we had no idea who Grogu, who’s approximately 50 years old, was able to escape the Jedi Purge. That episode finally provided the answer, as Kelleran Beq, the same character whom Ahmed Best played in Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge, got him out of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant during Order 66 and arranged for him to be taken off planet by members of Naboo’s Armed Forces.

Amilyn Holdo Made A Suicide Attack

Amilyn Hold ordered that the Resistance abandon their larger ships on smaller transport vessels when the First Order was pursuing them in The Last Jedi. However, because DJ learned about this plan and tipped off General Hux, each transport was picked off one by one. The only reason they all weren’t destroyed was because Holdo rammed her ship at hyperspace speed into Snoke’s flagship, a move that would come to be called the Holdo Maneuver.

Fennec Shand Killed The Sarlacc

After Boba Fett and Fennec Shand stole back the Slave I from what was once Jabba the Hutt’s palace, they embarked to the Sarlacc Pit to see if they could retrieve Boba’s armor. Well, needless to say that the creature did not like its personal space being invaded by the ship, but Fennec was able to save their lives by just barely triggering a seismic charge to drop in its mouth.

K-2SO Saved Jyn Erso And Cassian Andor

K-2SO was originally an Imperial enforcer droid, so it's fittingly ironic that he was destroyed while helping carry out one of the Rebellion's most important missions. The reprogrammed droid fought off stormtroopers and sacrificed himself so that Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor would have extra time to find the Death Star plans.

Jacen Syndulla Helped Rescue Ahsoka Tano

Like his father, Kanan Jarrus, before him, Jacen Syndulla is pretty Force sensitive. This was demonstrated when he was able to not only sense that Ahsoka Tano was still alive on Seatos, but direct the rescue party to her location once she was out of the World Between Worlds. Without him, it’s likely Hera and the others wouldn’t have been able to find her.

BB-8 Saved Finn And Rose Tico

After Snoke’s flagship was destroyed by Amilyn Holdo, chaos was rampant in the area where Finn, Rose and the other survivors were located. The Resistance protagonists tried to make a run for it, but they were soon cornered by Phasma and her remaining stormtroopers. Luckily, BB-8 commandeered a nearby walker and provided them with some cover fire.

Cobb Vanth Refused To Help Cad Bane

When Cad Bane showed up in Freetown to demand that the town remain neutral in Boba Fett’s upcoming war with the Pyke Syndicate, Cobb Vanth could have easily caved to his demand. However, with Boba being one of his allies, Cobb refused to bend and was gunned down in a standoff with a blue-skinned bounty hunter. Fortunately, he was later shown being healed in Boba’s bacta tank.

Chirrut Îmwe Activated The Communications Switch

During the mission to secure the Death Star plans from Scarif, the blind warrior Chirrut Îmwe pulled off a feat that few with eyesight would likely have been able to accomplish. Despite blaster bolts flying at him from every which way, Chirrut was able to find his way to a nearby console and activate the master switch that established communication with the Rebel fleet. Unfortunately, he was killed moments later.

Jecki Lon Engaged The Stranger Alone

As a Padawan, there was really no way that Jecki Lon was going to win in her lightsaber duel against The Stranger, a.k.a. Qimir, during The Acolyte. Still, the fact that she stayed alive as long as she did, held her own and even managed to damage his helmet before being sliced down was incredible.

General Hux Saved Finn, Poe And Chewbacca

Sometimes hate can forge unlikely alliances. Jealous and bitter at how he was being treated by Kylo Ren and Allegiant General Pryde, General Hux became a spy for the Resistance has part of an effort to undermine Ren and become the new Supreme Leader. Eventually he blew his cover to help Finn, Poe and Chewbacca escape the Star Destroyer they were on, and while Hux later tried to tell a cover story to preserve his position in The First Order, Pryde saw through the lie and shot him.

The Armorer Compromises To Unite All Mandalorians

As the leader of the Mandalorian sect known as The Children of the Watch, The Armorer promotes the ancient ways of Mandalore, particularly not removing their helmets in front of others, which mainstream Mandalorian culture has long since abandoned. However, in order to reunite all surviving Mandalorians under Bo-Katan Kryze, who’d inherited the Darksaber, The Armorer was willing to ally herself with those who didn’t fully align with her group’s beliefs, as evidenced when she interacted Bo-Katan to take her helmet off.

Until the release of Daisy Ridley’s Rey movie at a yet-to-be-determined date, The Rise of Skywalker remains the last stop when one is going through the Star Wars movies in order. Set one year after the events of The Last Jedi, Episode IX showed Kylo Ren still leading The First Order after killing Supreme Leader Snoke, but we don’t see much of him actually commanding the military movement. Well, a comic book series is on the way to explore this chapter of Kylo’s life, and the announcement of this project brings some welcome news for those who romantically paired him and Rey in their heads, a.k.a. Reylo shippers.

Marvel Is Publishing Star Wars: Legacy Of Vader

Marvel Comics announced today that writer Charles Soule is teaming with illustrator Luke Ross for Star Wars: Legacy of Vader, a limited comic book series following Kylo Ren in the year between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. The series will explore Kylo’s “enduring connection” to Darth Vader, a.k.a. his maternal grandfather, and how the actions of the man previously known as Anakin Skywalker guide Kylo’s choices at a time when he’s long since eschewed his Ben Solo identity. This will include Kylo traveling to Vader’s castle on Mustafar and visiting Tatooine, where his grandaddy and uncle Luke both grew up.

Soule, whose many Star Wars writing credits include Marvel’s 2017 Darth Vader series and Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren, which depicted Ben’s fall to the Dark Side, had this to say about Legacy of Vader’s premise:

You’ll notice Charles Soule mentioning Kylo Ren’s “deep connection” with Rey. On the surface, that could just be referring to how their lives intersected in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, from that duel on Starkiller Base to when they fought Snoke’s Praetorian Guard. But additional information supplied about Legacy of Vader reveals it goes even deeper than that.

Why Reylo Shippers Should Be Excited About This

A segment of the Star Wars fanbase were shipping Rey and Kylo Ren together stretching back to when The Force Awakens kicked off the Sequel Trilogy in 2015, but it was the two of them sharing a kiss before Kylo died in The Rise of Skywalker that really sent them into high gear. Granted, there were other fans who didn’t like the kiss, though director J.J. Abrams hit back against the idea that Rey and Kylo purely had a brother-sister dynamic. Thanks to the announcement of Star Wars: Legacy of Vader, we know for a fact that, at least where Kylo was concerned, he definitely had romantic feelings for Rey.

Mark Panicccia, a senior editor at Marvel Comics whose workload includes Star Wars titles, went on X (formerly known as Twitter) to share a spoiler-free snippet of the Legacy of Vader #1 script detailing the events of Kylo Ren’s recent past when the comic book series begins. That includes:

Considering that Marvel’s Star Wars comics are part of the official canon, then we can officially scrap this brother-sister idea for good. Kylo definitely has a romantic interest in Rey. Admittedly, it still remains to be officially clarified if Rey truly felt the same way when Kylo died, because in the Rise of Skywalker novelization, that smooch was described as a kiss of “gratitude, acknowledgement of their connection, celebration they’d found each other at last.” However, that same book also shared their touching last words, so a stronger argument could be made for her having a romantic interest too.

Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #1 comes out on February 5, 2025 online and at your local comic book store. Keep yourself entertained in the meantime by streaming all sorts of Star Wars content with your Disney+ subscription and looking through our guide of upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows.

At present, there are a lot of upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows on the way from Lucasfilm. However, perhaps the most exciting of them all is the return of Daisy Ridley’s Rey in her spinoff film, which is currently in active development. As Ridley gets ready to tell a new story in the beloved universe, she recently reflected on dealing with "overwhelming" fame when The Force Awakens launched the prequel trilogy nearly a decade ago.

While the release of Episode VII was just another walk around the block for actors like Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher at the time, it was Daisy Ridley’s first time leading a movie ever. She recalled some of her earliest experiences with the fanfare, and they truly drove home how her life was changing:

Daisy Ridley shared these memories when she spoke to French film magazine Premiere about her upcoming return to the galaxy far, far away. It's definitely fair to say that the Star Wars movies bolstered her celebrity status. Back in 2015, she became one of the most highly covered stars in Hollywood, in what seemed to be just the blink of an eye. She continued to explain those early lessons in fame and how she feels she'll handle the Rey-related buzz this time around:

Amid the interview, the Young Woman and the Sea star also clarified that she “wasn’t forced to come back” and certainly could have turned down Lucasfilm offer to do a another movie. However, when she was pitched the idea, she ultimately liked the concept. Not only that, but she also recalled how she “had a great time” working on the sequel trilogy, which made her decision to return to the fold that much easier.

Daisy Ridley also remembered that in the same week she was approached by Lucasfilm, two people had serendipitously pointed out it would be interesting to see what her Star Wars character was doing now. She previously said that she wanted to return as Rey, because the franchise brings a “lot of love and joy” to people. Of course, there’s been some sexism in Star Wars, but the actress also previously said that element of the fandom has been “blown out of proportion.”

Eventually, audiences will get to catch up with Rey in a movie that will take place 15 years after the release of Rise of Skywalker. The movie will see Rey reforming the Jedi Order, which means she'll possibly be serving as a mentor to a new generation of Force-wielders. Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has said that Rey will be the “heart” of the movie, and that definitely makes sense.

Filming has yet to kick off on the new film, but the chances are the production will get started sometime next year. Overall, it sounds Daisy Ridley is more than ready to jump back in and get to work. I'm glad that she now has perspective on the fame she experienced so many years ago and wish her well as she prepares to experience a new wave of buzz with this upcoming feature.

While you wait for the new film to open on May 20, 2026, stream the Star Wars movies in order using a Disney+ subscription.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Doctor Who episode "Empire of Death." Watch it with a Disney+ subscription, and read at your own risk!

Disney+'s first season of Doctor Who closed by solving the big mystery of Ruby Sunday, albeit maybe not in the way fans expected. The show explained just about every wild coincidence that kept occurring, and while we still don't know who Mrs. Flood is, we do know the identity of Ruby Sunday's mother. Amidst conversations about the reveal, showrunner Russell T. Davies explained a Star Wars movie was why he chose to have Ruby's mother be just an ordinary woman.

The reveal that Ruby's mother was some average woman, rather than River Song or Jodie Whittaker's iteration of The Doctor, confused some Doctor Who viewers. Davies explained in a commentary track for the episode "Empire Of Death," however, that he was inspired to tell that story after watching Star Wars: The Last Jedi and disliking the retcon of the significance of Rey's parents:

Sci-fi fans may recall that Star Wars: The Last Jedi saw pushback from fans over the reveal, they felt let down that Rey's lineage wasn't significant in any way. The Rise Of Skywalker then changed it so that she ended up being the child of a clone of Emperor Palpatine and, therefore, imbued with his powers of the Force.

Audiences were as divided on the Rey decision as critics were on The Rise Of Skywalker, so perhaps Doctor Who fans should remember that after feeling let down by the reveal. Russell T. Davies has no regrets about his decision, as he talked about the possibilities for Ruby's parents and why he landed on the decision he did:

At the end of the season, Ruby stayed behind in her time period to catch up with her birth mother and prepare to meet her birth father in the coming days. The Doctor was left to travel alone, though I believe he will explore his origins and seek out his family in coming adventures.

As for Ruby Sunday, we do know that Millie Gibson will return next season despite The Doctor getting another new companion. Varada Sethu will also join the series after making a surprise appearance in the episode "Boom." It remains to be seen if that was just some coincidence where an actor is welcomed onto the cast ahead of landing a bigger role, but I'm sure we'll know for sure next season. For now, let's just be happy that some of our biggest questions about this season were answered, even if a few are still unanswered.

Doctor Who will return with another new episode on the 2024 TV schedule for the Christmas special, and hopefully, by then, we'll have an idea of when the next season may debut. I'm excited for more adventures with Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor and for more answers about the gods of the Pantheon as we continue.

Without George Lucas, there would be no Luke Skywalker, no Death Star, no Boba Fett, no Baby Yoda, and the collection of great movies on Disney+ would look vastly different. However, while Lucas is responsible for creating the massively popular franchise set in a galaxy far, far away, there are a handful of others whose names are listed as director for some of the best Star Wars movies.

With the property being as popular as ever, and a few high-profile upcoming Star Wars movies on the way, we decided to take a step back and look at all of the directors who have helped shape the franchise into what we know it as today. With all three sequels from the “Skywalker Saga” and every released standalone movie included, we’ve put together a rather robust list sorted by release date.

George Lucas, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)

When he sat behind the camera for Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, George Lucas was a talented yet relatively unknown director who only had two credits to his name: THX 1138 and American Graffiti. That would soon change upon the May 1977 release of the franchise starter, which propelled Lucas and the film’s cast into superstardom and made him a household name, a distinction that has remained true for nearly 50 years.

Irvin Kershner, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Though very much involved with the story, production, and everything else surrounding Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas passed on the opportunity to direct the film due to not wanting to relive the stress from the first film, per the New York Times. He took a risk and selected Irvin Kershner, best known for films like The Hoodlum Priest, Up the Sandbox, and S*P*Y*S, and it ultimately paid off and gave us one of the best sequels of all time. However, it wasn’t all pleasant for everyone, as Mark Hamill butted heads with Kershner during his first and only Star Wars movie.

Richard Marquand, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi (1983)

When it came to closing the Star Wars trilogy, Lucas selected Richard Marquand to direct Return of the Jedi, who beat out names like Steven Spielberg, David Lynch, and David Cronenberg, per Collider. Marquand would close out the first phase of the franchise with a divisive finale that seems to get much more praise as the years go on.

George Lucas, Star Wars: Episode I – Phantom Menace (1999)

When it came time for Star Wars to return to the big screen with the long-awaited prequels, George Lucas returned to the director’s chair 20 years after taking a more behind-the-scenes role with The Empire Strikes Back. The result of his return was 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menance, a movie that is not without its shortcomings but also one that gave us the iconic “Duel of the Fates” lightsaber battle.

George Lucas, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack Of The Clones (2002)

The filmmaker stuck around for the second installment in the “Prequel Trilogy” Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Though fans have started to appreciate the prequels, including the middle chapter, in recent years, this 2002 movie remains a low point for the franchise.

George Lucas, Star Wars: Episode III -  Revenge Of The Sith (2005)

The “Prequel Trilogy” came to an end in 2005 with Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, which was once again directed by Lucas. Conversations surrounding the film’s legacy have gone in every direction in the nearly 20 years since its release, but there’s no denying that Lucas directed the hell out of the Mustafar duel.

Dave Filoni, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)

Dave Filoni has gone on to be one of the driving forces behind the brand over the years, and it all started with him directing the 2008 animated movie, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The beloved film, which would lead into the the TV series of the same name, took place not long after the events of Attack of the Clones and further expanded the story of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, while also introducing fan-favorites like Ahsoka Tano.

J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)

In December 2015, three years after Disney acquired Lucasfilm, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens was released into theaters around the world and became a massive box office hit. J.J. Abrams, who became one of the major stakeholders in the property following the acquisition, directed the first live-action Star Wars movie in a decade and kicked off the “Sequel Trilogy” in the process.

Gareth Edwards, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

One year after The Force Awakens made beaucoup money at the box office, Disney released its first anthology film with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Directed by Gareth Edwards, who was hot off of the release of Godzilla two years earlier, told the story of the rebel spies who secured the secret Death Star plans and chronicled the sacrifices they made to save the galaxy.

Rian Johnson, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)

Either the most daring or divisive Star Wars movie depending on who you ask, Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi broke from the status quo and offered a fresh take for the galaxy far, far away. There has been talk of Johnson returning to the franchise at some point in the future, but he has been rather busy the past few years with the Knives Out series, including his upcoming Wake Up Dead Man.

Ron Howard, Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

More than 40 years after working with Lucas in American Graffiti, Ron Howard joined the franchise with 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, replacing Phil Lord and Chris Miller in the process. The movie, which saw Alden Ehrenreich take on the role of a young Han Solo, wasn’t well received and is currently the final Star Wars anthology film. 

J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

Colin Trevorrow was supposed to direct the final installment of the “Sequel Trilogy,” which at one point had the working title of Duel of the Fates, but J.J. Abrams ultimately returned to wrap up the Skywalker Saga with The Rise of Skywalker. Though the lowest-ranked live-action Star Wars movie on Rotten Tomatoes, TROS still made a ton of cash at the box office, though there hasn’t been a new theatrical release since its December 2019 debut.

Though there aren’t any Star Wars movies on the 2024 movie schedule, there are some promising series set in the galaxy on the 2024 TV calendar that should hold fans’ attention while we wait. 

When you make your way through the Star Wars movies in order, obviously there are certain characters who stand out above the others, including Luke Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo, Leia Organa, Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, the list goes on. And then there are characters who may have supporting roles in these movies or only briefly appear, which is fine since not everyone can have the exact same level of importance. Still, you may find yourself wanting more from them.

That’s why we’ve compiled this list of 32 Star Wars characters who appeared in the movies, but have shined in other media tied to the franchise. This list primarily covers content from the official Star Wars canon, but there will also be some talk about the old Legends continuity, which became defunct in 2014.

Boba Fett

Although Boba Fett collected a lot of fans from his appearances in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and was later featured as a child in Attack of the Clones, frankly, he barely functions as a character in those movies. Fortunately, both the Legends-era material and the official canon have given him a lot to do, with the former largely consisting of roles in novels and comic books, and the latter putting him in the spotlight during some episodes of the TV shows The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian Season 2, as well as his own limited series, The Book of Boba Fett.

Count Dooku

Count Dooku was certainly presented as a capable threat in the latter half of Attack of the Clones, but he was quickly taken off the board by Anakin Skywalker at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith. So if you’re looking to enjoy more of the former Jedi master-turned-Sith Lord, start with watching various The Clone Wars episodes and the three episodes focused on him in Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, and and then reading the book Dooku: Jedi Lost. If you’re a Legends fan, Dark Rendezvous is also worth a read.

Lobot

To most people who’ve seen the Star Wars movies, Lobot is just the silent guy with the weird mechanical apparatus around his head who was by Lando Calrissian’s side in The Empire Strikes Back. Well, you should know that he’s one of Lando’s closest allies, and that’s demonstrated in various Marvel Comics series, like the main title and the Lando miniseries. He also briefly appears in the Last Shot novel.

Sabé

You may not know her by name, but anyone who’s seen The Phantom Menace knows Sabé, as she’s the handmaiden who impersonated Queen Amidala for the majority of that movie. For those interested in learning what happened to her after the first Prequel Trilogy entry, check out Marvel Comics’ Darth Vader comic book series set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as she plays a key role in its story.

Phasma

Like Boba Fett, Captain Phasma was really only around to look cool during her two Sequel Trilogy appearances, although at least she proved herself more capable in The Last Jedi than Boba did in Return of the Jedi. In any case, pick up the Phasma novel if you want to learn about how she joined The First Order, and the Star Wars: Captain Phasma miniseries to learn what happened to her between The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. She was also a supporting antagonist in Star Wars Resistance.

General Grievous

Although General Grievous was certainly no pushover in Revenge of the Sith, the movie also didn’t do the commander of the Separatists’ droid army justice for just how dangerous he is. The original Clone Wars micro series did that properly when it introduced him to the world, but even if we’re just limiting ourselves to the official canon, The Clone Wars and the Tales of the Empire miniseries do tremendous jobs of showing off of Grievous’ ruthlessness and skills that allowed him to kill countless Jedi, clones, the list goes on.

Darth Maul

There’s no question that Darth Maul came out of The Phantom Menace looking like a boss with his double-bladed lightsaber, but he only served as a weapon carrying out Darth Sidious’ will. If you want to really get to know Maul the character, then the latter half of The Clone Wars and a good chunk of Star Wars Rebels are must-watches. The former in particular adds context for why he cameoed in Solo. Maul’s also frequently appeared in books and comic book series from both the official canon and Legends.

Jango Fett

Jango Fett will always be important to the franchise as the genetic template for the clone troopers, which includes raising Boba, an unaltered clone, as his son. We also got a sense of how ruthless a bounty hunter he was when he killed Zam Wessell to cover his tracks and when he put up a decent fight against Obi-Wan Kenobi. But if you’re craving more action featuring Jango, track down the Legends-set video game Star Wars: Bounty Hunter so you can play as him going on various missions.

Wedge Antilles

Wedge Antilles is the only non-core Original Trilogy character to appear in all three of those movies, as he was seen participating in the Battle of Yavin, the Battle of Hoth and the space portion of the Battle of Endor. An older Wedge also cameoed in The Rise of Skywalker, and his younger self appeared in a few Rebels episodes. Book-wise, though, he’s done quite well for himself, appearing in the canon Aftermath trilogy and Star Wars: Resistance Reborn, and leading the X-Wing novels from the Legends era.

Plo Koon

Like the next several entries on this list, Plo Koon was just one of the many silent Jedi who appeared during the Prequel Trilogy, and we saw his ship shot down when Order 66 was executed in Revenge of the Sith. Watch The Clone Wars to learn how he sounds and see him properly in action. Need extra incentive? He’s the one who discovered Ahsoka Tano.

Kit Fisto

Kit Fisto got a slightly bigger platform than your average, silent Prequel-era Jedi when he accompanied Mace Windu to arrest Chancellor Palpatine with Agen Kolar and Sassee Tiin. He barely lasted longer against the Sith Lord than those last two, so if you’d like a better idea of how capable Kit actually was, check out his prominent appearances in The Clone Wars. There’s also the Legends novel The Cetus Deception if you’re craving more from the character.

Luminara Unduli

All you’ll really see of Luminara Unduli in the Star Wars movies is a few brief shots of her with her lightsaber in Attack of the Clones, and then making a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo on Kashyyyk in Revenge of the Sith. So watch The Clone Wars to see her being put to good use, and then head over to the Rebels episode “Rise of the Old Masters” to witness how she was horrifically used long after dying.

Barriss Offee

Barriss Offee was Luminara Unduli’s Pawadan when the Clone Wars broke out, so you’ll see her by her master’s side a little bit during Attack of the Clones. But it was The Clone Wars where she really shined, albeit not always as a hero, as the final episodes of Season 5 took her down a dark path. Then over a decade later, three of Tales of the Empire’s episodes showed what happened to her during the Empire’s reign.

Shaak Ti

It may sound like a broken record at this point, but once again, here’s another Jedi from the final days of the Old Republic who was followed a decent amount in The Clone Wars, and she also appeared in the Dark Disciple book. Additionally though, over in the Legends role, Shaak Ti played a prominent role in the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game, having survived Order 66 in this continuity.

Yaddle

Until Grogu became The Mandalorian’s breakout character, the only other member of Yoda’s species ever show was Yaddle, who was a Jedi Council member during The Phantom Menace. But Yaddle was nowhere to be seen in Attack of the Clones. Well, check out Tales of the Jedi if you want to learn what happened to her. This also cleared up that Yoda’s peculiar way of speaking is unique to him alone, not something done by others in his and Yaddle’s species.

Jar Jar Binks

There’s no question that Jar Jar Binks has one of the worst reputations of the Star Wars characters, and certainly no one is obligated to pretend they like him. That being said, The Clone Wars does do a decent job of giving the Gungan a handful of opportunities to come off looking a little better. It’s also worth reading the novel Aftermath: Empire’s End to learn what happened to Jar Jar after the events of Return of the Jedi.

Wilhuff Tarkin

Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin functioned as a compelling secondary villain next to Darth Vader in A New Hope, even though he was actually the one calling the shots in this movie. Alas, his overconfidence in the first Death Star proved to be his undoing. Not to worry, though because along with him cameoing in Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One giving him a key supporting role, the TV shows The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch and Rebels gave him a lot to do. If you really want to dig into Tarkin’s psyche, read the novel about him published in 2014.

Commander Cody

Commander Cody offhandedly mentioned in Revenge of the Sith that he and Obi-Wan Kenobi had been on many missions together, Well, you can see some of those missions in The Clone Wars and see what their dynamic was like before Cody ordered the Jedi Master to be executed as part of Order 66. Cody also appears in The Bad Batch episode “The Solitary Clone,” where we learn how he’s handling working for the Empire.

Mon Mothma

Mon Mothma briefly appeared in Return of the Jedi as one of the Rebellion’s high-ranking leaders, and she was also supposed to appear in Revenge of the Sith, but her scenes were deleted. Fortunately, not only did Genevieve O’Reilly, who played the character in the latter, not only get to make a proper cinematic appearance as Mothma in Rogue One, but she’s also portrayed her in Rebels, Andor and Ahsoka.

Bossk

Like the next two entries on this list, Bossk cameoed in The Empire Strikes Back as one of the bounty hunters Darth Vader hired alongside Boba Fett to track down the Millennium Falcon. Make your way through The Clone Wars and the tie-in novel Dark Disciple to see what Bossk was up to during the title conflict, then jump over to Marvel Comics’ Bounty Hunters series to follow along with him post-Empire, pre-Return of the Jedi.

Dengar

Like Bossk and the following entry, Dengar was spotlighted in the Legends continuity through one of the short stories in Tales of the Bounty Hunters, amidst other appearances. Canon-wise, though, his list of appearances includes a couple of episodes of The Clone Wars, Marvel’s Darth Vader series that began publication in 2015, Target Vader, the aforementioned Bounty Hunters and the first two Aftermath books.

Zuckuss And 4-LOM

The bizarre-looking Zuckuss and his droid companion 4-LOM make for an extremely effective bounty hunting duo. They also play significant roles in the Bounty Hunters comic book series and the Dark Droids crossover event, and you can see them among other bounty hunters from the Empire Strikes Back era in “Wait for It,” one of the short stories from From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back.

Maz Kanata

Although Maz Kanata played an important role in The Force Awakens by bringing back Luke Skywalker’s original lightsaber, she barely had anything to do in both The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. So if you’re looking to see more of the character, read material like The High Republic Adventures, the Han Solo & Chewbacca comic book series, Aftermath: Life Debt and Last Shot.

Cassian Andor

There’s no question that Cassian Andor was key to Rogue One’s story, and one could certainly make a strong argument for him being the movie’s second most important character behind Jyn Erso. But fans of the character got lucky, as the Andor series wound the clock back to show what Diego Luna’s character was doing in the five years ahead of him meeting Jyn and perishing on Scarif. This series also has the benefit of being one of the more grounded and grittier Star Wars projects.

Qi’ra

When we left off with Qi’ra at the end of Solo, she’d contacted Maul, leader of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate, to inform him of Dryden Vos’ death and blame Tobias Beckett for their mission’s failure. While we never got to see Qi’ra meet up with Maul on Dathomir, she returned to prominence in the pages of Marvel’s Crimson Trilogy which comprised the Star Wars crossover events War of the Bounty Hunters, Crimson Reign and Hidden Empire.

Knights Of Ren

Following the Knights of Ren being teased in The Force Awakens, they didn’t resurface until The Rise of Skywalker, and even then they only served the function of nameless heavies, barely any more important than stormtroopers or the Praetorian Guard in The Last Jedi. So read Marvel’s Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren to learn how he joined this group, or read the Crimson Trilogy to see what these characters were up to before Return of the Jedi.

Rose Tico

Despite Rose Tico being an important character in The Last Jedi, she only had a couple of minutes of screen time in The Rise of Skywalker, and many fans were disappointed with her being sidelined. The good news, though, is that Rose’s fans can see what she was doing prior to Episode VIII in her Age of Resistance one-shot, then follow her between that movie and Episode XI in the Resistance Reborn and Spark of the Resistance books, and the Allegiance comic book miniseries.

Bail Organa

We met Bail Organa, Leia’s adoptive father, in Attack of the Clones, and then he played a bigger role in Revenge of the Sith, followed by a minor appearance in Rogue One. Once you’re done watching those movies, head over to The Clone Wars to see his activities during the Republic’s war with the Separatist, then watch Obi-Wan Kenobi to see him reunite with the title Jedi Master and finally get to see what kind of a parent he was to Leia.

Greedo

When the name Greedo pops up in Star Wars fans’ conversations, it’s almost always in reference to the “Han shot first” debate. But don’t let your opinion of the character rest only on his untimely demise: read Han Solo & Chewbacca and a handful of From a Certain Point of View: A New Hope’s short stories to learn more about him. Also, fun fact, that little Rodian kid who makes fun of Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace is Greedo.

Snap Wexley

Poe Dameron was the X-Wing pilot extraordinaire in the Sequel Trilogy, but Snap Wexley was pretty good in the seat of one of these starfighters too. We saw him in action during The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker, but you can also follow along with him in the Aftermath trilogy, the Bloodline book and the Poe Dameron comic book series to learn more about this member of the Resistance.

Amilyn Holdo

Amilyn Holdo will arguably always be best known for jumping into hyperspace through Supreme Leader Snoke’s ship in The Last Jedi, a suicide attack that was later called “The Holdo Maneuver.” Fortunately, there are plenty of stories from her past that have been told in Star Wars media, including the book Leia: Princess of Alderaan, where we learn how those two became close, and various appearances in Marvel’s comic books.

Ochi Of Bestoon

Don’t be embarrassed if you don’t remember Ochi of Bestoon in The Rise of Skywalker, as he was only briefly seen in a hologram and flashbacks as the assassin/Jedi hunter who was being pursued by Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian on Pasaana, where he died. If you really want to know what this character’s deal is, read Shadow of the Sith to learn the specifics of his death and how he’s connected to Rey and her parents, as well as the Darth Vader comic book series set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as he’s one of the Sith Lord’s main minions during this period.

So if any of these characters appealed to you in any way, check out those recommended stories and feel free to do more research into the character. 

There’s something so comforting about a good rom-com, where you know two people are going to end up together, and you just get to watch how it happens. The best romantic comedies can cause butterflies in your stomach, or you might even shed a tear at whatever inevitable grand gesture proves one’s love for another. This only works, however, if the stars of said movie have good chemistry, because otherwise watching the characters’ love story can be quite painful. Below are some of those couples who had absolutely zero chemistry.  

Ashton Kutcher And Reese Witherspoon (Your Place Or Mine)

The minimal amount of time that Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon actually spent together in 2023’s Your Place or Mine didn’t help these two well-known actors convince moviegoers of any romantic interest in each other whatsoever. It also didn’t help that Witherspoon’s Debbie did have great chemistry with Theo (Jesse Williams). 

Jennifer Lopez And Ralph Fiennes (Maid In Manhattan)

Maid in Manhattan may be among Jennifer Lopez’s best romantic comedies, but the chemistry between Marisa and Chris was not the strongest. Ralph Fiennes has taken the blame for that, admitting that the “light, comic” thing doesn’t play to his strengths as an actor. 

Lauren London And Jonah Hill (You People) 

The relationship between Ezra (Jonah Hill) and Amira (Lauren London) in You People was a stretch, to begin with, but you guys, there was so little connection between these two actors that their lone kiss, which comes at the end of the movie, was apparently done with CGI. Wild! 

Patrick Dempsey And Michelle Monaghan (Made Of Honor)

The only thing less believable than the romance between Patrick Dempsey’s Tom and Michelle Monaghan’s Hannah in Made of Honor was the scene where they started making out at her bachelorette party in front of everyone, and no one noticed.  

Lindsay Lohan And Chord Overstreet (Falling For Christmas) 

Who doesn’t love Lindsay Lohan, am I right? It was wonderful to see her return to acting in the 2022 holiday rom-com Falling for Christmas. The story was perfectly pleasant — with a killer Mean Girls reference to boot — and Chord Overstreet was truly a sweetheart as single dad Jake Russell as he cared for the injured Sierra (Lohan). It was all very charming, but my goodness there wasn’t an ounce of romantic interest between those two. 

Constance Wu And Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) 

The success of the novel Crazy Rich Asians translated to the screen in 2018, as we got to see the love story between Nick Young (Henry Golding) and Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) come to life. However, audiences were disappointed in how underdeveloped Wu and Golding’s characters were, even in comparison to their co-stars. 

Jennifer Lopez And Owen Wilson (Marry Me)

The unlikelihood that Jennifer Lopez’s Kat would have any interest whatsoever in Owen Wilson’s Charlie in the 2022 film Marry Me is a hurdle even these talented leading actors couldn’t overcome.  

Tina Fey And Steve Carell (Date Night) 

It should come as no surprise that Tina Fey and Steve Carell had comedic chemistry in spades in the 2010 flick Date Night. Romantic chemistry? Not so much, as their marriage was largely played for jokes. 

Ashley Greene And Jackson Rathbone (Twilight)

Don’t come for me, Twi-hards, but does anybody else have trouble remembering that Twilight’s Alice (Ashley Greene) and Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) AREN’T brother and sister? It was possibly Jasper’s discomfort, which prevented him from relaxing even just a little bit, on top of Alice’s almost maternal concern for him that did that. 

Ashton Kutcher And Lea Michele (New Year's Eve)

Two of the romantic leads of the 2011 ensemble rom-com New Year’s Eve were Lea Michele and Ashton Kutcher, who played Elise and Randy, respectively. The neighbors clashed immediately when they found themselves stuck in an elevator, and due to the actors’ nonexistent chemistry and having to share screen time with dozens of other actors, it was never really believable that they’d be together by the end of the night. 

Michelle Pfeiffer And Maxwell Caulfield (Grease 2)

In a gender reversal of the first movie, Grease 2 features Michelle Pfeiffer’s Stephanie wanting a whole lot more than the boy next door, aka Maxwell Caulfield’s Michael. In fact, she wouldn’t give him the time of day until he put on a leather jacket and became the mysterious motorcycleman. Their performances did little to elevate a painfully shallow premise. 

Dakota Johnson And Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades of Grey)

With a movie as intimate as Fifty Shades of Grey, you’d hope there would be an emphasis on making the leads as comfortable as possible on set. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened, as director Sam Taylor-Johnson and the book’s author E.L. James butted heads and even got into “screaming matches” with each other. Dakota Johnson has talked about the “battles” she had, so it’s really no wonder why her character’s spicy trysts with Jamie Dornan’s Christian Grey came off as more awkward than romantic. 

Mila Kunis And Channing Tatum (Jupiter Ascending)

The 2015 space opera Jupiter Ascending has been largely panned by critics, and though it maintains something of a cult following, the romance between Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) and human-canine hybrid Caine Wise (Channing Tatum) simply doesn’t work. 

Hayden Christensen And Emma Roberts (Little Italy)

Audiences bristled at the on-screen love between Hayden Christensen’s Leo and Emma Roberts’ Nikki in the 2018 flick Little Italy, in which the characters are star-crossed lovers from rival pizzeria-owning families. The lack of a spark is strange, though, as an inappropriate relationship between the two was blamed for Christensen’s breakup with longtime girlfriend Rachel Bilson. 

Justin Guarini And Kelly Clarkson (From Justin To Kelly)

Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini can hardly be blamed for what a mess From Justin to Kelly was. For one thing, the winner and runner-up of American Idol’s first season were not actors, and Clarkson has spoken multiple times about how miserable she was during filming and how hard she tried to get out of the contractual obligation.  

Mackenzie Davis And Kristen Stewart (Happiest Season)

There’s plenty to like about the LGBTQ+ holiday rom-com Happiest Season, but many fans would have preferred to see Abby (Kristen Stewart) end up with Riley (Aubrey Plaza) rather than stay with girlfriend Harper (Mackenzie Davis). Stewart shared an amazing spark with Plaza that wasn’t there with Davis. 

Freddie Prinze Jr. And Julia Stiles (Down To You)

Two powerhouses of the ‘90s romantic comedy, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Julia Stiles failed to bring the fireworks in the 2000 film Down to You. It stands as the worst-rated rom-com of all time on Rotten Tomatoes with a dire 3%. 

Lana Condor And Noah Centineo (To All the Boys: Always And Forever)

In the beginning of the To All the Boys trilogy, Lana Condor and Noah Centineo were oh-so-cute, but somehow all of that chemistry had fizzled by the third movie.

Jim Carrey And Zooey Deschanel (Yes Man)

Yes Man from 2008 wasn’t a total disaster, but many people weren’t buying the romance between 28-year-old Zooey Deschanel and 46-year-old Jim Carrey. 

Reese Witherspoon And Tom Hardy (This Means War)

In 2012’s This Means War, Tom Hardy and Chris Pine play CIA agents who literally go to war when they learn they’re both dating Lauren (Reese Witherspoon). However, there was never really an indication that she had such a strong connection with either of them — Hardy in particular — that would justify such actions. Hardy has admitted to being “miserable” on set, saying he is unlikely to dip into the romantic comedy genre again. 

Chris O’Donnell And Renee Zellweger (The Bachelor)

The Bachelor has a skeezy premise to begin with, and Chris O’Donnell’s Jimmie seems much less concerned about his breakup with Anne (Renée Zellweger) than he is about finding a woman to marry him in less than a day so he can inherit $100 million from his grandfather. Unfortunately, they’re not able to make their inevitable reunion very believable. 

Kumail Nanjiani And Issa Rae (The Lovebirds)

The Lovebirds starred Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani as Jibran and Leilani, a couple on the verge of a split. The breakup plot point, however, didn’t seem to be the reason that audiences couldn't connect with this duo. With the characters getting into ridiculous situations while on the run after witnessing a murder, this 2020 rom-com was heavy on comedy but light on romance. 

Hugh Grant And Drew Barrymore (Music And Lyrics)

This pairing’s lack of a spark was particularly disappointing, given that Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore each had several successful romantic comedies under their belts by 2007. Nonetheless, when Grant’s Alex and Barrymore’s Sophie teamed up in Music and Lyrics to write a song together, audiences felt no heat between the two. 

Leonardo DiCaprio And Carey Mulligan (The Great Gatsby)

Forbidden love movies can be the best for romance, but unfortunately for fans of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan failed to portray the passion in the complicated story of Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby. Mulligan has since admitted that she doesn't like her acting in the movie. 

Ben Affleck And Jennifer Lopez (Gigli)

Bennifer in the 2000s — and later Bennifer 2.0 — is one of the great love stories of our time, so it’s downright baffling why Ben Affleck and his would-be wife Jennifer Lopez have no chemistry in the 2003 box-office bomb Gigli. 

Angelina Jolie And Johnny Depp (The Tourist) 

Nobody’s questioning the acting skills of Angelina Jolie or Johnny Depp, but the stars of the 2010 film The Tourist seemed largely indifferent about each other when their characters were supposed to be falling in love. There were reports that the actors couldn’t stand each other on set; however, during Depp’s trial with Amber Heard, Jolie’s name was mentioned in a group of the actor’s “exes,” leading many to wonder if the two had been involved. Either way, the emotion didn’t translate to the screen. 

Zach Braff And Natalie Portman In (Garden State)

Manic Pixie Dream Girls like Natalie Portman’s Sam in Garden State sometimes don’t make the best romantic partners, and in this case, Zach Braff’s Andrew was also going through so much that this would have been a tough romance to pull off for any two actors. Still, even with the “happy ending,” there just wasn’t much to feel good about with this couple.  

Ryan Reynolds And Amy Smart In (Just Friends)

Just Friends in 2005 saw Chris (Ryan Reynolds) pining over longtime bestie Jamie (Amy Smart), despite her admission 10 years earlier that her feelings for her fat friend were merely platonic. That’s a pretty big obstacle to overcome, and there’s no way that happens if the energy between the two is as lackluster as this was. 

Natalie Portman And Hayden Christensen (Star Wars)

It’s been over two decades since Natalie Portman’s Padmé Amidala engaged in a relationship with Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones, and while some blame goes to the script, they remain one of the most notorious examples of co-stars with absolutely zero chemistry. 

Daniel Radcliffe And Bonnie Wright (Harry Potter)

Ginny Weasley was done a great disservice in the Harry Potter movies as one of several book characters who didn’t get enough screen time. There simply wasn’t an opportunity for Bonnie Wright to establish a palpable connection with Daniel Radcliffe in order to portray Ginny and Harry’s love the way we experienced it on the page. 

Bryce Dallas Howard And Chris Pratt (Jurassic World)

While this wasn’t a traditional rom-com, Jurassic World certainly featured a romantic storyline between Chris Pratt’s Owen and Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire. Apart from that aspect of their stories feeling wholly unnecessary — what with all the dinos — it was simply hard to buy that they were even all that into each other. 

Kelly Marie Tran And John Boyega (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)

Kelly Marie Tran sadly faced a lot of unfair criticism when she was cast as Rose Tico in 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, to the point where she had to delete social media to get away from the hate. John Boyega, as well, saw backlash from people who fought the idea of Stormtroopers being Black. Aside from that, though, many fans unfortunately just didn’t see any romantic spark between the actors either.  

It can be so much fun to watch characters fall in love on the big screen, but man is it a disappointment when the actors lack that oh-so-important chemistry.

There are many reasons why the Star Wars franchise is iconic. The characters are iconic. The costumes are iconic. The props are iconic. The special and visual effects are iconic. And, right up there alongside all of those other qualities is the dialogue. The full run of the series on the big screen from 1977 up to the present is packed with quotable quotes that are both part of memorable cinematic moments and applicable to everyday life.

It’s in celebration of those great Star Wars lines that we’ve put together this feature – highlighting all of the best bits from A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Attack Of The Clones, Revenge Of The Sith, The Force Awakens, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story and The Rise Of Skywalker.

“I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

This is one of the lines on the list that is all about delivery. “Disturbing” is a weak adjective in the context of the scene (Darth Vader confronted with doubt about the existence of the Force), but James Earl Jones’ gravitas makes Vader’s understated word choice terrifying.

“These aren't the droids you're looking for.”

Obi-wan Kenobi unleashing the first-ever Jedi mind trick is an exceptionally badass move. To create a pun with a Star Wars line that you won’t find later in this week, it’s wizard.

“If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”

In the full context of the Skywalker saga, this line has two standout readings. On the one hand, Obi-wan becomes a Force Ghost, able to aid Luke Skywalker on his journey to become a Jedi. On the other hand, Darth Vader is aiming to kill the man who treated him like a son, and Obi-wan knows that will haunt him no matter how hard he embraces the Dark Side.

“Boring conversation anyway.”

Not only is this an excellent example of classic Han Solo snark, it’s a fun line to drop in real life when someone you’re talking to gets disconnected from a call.

“Use the Force, Luke.”

In Star Wars, this is the urging from Obi-wan that sees Luke Skywalker unlock his true potential, but it’s also a potent line of encouragement to trust one’s instincts at moments of extreme stress.

“The Force is strong with this one.”

The journey of Darth Vader’s relationship with Luke Skywalker is a long one – and it’s really with this line that their connection begins in earnest. Simply tailing behind a X-Wing in his personal TIE fighter, the father sees his son’s potential.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

Some iteration of this line is uttered in every Star Wars movie, and there’s nothing not to love. Trouble being ahead is the essence of every narrative (everything develops through conflict), and everything about this franchise is deeply rooted in traditional storytelling.

“May the Force be with you.”

This is a line so great that it practically exists beyond Star Wars in the public consciousness. It’s a message of “good luck” that unites geeks everywhere.

“Do or do not. There is no try.”

Is this line from Yoda in Empire Strikes Back somewhat undercut by Obi-wan saying, “Only a Sith deals in absolutes” in Revenge Of The Sith? Unfortunately, yes. But by itself, it is an excellent piece of motivation suggesting that you focus on your goals over the efforts to attain them.

“I love you.”“I know.”

Pure Han Solo goodness here. It’s kind of a jerk thing for Han to say as his potential last words to Princess Leia, but it’s so befitting his character that you just have to love it.

“This deal is getting worse all the time.”

Here is another great line that can easily be used in real life – particularly in moments of frustration. One can’t help but feel a bit of schadenfreude when Lando Calrissian expresses this sentiment regarding his agreement to betray Han & Co. to the Empire… but credit where credit is due, Lando does redeem himself in Return Of The Jedi.

“Obi-Wan has taught you well. You have controlled your fear. Now, release your anger. Only your hatred can destroy me.”

Darth Vader is well-aware how hatred and anger can erode one’s soul, and in The Empire Strikes Back, he gets Luke on the precipice of following the same path.

“No – I am your father.”

I mean… would anyone have accepted this list as legitimate if I didn’t include this classic line? It’s constantly misquoted, but it’s an iconic moment in the history of cinema.

“It’s a trap!”

This line from Admiral Akbar in Return Of The Jedi has taken on a life of its own in the internet age… but it’s great independent of its history as a meme. Once again, it’s all about the delivery.

“You can't stop change any more than you can stop the suns from setting.”

There aren’t a lot of great lines in The Phantom Menace (there are far, far more terrible ones), but this line from Shmi Skywalker as she is saying goodbye to her son is profound in its acceptance of how life is always about moving forward.

“This party's over.”

This is another line that gets all of its weight from the way its delivered. Samuel L. Jackson is the cinematic incarnation of the word “badass,” and while Mace Windu ultimately suffers what is a pretty lame fate, the actor gets to express his greatest gift with this spotlight moment in Attack Of The Clones.

“So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause.”

The slip into totalitarianism is often aided with populism, and it doesn’t matter if it’s here or in a galaxy far, far away. Science-fiction is designed to reflect our own world, and Revenge Of The Sith does so in stark fashion with this line.

“You were the chosen one!”

Obi-wan Kenobi did everything in his power to train Anakin Skywalker as a proper Jedi knight, but everything falls apart when the Padawan is manipulated into embracing the Dark Side. These five words are all pain.

“Chewie... we're home.”

Han and Chewie forever belong on the Millennium Falcon, and it’s shocking that they were separated from their ship for an extended period of time after Return Of The Jedi – but at least fans get to witness their return home in The Force Awakens.

“Crazy thing is... it's true. The Force, the Jedi. All of it. It's all true.”

One of the first things we learn about the Force and the Jedi in the original Star Wars is that their existence was relegated to being fantastical myth… but Han Solo witnessed the magic first hand, and Harrison Ford’s heavy reflection with this line in The Force Awakens is amazing.

“I'm being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain. I know what I have to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?”

Controversial as this scene may be, this is a terrific bait-and-switch line. You think Kylo Ren is going to try and fight the darkness within him, but whoops! Instead, he stabs his father in the chest.

“That's one hell of a pilot!”

One of the best parts of the Sequel Trilogy is the budding friendship between Finn and Poe Dameron, and their bond is made particularly palpable with the enthusiasm with which this particular line is delivered in The Force Awakens.

“I'm one with the Force, and the Force is with me.”

There are a number of memorable characters introduced (and subsequently killed) in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Donnie Yen’s Chirrut Îmwe is a contender for the title best of the best – in part because of his kick-ass mantra delivered before unleashing devastation.

“Save the Rebellion! Save the dream!”

There are a number of great battle cries in the Star Wars canon, but this one from Saw Gerrera is particularly great – delivered with intense and passionate conviction by Forrest Whitaker in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

“Amazing. Every word of what you just said was wrong. The Rebellion is reborn today. The war is just beginning. And I will not be the last Jedi.”

Kylo Ren failed out of Luke’s Jedi Academy, but that doesn’t stop the Master from taking his nephew to school in The Last Jedi – with Mark Hamill perfectly delivering the blockbuster’s eponymous line.

“Hope is like the sun. If you only believe it when you see it you'll never make it through the night.”

Hope is an influential presence in the Star Wars universe, as it’s what pushes rebel forces to constantly fight against the oppressive authoritarians despite the overwhelming odds stacked against them. Leia Organa spends decades in the canon fighting that fight, and this line in The Last Jedi is a wonderful expression of how hope keeps her going.

“They were filthy junk traders. Sold you off for drinking money. They're dead in a pauper's grave in the Jakku desert. You come from nothing. You're nothing. But not to me.”

This is another line that is undercut by material in subsequent stories, but I don’t care: it’s a powerful idea that Rey could come from nothing and nobody to become an exceptionally gifted Jedi knight, and Kylo Ren ripping off the Band-aid in The Last Jedi is shocking in the moment.

“I'm gonna be a pilot. Best in the galaxy.”

Han Solo is the dictionary definition of a cocksure pilot, and that spirit is very much present in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Alden Ehrenreich delivers this line with the perfect level of conviction and determination.

“It's not a navy, sir. It's just... people.”

In the last stand against the First Order in The Rise Of Skywalker, it’s not just the Jedi’s final battle with the Sith – it’s about ordinary people from around the universe fighting back against a fascist regime.

You can witness all of these lines in their original context by streaming all of the Star Wars films with a Disney+ subscription – and you can learn about all of the franchise-related projects in the works with our upcoming Star Wars movies and TV guide.

When The Rise of Skywalker ended the Skywalker Saga era of the Star Wars movies in order in 2019, it seemed as though that’d be the last we’d see of characters like Daisy Ridley’s Rey, John Boyega’s Finn and Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron. Well, not so in Rey’s case, as it was announced last year that Ridley will return to a galaxy far, far away in an upcoming Star Wars movie centered on her character 15 years after Episode IX. Ridley knew this new Star Wars movie was something she “wanted to do” right away, but it will also entail her taking a “different” approach compared to when she started on the Sequel Trilogy.

In the midst of drawing attention in recent months for her roles in The Marsh King’s Daughter and the 2024 movie release Sometimes I Think About Dying, as well as soon being seen in Young Woman and the Sea, Ridley has been giving a lot of thought to how she’ll be performing Rey this time around, and this time she’s “coming in a bit more eyes wide open.” As the actress told Empire:

You have to remember that when Daisy Ridley was cast as Rey for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, she’d only been acting for a few years, with her credits being comprised of minor roles in British TV shows like Mr. Selfridge and Casualty, short films and the movie Scrawl, although that wasn’t even released to the public until 2019. So Episode VII essentially marked her feature film debut, and at just 22 years old when it began filming, it’s no wonder she didn’t feel like an adult then. But since then, along with shooting two other Star Wars movies, Ridley has expanded her resume with fare like Murder on the Orient Express, Ophelia and Chaos Walking.

So it’s understandable that being in a much different place in her professional life now will require Ridley to approach playing Rey different, and that’s not even accounting for how this Star Wars movie will follow the character constructing the new Jedi Order (although that doesn’t sound like it’s a plot point 100% set in stone). But as we approach the 10-year anniversary of the actress’ Star Wars debut, she still has a lot of affection for the franchise, saying:

Aside from Daisy Ridley’s involvement, all we officially know about this still-to-be-titled Star Wars movie is that it’s being directed by Ms. Marvel’s Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and written by Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight. In January, Ridley said she didn’t know if any other Sequel Trilogy characters will appear in the flick, and we also have no idea when it will even be released. Currently the only Star Wars movie on the theatrical calendar is The Mandalorian & Grogu slated for May 22, 2026, so it may be a while until more concrete updates on this project’s status come rolling in.

For now though, a Disney+ subscription is required for streaming the released Star Wars movies and staying current on the franchise’s TV offerings. Next up on the franchise’s lineup is Tales of The Empire, which dropped its first trailer and premieres May 4.

2024 will be a year long remembered in Star Wars history… well, kind of. For one thing, the 25th anniversary of The Phantom Menace’s release being celebrated by the first Prequel Trilogy installment returning for a limited theatrical run. But now it’s also been announced that all of the Skywalker Saga Star Wars movies in order are returning to theaters too. And for those of you looking forward to the upcoming Star Wars TV show The Acolyte, there’s some extra incentive to head to your theater to revisit a galaxy far, far away.

Starting off, for fans with the drive undertake watching all nine of the Skywalker Saga movies, from The Phantom Menace to The Rise of Skywalker, in chronological order in one sitting, Lucasfilm has announced that the marathon will play in theaters on May 4th, a.k.a. Star Wars Day. For those of you who either go to this marathon or decide to check out The Phantom Menace on its own, with those screenings kicking off May 3rd, an exclusive sneak peek of The Acolyte will be attached to Episode I. Additionally, marathon attendees will received a limited edition poster. Tickets for both events go on sale tomorrow, March 22, at 9 a.m PT/12 p.m. ET.

While some may be content to watch the Star Wars movies in the comfort of their own home on May 4th, whether it be their own copies or streaming them with your Disney+ subscription, at least now there’s also the option of viewing them on the big screen. For those of you who decide to sit through all of the Skywalker Saga marathon, which will require being in the theater for roughly a day, my hat goes off to you. Also, keep in mind that 2008’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars, 2016’s Rogue One and 2018’s Solo are not part of the Skywalker Saga, so you’ll still need to hang around your home if you’d rather watch those on Star Wars Day.

On the other hand, if you’re someone who’d rather just get another peek at The Acolyte, then going to see The Phantom Menace in theaters will be worth your time. This is the first Star Wars TV show to be set during the High Republic era, with the events specifically unfolding approximately 100 years before Episode I. Among the things we know about The Acolyte is it will follow a Jedi Master investigating a series of crimes that bring him into conflict with a dangerous warrior from his past, and from there the two will embark down a dark path filled with sinister forces. The Acolyte’s cast includes Amanda Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Carrie-Anne Moss, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett and Jodie Truner-Smith, among others.

The first trailer for The Acolyte premiered yesterday, and if you missed it, feel free to watch the preview below:

The Acolyte will premiere its first two episodes June 4th on Disney+, and the other six episodes will be released weekly. If you’re game to watch The Phantom Menace on its own in theaters or take part in the Skywalker Saga marathon, snag your tickets as soon as possible starting tomorrow. Otherwise, look through the 2024 release schedule to learn what movies are coming out later this year.

Fans of movies and long-running series often have a list of sequels they wish were never made. Hollywood's increasing reliance on sequels, prequels, reboots, and remakes means that not all interconnected stories will please all audiences. To that end, fans have made a list of sequels that they think "ruin" what came before, and it's not just the notoriously debated Star Wars trilogies that they're criticizing.

A Reddit post posted the question "Any examples of movie sequels that essentially shit all over the first movie and disregard everything, for better or worse?" and it sparked a lot of discussions among fans. People had a lot to say about sequels that didn't respect the original movie, which probably isn't surprising. So let's start off with the intergalactic mudslinging and go from there.

The Controversial Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

The Star Wars sequel trilogy has been a polarizing topic. The Force Awakens was criticized for being too similar to A New Hope. At the same time, Rian Johnson’s expectation-subverting The Last Jedi caused controversy, with the fandom having many issues with Episode VIII. The Rise of Skywalker attempted to address fan backlash only to upset fans of TLJ’s bold narrative choices. Many fans expressed dissatisfaction, including the thoughts below:

Another fan disagreed with this take, pointing out the issues that began with the first movie in the rebooted trilogy. Their comment:

It'd probably take an entire trilogy's worth of Senate scenes to come to anything resembling the start of an agreement here, so let's move over to the boxing ring.

The Rocky Road of Balboa Ignoring Brain Damage

When ranking the Rocky movies, many usually put Rocky Balboa above Rocky V. Still, some have pointed out how the 2006 reboot sidesteps a significant plot point from its 1990 predecessor, which explored the real consequences of brain damage in boxing. As the user below points out:

This oversight left some fans questioning the series' continuity and commitment to one of the best sports films ever and its characters' well-being. At the same time, others point out that Rocky's comeback has an in-universe explanation. Fans pushed back, with one saying:

Still, my favorite take is this bit of fan-based world-building:

I don't think anyone would have shared such criticisms right to Rocky's face. And now from normal-sized humans fighting to giant mech vs. creature brawls.

Pacific Rim: Uprising's Lighter Tone

The director of the O.G. film, Guillermo del Toro, revealed what he’d have done had he returned for the sequel, but he did not. Thus, Pacific Rim: Uprising is another follow-up film that left fans wanting. Guillermo del Toro's 2013 original Pacific Rim was lauded for its blend of thrilling Kaiju battles and emotional storytelling. However, the sequel opted for a lighter tone, sacrificing the depth and creativity that made the first film a standout. The fan below points out:

One fan says the second movie feels like it has complete “contempt” for its source material. They commented: 

Sounds like some of these fans need shoulders as big as kaiju in order to hold the chips that are on them, amirite?

The Case of the Vanishing Love Interests

A recurring theme in sequels is the mysterious disappearance of comedy love interests, whether it's due to scheduling issues, contractual changes, or other factors. Films like Ted 2, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, and one of Mike Myer’s most unforgettable creations, the Austin Powers series, have often rebooted romantic subplots and left previous relationships unexplained, for better or worse. As the fan below pointed out:

While this trend highlights a broader issue with sequels' tendency to sacrifice continuity and character development for the sake of new narratives, at least, as one fan points out, Austin Powers has a great in-world explanation for the drop of love interests. Take this comment:

As this lively discussion continues to unfold, where do you stand? Do you agree with these takes? What sequels do you love or love to hate?

There are a ton of sequels heading to the 2024 movie schedule. Here’s hoping they respect the movies that came before them, or else they might find themselves on this fan list. 

One of the perks of being in a major movie franchise like Star Wars is coming out of filming with some seriously cool souvenirs. Case in point, the legendary loot actress Daisy Ridley was able to score after her time playing Rey in The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

Over four years after capping off the sequel trilogy with The Rise of Skywalker, and thus concluding the Skywalker Saga, Ridley and Rey are back making headlines with the news that one of the highly-anticipated upcoming Star Wars projects will be a movie centered on Ridley's Jakku scavenger–turned–Jedi Master (though Lucasfilm has some updates on those rumored Rey movie titles).

It seems like the 31-year-old Brit is more than ready to reprise the role given that she has a legitimate lightsaber at home. And there's even more where that came from, as the actress recently divulged to People: 

Rey actually utilizes three different lightsabers throughout the Skywalker Saga: Anakin and Luke's saber, Leia's saber and then her own. Hers is, notably, a yellow-bladed lightsaber that the character built following the First Order-Resistance War. Ridley doesn't specify ,but we're thinking it's the latter one that she took home as a wrap gift on the Sequel Trilogy. 

Daisy shared what her initial reaction was after holding a lightsaber for the first time during a 2019 interview with British Vogue, calling the energy swords "heavy" and "cumbersome":

Along with iconic memento, Ridley previously revealed to Empire that she also made off with her regular Rey costume—which consisted of a flow-y, neutral tunic, leather belt and brown boots—at the end of production. She also swiped some of Dark Rey’s jewelry, specifically a "red and chunky" ring worn by one of the character's visions in The Rise of Skywalker, a warning sign of what would happen if she followed Kylo Ren into the darkness.

Daisy Ridley's return to the Star Wars universe will no doubt have even cooler gear and gadgets for the star to get her hands on after filming wraps. Though we don't yet have word on when we can next see Rey Skywalker back onscreen wielding a lightsaber—we'll keep our 2024 movie schedule updated with all of the latest intel, naturally—we do know that Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is working on the script, which will reportedly take place 15 years after Episode IX, and Ms. Marvel's Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is directing the feature.

In the meantime, you can catch Daisy Ridley acting in some decidedly lightsaber-free films like the romantic dramedy Sometimes I Think About Dying and the upcoming Sam Yates-directed neo-noir Magpie. Or you can revisit her time in a galaxy far, far away by streaming the Star Wars movies in order with a Disney+ subscription. 

Watch the Star Wars movies in order and the accompanying TV shows, and you’ll find a handful of dead characters who’ve later returned, whether it’s because they were resurrected, their deaths never actually happened or, in the case of a few lucky Force users, they’ve popped back up as Force users. In that third category, one wouldn’t be faulted for thinking Kylo Ren might fall into it following his demise in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. However, Adam Driver has confirmed that he’s finished with the Star Wars franchise and also explained why playing Kylo, a.k.a. Ben Solo, in the Sequel Trilogy was “exhausting” for him.

During his visit to the SmartLess podcast, Driver was asked by Sean Hayes, who hosts the podcast will Will Arnett and Jason Bateman, about if the actor has had any more talk about “Star Wars stuff.” Driver made it clear that he’s “not doing any more” in a galaxy far, far away because of Kylo Ren’s ultimate fate. Later on in the interview, Bateman inquired about what the momentum of working on The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker was like for him, which Arnett followed with a more general question about his approach to momentum in a movie set, and here’s what Driver had to say:

For those who haven’t viewed Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in a while, be it with a Disney+ subscription or their own copy of the movie, the redeemed Ben Solo transferred his life essence to Rey to revive her following her showdown with Palpatine, her grandfather. After they shared a kiss, Ben’s body faded away, a tell tale sign that someone could return as a Force Ghost, just like his mother, Leia Organa, and his uncle, Luke Skywalker, did at the end of the Skywalker Saga’s final chapter. 

And yet, per this interview, we won’t be seeing Force Ghost Ben appear in the coming years. Part of me wonders if Adam Driver might be convinced to change his mind given that Daisy Ridley has the Rey movie coming up, which will catch fans back up with her 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker as she’s building the new Jedi Order. For now though, Driver sounds content leaving this chapter of his career behind him.

Besides, given all the people who still mention to him that Kylo Ren killed Han Solo, it’s not Driver will ever that far away from Star Wars. The actor also recently talked about the original arc for Kylo Ren across the Sequel Trilogy was much different than how things ultimately capped off for the character in The Rise of Skywalker. Regardless, if you’d like to see more of Driver onscreen, his latest movie, Ferrari, is still playing in theaters. And as always, keep visiting CinemaBlend for the biggest news about upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows.

SPOILER WARNING: This retrospective of rivals-turned-right-hands gives away the endings of several movies and crucial details from various TV shows, so we recommend you proceed with caution as you read on. 

Is there anything more satisfying in a movie or TV show than when the hero catches the villain? How about when the foes, instead, join forces?

We looked back on some of our favorite examples of when a “good guy" (or at least the main protagonist) combined efforts with a rival they were pitted against (or personally despised) to amazing effect. While many of these epic enemy team-ups come from classic action movies or in great superhero movies, for instance, some come from more surprising genres, but are no less thrilling. 

Ah Jong And Li Ying (The Killer)

In 1989’s The Killer, hitman Ah Jong (Chow Yun-Fat) takes one more assignment to afford an operation for a lounge singer he accidentally blinded in a shootout, while Inspector Li Ying (Danny Lee) is hot on his trail. However, after discovering the assassin’s moral character, the cop chooses to help him fight off the gangsters who want him dead, costing him his job, but earning our approval in John Woo's intense action thriller.

Batman And Catwoman (The Dark Knight Rises)

The live-action Batman movies have depicted the vigilante's relationship with Catwoman as -- in addition to flirtatious -- either adversarial (Batman Returns) or advantageous (The Batman), but 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises gives us a mix of both. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) initially catches Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) robbing him, but would have never prevented Gotham’s destruction at the end of Christopher Nolan’s finale without her help.

Billy Butcher And Homelander (The Boys)

Antony Starr’s Homelander may be just the worst and Karl Urban’s Billy Butcher is a bit reckless, but both look pretty good when compared to Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy, whom Butcher initially recruits to kill Hoemlander. But, when he harms Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) -- Homelander’s son with Butcher’s late wife -- the end of The Boys Season 3 turns into a stand-off with Soldier Boy at the receiving end of their laser blasts, whose brief alliance puts Solider Boy back in cryo-sleep.

Blade And The Bloodpack (Blade II)

Blade (Wesley Snipes) was born with abilities similar to a vampire, but also an intense grudge against them that he would be forced to set aside in director Guillermo del Toro’s second installment of the Blade movies from 2002. The Marvel character begrudgingly collaborates with a crew of vampires originally formed to kill him called the Bloodpack in order to stop a worse threat feeding on both humans and bloodsuckers known as Reapers.

Blondie And Tuco (The Good, The Bad And The Ugly)

In, arguably, Sergio Leone’s best western movie, 1966's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the “good” refers to Clint Eastwood’s Blondie; the “ugly” refers to Tuco (Eli Wallach), whom Blondie personally delivers to a sheriff at the beginning; and the “bad” is a hitman known as Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef). Each wants to get their hands on buried loot first, but the lawman and the outlaw come out on top after forming an uneasy alliance against the sadistic killer.

Butch Coolidge And Marsellus Wallace (Pulp Fiction)

In the second segment of, arguably, Quentin Tarantino’s best movie -- 1994's Pulp Fiction -- Marsellus (Ving Rhames) chases Butch (Bruce Willis) after he wins a boxing match he promised he would lose, until they both find themselves at the mercy of rapists Zed (Peter Greene) and Maynard (Duane Whitaker). Butch manages to escape, but soon returns with a samurai sword to kill Maynard and interrupt Zed’s violation of Marsellus, making things “cool” between them again.

Clarice Starling And Hannibal Lecter (The Silence Of The Lambs)

In the terrifying Best Picture Oscar winner, 1991's The Silence of the Lambs, FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is certainly intimidated and often intentionally belitted by cannibalistic former psychologist Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), but I would not necessarily called them “enemies." In the end, he is cooperative in assisting with her search for Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) and even she admits he would consider it “rude” to come after her when she learns about his escape.

Daniel LaRusso And Johnny Lawrence (Cobra Kai)

It took decades for Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence's (William Zabka) fierce rivalry in the Karate Kid movies to end. The third season of the acclaimed sequel series, Cobrai Kai — also its first as a Netflix exclusive — saw the martial artists’ common foe, John Kreese (Martin Kove) join the titular dojo, which eventually led them to become partners and even friends.

Danny Ocean And Terry Benedict (Ocean's Thirteen)

Even after stealing $160 million from him, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) convinces Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) to finance his latest scheme in Ocean’s Thirteen. Yet, the casino magnate conspires to do some double-crossing of his own, which Danny, luckily, anticipated from the beginning, leading to a comical twist ending with Danny donating Benedict’s cut of the loot to charity.

Darth Vader And Luke Skywalker (Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi)

The sixth movie in the Star Wars franchise (in order) is less a story of enemies becoming allies, but a family reuniting — namely Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. At the climax of 1983’s Return of the Jedi, Darth Sidious’ (Ian McDiarmid) cruel abuse of the young warrior (Mark Hamill) convinces the Sith Lord to renounce the Dark Side, remove his helmet (revealing Sebastian Shaw as Anakin Skywalker), and have one moment of peace with his son before his death.

Willis Davidge And Jeriba Shigan (Enemy Mine)

In one of the most underrated sci-fi movies of the ’80s, Dennis Quaid is a futuristic space explorer stranded on a dangerous planet with a member of an alien race his people have been at war with for years, played by Louis Gossett Jr. But, Davidge and “Jerry's” relationship evolves from hateful, to a forgiving truce and, eventually, to brotherly in Wolfgang Peterson’s timelessly and heartwarmingly poignant parable,  Enemy Mine.

Frank Abagnale Jr. And Carl Hanratty (Catch Me If You Can)

In one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies of the 21st Century so far, Catch Me If You Can, FBI's Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) chases after young con artist Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) in the 1960s. After their cat-and-mouse game finally ends, Hanratty realizes Frank’s expertise in check fraud would make him a great agent — an offer that comes with a promise of friendship from his former pursuer.

Godzilla And Kong (Godzilla Vs. Kong)

Kong was the clear victor of his first big screen battle with Godzilla, but it was harder to predict who would win in director Adam Wingard’s Godzilla vs. Kong in 2021. By the end of the blockbuster, both won against Mechagodzilla by forming an alliance that will continue in the forthcoming 2024 follow-up, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

Luke Hobbs And Deckard Shaw (Fast And Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw)

The Fast and Furious movies are, essentially, a series about enemies becoming allies -- especially Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham). The former DSS agent and rogue MI6 agent became the stars of their own spin-off in 2019, in which they are thrown together as partners to stop a cybernetically enhanced terrorist (Idris Elba).

Jack Sparrow And Hector Barbossa (Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End)

Seeing Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) join forces with Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) in a last bid for piracy itself seemed like a perfect way to end the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in 2007. However, At World’s End was not that, nor the last time these rivals became reluctant allies — having also searched for the Fountain of Youth together in 2011’s On Stranger Tides and for Poseidon’s Trident in Dead Men Tell No Tales in 2017.

Jerry And Newman (Seinfeld)

Most of Wayne Knight’s funniest moments as Newman on Seinfeld involve his attacks of the eponymous comedian, but Jerry Seinfeld once sought to help his nemesis for a chance to say, “Goodbye, Newman.” Jerry tries to increase Newman’s chances of transferring to Hawaii by taking over his route, which backfires when those people receive more mail than normal.

Captain Kirk And Commander Kang (Star Trek)

Starfleet joining forces with Klingons is nothing surprising today, with Michael Dorn’s Worf as chief of security in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Yet, it was almost completely unheard of on the original series before Season 3's “Day of the Dove,” in which James Kirk (William Shatner) and Commander Kang (Michael Ansara) must work together after their crews are both affected by a conflict-inciting entity.

Scar And Alexa Woods (Alien Vs. Predator)

In the presence of the Alien movies' Xenomorph, you would want a more complex and, overall, totally badass extra-terrestrial like the titular hunter from the Predator movies on your side. "Lex” Woods (Sanaa Lathan) had that advantage in 2004's Alien vs. Predator after earning the respect of visiting Predator, Scar.

Professor X And Magneto (X2: X-Men United, X-Men: Days Of Future Past)

Some of  the best X-Men movies see Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr (reluctantly) playing for the same team, such as when the telepath (James McAvoy) breaks his former friend (Michael Fassbender) out of prison in 2014’s Days of Future Past. Also, in 2003’s X2, the metal-bender (Ian McKellan) helped the X-Men take on anti-mutant extremist, Colonel William Stryker (Brian Cox), who sought to use Professor X (Patrick Stewart) to exterminate others like him.

Raylan Givens And Boyd Crowder (Justified)

U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) and career criminal Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) have shared many great moments on Justified that prove they do care for one another. For instance, in the first season finale, the frenemies become embroiled in a woodland shootout that ends with Raylan being saved by Boyd, who calls the lawman “his only friend" before leaving scot free.

Rey And Kylo Ren (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)

Despite its polarizing fan reception, 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi boasts great lightsaber battles pitting Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey (Daisy Ridley) against the slain Snoke's (Andy Serkis) Praetorian Guards. While the Jedi trainee discovered this truce was meant to coerce her into leading the First Order with him, at least they would make-up to take on Palpatine at the end of The Rise of Skywalker.

Rocky Balboa And Apollo Creed (Rocky III)

The first two Rocky movies were all about the rivalry between the eponymous boxer (Sylvester Stallone) and Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), but everything changed in the third chapter. With Creed’s much-needed help, Rocky regains his title against Clubber Lang (Mr. T), sparking a friendship tragically cut short in the next film, but revived vicariously when Rocky trains Apollo’s child, Adonis (Michael B. Jordan), in the Creed movies.

Peter Parker And Harry Osborn (Spider-Man 3)

Harry Osborn (James Franco) as the New Goblin is not quite one of the best Spider-Man movie villains, mainly because most would prefer his heroic turn near the end of Spider-Man 3. Having forgiven Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) for his father's death, he aids him against Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Venom (Topher Grace) and even puts himself in the way of his bladed glider to save his life.

Det. Del Spooner And Sonny (I, Robot)

As a technophobe, I understand why Del Spooner (Will Smith) was quick to suspect the “unique” robot known as Sonny (voiced by Alan Tudyk) might be a murderer in 2004's I, Robot. Yet, by the end of this underrated futuristic thriller, I actually found myself warmed by the sight of man and machine coming together against the real enemy: a tyrannical A.I. named KIKI.

The Terminator And Sarah Connor (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

Despite being one of the best '80s movie villains, Arnold Schwarzengger's time-traveling killing machine would be seen in a whole new light in 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) is, at first, understandably hesitant to trust a duplicate of the cyborg sent to kill her years earlier, which has been programmed to protect her and her son (Edward Furlong).

Thor And Loki (Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok)

The real heart and soul of the Thor movies might actually be Loki (Tom Hiddleston) -- who might also be the first great MCU villain, but the times he aided his brother (Chris Hemsworth) have been equally satisfying. Their truce made for a heartbreaking supposed death for the God of Mischief in 2013’s The Dark World, but their alliance to save Asgard from Hela (Cate Blanchett) in 2017’s Ragnarok spawned some of the most memorably fun moments for either Marvel character.

Walter White And Hector Salamanca (Breaking Bad)

In order to defeat drug kingpin Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), meth manufacturer Walter White (Bryan Cranston) was forced to turn to another person who despised him, Hector Salamanca (the late Mark Margolis). Lucky for Walt, Hector hated the Los Pollos Hermanos founder enough to let him rig his wheelchair with an explosive he could detonate when Fring came to visit him in one of the best Breaking Bad episodes, “Face Off."

Marquis Warren And Chris Mannix (The Hateful Eight)

From the moment they meet, it seems that Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and Sheriff Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins) will make up the central rivalry of Quentin Tarantino’s visually remarkable 2015 western. However, in one of the many dazzling twists from The Hateful Eight, the unlikely pair end up being the only ones who can trust each other among the loathsome lot of people they are forced to take shelter with, let alone the only survivors.

Wendell "Bud" White And Edmund "Shotgun Ed" Exley (L.A. Confidential)

This masterful period crime thriller puts an amusing spin on the “good cop, bad cop” dynamic by pairing aggressive "Bud" White (Russell Crowe) with straight-laced Ed Exley (Guy Pearce). While not being able to stand each other for multiple reasons, they end up being the only ones who can get to the bottom of an insidious case of corruption in the LAPD in Curtis Hanson’s L.A. Confidential.

Woody And Buzz (Toy Story)

The groundbreaking animation style of the first, and arguably best, Pixar movie, 1995’s Toy Story, is not all that made it a hit. Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear's (Tim Allen) evolution from bitter rivals of Andy's attention to friends desperate to escape a sadistic toy abuser together is a beautiful, captivating story, no matter the medium.

Sometimes friendship (or, at least, mutual respect and understanding) can come in the most unlikely places, and these 30 pop culture enemy team-up are solid proof.

Being the highest grossing movie of all time — an honor still held to this day, domestically, by 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens — is, undoubtedly, something to be proud about. However, an achievement that does not get quite as much attention, but should, is being the highest grossing movie in a certain year. 

With help from TheNumbers.com, we were able to look at the North American (U.S.A. and Canada) box office data from 1970 to the present and discover what film proved to be the most financially successful of each year. Some of the results may surprise you.

1970: Love Story

These days, romantic dramas rarely amount to blockbuster levels of success, but this Oscar-nominated adaptation of Erich Segal’s bestselling novel proved that love really could conquer all in 1970. Starring Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw as a modern Romeo and Juliet, Love Story raked in $106,397,186, which is especially impressive by that year’s standards.

1971: Billy Jack

Co-writer and director Tom Laughlin debuted as half-Navajo former Green Beret Billy Jack in 1967’s Born Losers, but it was the self-titled 1971 follow-up that made the character an icon, especially at the box office. Despite mixed reviews, according Rotten Tomatoes, audiences were drawn to Billy Jack’s message of peace and thrilling action sequences, resulting a $98 million win overall.

1972: The Godfather

Francis Ford Coppola was on top of the world in 1972. Not only would the first half of his adaptation of Mario Puzo’s The Godfather go on to become a Best Picture Oscar winner, but it was also the biggest hit of that year with more than $133.7 million in returns.

1973: The Exorcist

William Friedkin’s fact-based thriller about demonic possession, The Exorcist, has been plagued for years by rumors of being “cursed.” If that were true, it might not have become one of the greatest horror movies of all time or been 1973’s most successful movie with $193 million at the box office.

1974: Blazing Saddles

Mel Brooks’ iconic spoof movie targeting Westerns, Blazing Saddles, is jam-packed with so much offensive/politically incorrect material that it probably would never get made today. Yet, an unapologetically silly, boundary-pushing story like this one — in which a Black man (Cleavon Little) is suddenly appointed sheriff of a bigoted town in the late 1800s — must have been exactly what audiences were looking for in 1974, considering its $119.5 million gross.

1975: Jaws

The film credited as the very first blockbuster is one of the scariest Steven Spielberg movies, Jaws. The seminal creature feature achieved that honor by raking in $260 million and becoming the highest grossing movie of 1975, let alone of all time… for a little while, at least.

1976: Rocky

Sylvester Stallone’s breakthrough (as both star and writer of the first of the Rocky movies), was literally, a one-two punch. The iconic boxing drama beat out the competition at the box office in 1976 with more than $117.2 million and went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

1977: Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope

The film that first surpassed Jaws as the highest-grossing movie of all time was George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope, with — according to Box Office Mojo — a grand total of $460.9 million domestically. Yet, it only took an initial draw of $195.7 million for the movie that first launched the enduring Star Wars franchise to become the top movie of 1977.

1978: Grease

Grease was, indeed, the word in the mouths of the many moviegoers who went out to see the big, bright musical classic in 1978. Starring John Travolta and the late Olivia Newton-John as teen lovers in the 1950s, it sped to the top the year’s box office with more than $153 million.

1979: Superman

In 1979, people around the country flocked to the theater to see a man fly on the big screen. That man was Christopher Reeve as Superman — the title character of director Richard Donner’s classic superhero movie that flew to the top of the year’s box office by making more than $93.3 million dollars.

1980: Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back

It is probably no surprise that the second chapter of Lucas’ epic outer space saga — also widely considered the best Star Wars movie — became the highest grossing movie of 1980 with $181.4 million. Not only did The Empire Strikes Back outweigh the competition by roughly $80 million, it was also one of only two films to surpass $100 million that year (the other being the Richard Pryor/Gene Wilder-led Stir Crazy).

1981: Raiders Of The Lost Ark

The movie that solidified Harrison Ford — a man with many interesting facts to his name — as a box office king, saw his debut as globe-trotting, daredevil archeologist, Indiana Jones. Itself a tribute to the movies, Raiders of the Lost Ark was cinema’s biggest sensation in 1981, grossing $168.4 million.

1982: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial 

Years after his friend, George Lucas, took away his box office crown with Star Wars, Spielberg reclaimed the honor when his sci-fi family drama, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, became the highest grossing movie of all time (and of 1982) with $321.8 million. 

1983: Star Wars: Episode VI — Return Of The Jedi

Out of the franchise’s original trilogy, Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi grossed the highest amount in the year it was first released. Not to mention, the epic "finale" was the highest grossing movie of 1983 after raking in more than $249.3 million.

1984: Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom

Ford’s adventurous fortune hunter returned bigger (and certainly scarier) with Spielberg’s first follow-up to Raiders. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom whipped the competition away in 1984 by earning $220.7 million.

1985: Back To The Future

I bet if Doc Brown’s Delorean existed, moviegoers would have used it to see one of the greatest time travel movies ever, Back to the Future, repeatedly, without having to buy subsequent tickets. However, they did have to buy additional tickets, which may have helped it become the top movie of 1985 with $193.1 million.

1986: Top Gun

For years, the most successful of Tom Cruise’s action movies was director Tony Scott’s Top Gun. The thrilling popcorn flick was also the most successful movie of 1986, having grossed $171.8 million that year.

1987: Beverly Hills Cop II

Tony Scott became the most financially successful director two years in a row when he helmed the 1987 sequel to one of Eddie Murphy’s best movies. Beverly Hills Cop II was the year’s biggest hit with $153.7 million.

1988: Rain Man

Dustin Hoffman gives one of his best performances (earning him an Oscar) as a man with autism and savant syndrome alongside Tom Cruise as his long-lost brother in Rain Man. Barry Levinson’s charming drama also won Best Picture after winning the box office in 1988 with $151.7 million.

1989: Batman

When it was first announced that Michael Keaton was cast to play the title role of Tim Burton’s Batman, fans immediately rejected the idea. However, they seemed to change their minds about him pretty soon, making one of the best live-action Batman movies ever the biggest hit of 1989 with a $251.2 million gross.

1990: Ghost

Ghost proved that by combining two successful, yet deeply contradicting, genres like romance and horror, you may have a big hit on your hands. Led by Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg, the moving drama knocked other 1990 movies dead with its earnings of $217.6 million.

1991: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Fans of James Cameron’s technophobic franchise of time-travel thrillers agree that Arnold Schwarzenegger came “back” better than ever with Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The acclaimed sequel was also a much bigger hit than its predecessor and the biggest hit of 1991 with $201.9 million.

1992: Batman Returns

Despite inciting controversy for its wicked tone and falling short of its predecessor’s success, Batman Returns still proved to be nothing short of a hit. Tim Burton’s second Michael Keaton-led DC comics adaptation topped the 1992 box office with $162.8 million.

1993: Jurassic Park

Spielberg would, again, prove that whatever he touches turns to gold with his stunning adaptation of Michael Crichton's inventive sci-fi thriller, Jurassic Park. It was likely the revolutionary special effects that helped it become the top-grossing movie of 1993 (and of all time, for a while) with $338.7 million.

1994: The Lion King

One of the all-time greatest animated Disney movies, The Lion King, is also one of the studio’s biggest money-makers. The film proved to be box office royalty, winning 1994 with $300.4 million.

1995: Batman Forever

Even without Michael Keaton or Burton, the Batman franchise was still on fire with Batman Forever. By raking in more than $184 million, the Joel Schumacher-helmed, Val Kilmer-led DC spectacle became the number one movie of 1995.

1996: Independence Day

The spaceships in 1996’s Independence Day are not the only reason it is one of the biggest and best alien invasion movies of all time. Audiences who made a $306.2 million hit out of the Roland Emmerich-helmed disaster flick also made Will Smith into a leading box office draw.

1997: Men In Black

Despite being one of Will Smith’s best movies, it may seem odd that Men in Black is the top-grossing movie of 1997, given that Titanic came out that same year. The inventive sci-fi comedy came out in the summer and ended its run with $250.7 million dollars, whereas James Cameron’s historical epic, which released in December, made only $157.5 million by the end of year.

1998: Titanic

While Titanic was released in 1997, it still managed to make more money than any film released the following year, raking in more than $488.1 million. The romantic, Oscar-winning, historical tragedy would, of course, go on to top the all-time box office charts for years with an overall domestic total of more than $600.7 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

1999: Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace

While the Star Wars prequels have experienced a bit of resurgence in more recent years, the trilogy — including The Phantom Menace — was initially met with backlash from die-hard fans. However, you wouldn't know that by looking at its impressive $430.4 million returns, which resulted in a towering box office win for 1999.

2000: How The Grinch Stole Christmas

The loot that Jim Carrey’s mean, green, holiday-hating recluse snatched in How the Grinch Stole Christmas didn't include $253.4 million. No, Ron Howard’s live-action Dr. Seuss movie earned that money at the box office fair and square, becoming the top-grossing movie of 2000 less than two months after its release.

2001: Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone

The year 2001 saw the beginning of one of the most extraordinarily popular movie franchises of all time. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone — adapted from the first book in J.K. Rowling’s young adult fantasy series — also became the most popular movie of that year, casting a $300.4 million spell.

2002: Spider-Man

Director Sam Raimi came a long way from making low budget horror films by bringing a beloved superhero to the big screen in one of the best non-MCU Marvel movies ever. The Tobey Maguire-led Spider-Man cast a huge web on the 2002 box office, raking in more than $403.7 million.

2003: Finding Nemo

People already had their choices of the best Pixar movie before the animation studio became a real box office juggernaut with Finding Nemo. Grossing more than $339.7 million, the story of a clown fish searching for his son was the number one movie of 2003.

2004: Shrek 2

A way to understand how impactful the Oscar-winning, animated fantasy send-up Shrek was is by looking at the box office of its sequel. Believed to be the best of the Shrek movies by some, Shrek 2 was the highest grossing movie of 2004 with $441.2 million.

2005: Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge Of The Sith

While considered by many to be best of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith fell several million short of The Phantom Menace. However, it still managed to top the 2005 box office with more than $380.3 million.

2006: Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Johnny Depp helped make swashbuckling cool again with Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean movies. The second chapter of the theme park attraction-inspired franchise, Dead Man’s Chest, brought in a lot of booty and conquered the 2006 box office with $423.3 million.

2007: Spider-Man 3

For a few different reasons — including an infamous dance scene — Spider-Man 3 is one of the webslinger’s least beloved films. Regardless, it ruled the box office in 2007, bringing in $336.5 million.

2008: The Dark Knight

Most people agree that Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is the greatest live-action Batman movie ever made, mostly for Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning Joker portrayal. If you disagree, at least you cannot deny its financial success, winning the 2008 box office with a staggering $531 million.

2009: Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

Fans of Michael Bay’s live-action reinvention of a popular toy line were excited to see what came next in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which topped the 2009 box office with $402.1 million, despite coming out the same year as James Cameron’s Avatar. The latter would go on to top the all-time charts with $785,221,649 — according to Box Office Mojo — but only made over $352 million of that in 2009, coming in second behind the alien robot sequel.

2010: Toy Story 3

Despite making $408.4. million in 2010, the ludicrously successful Avatar still fell short of topping that year’s box office chart overall and came in second to Toy Story 3. Pixar’s acclaimed tearjerker of a sequel raked in $415 million.

2011: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2

The year 2011 saw the end of one of the most popular franchises of all time. Fans brought the final installment of the Harry Potter movies (Deathly Hallows: Part 2) to a $381 million gross, making it the big winner for that year.

2012: The Avengers

Just four years after The Dark Knight shattered box office records, Marvel swooped in to bring things to new heights with a $623.4 million gross. The Avengers was already a monumental occasion by teaming up several iconic comic book characters in one film before it topped the 2012 box office.

2013: Iron Man 3

For years, the heart and soul of the MCU was Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, which totally makes sense of Iron Man 3 becoming the number one movie of 2013. Many fans expressed their disappointment over it, but it still made a tremendous $408.9 million.

2014: Guardians Of The Galaxy

The moment that convinced the world that Marvel could make a successful flick out of anything was when Guardians of the Galaxy became the highest-grossing movie of 2014. The comic book movie starring obscure cosmic characters also played a part in making Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, and Bradley Cooper some of the highest-grossing actors of all time.

2015: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Within just a few week after its release, the 2007 box office was officially conquered by Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which made $742.2 million that year. According to Box Office Mojo, J.J. Abrams’ fun revitalization of the beloved franchise would go on to become the highest grossing of all time with a domestic total of $936.7 million.

2016: Finding Dory

More than a decade after Nemo was found, fans grew excited to see Ellen DeGeneres’ Blue Tang find her parents… and herself in Finding Dory. The long-awaited sequel topped a lot of fierce competition in 2016 with a $486.3 million gross.

2017: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Rian Johnson’s contribution to the Star Wars saga, The Last Jedi, did not quite match the success of The Force Awakens in a few different ways — only making $517.2 within nearly three weeks after its December release, for instance. However, that was enough to make it the top movie of 2017.

2018: Black Panther

Black Panther is a landmark for the MCU (and comic book movies in general) for starring one of the first Black superheroes as the lead, receiving a Best Picture Oscar nomination (and winning three statuettes), and making an incredible amount of money. Released in February, it still managed to beat Avengers: Infinity War as 2018’s biggest movie with a $700 million gross.

2019: Avengers: Endgame

Most fans agree that the greatest MCU movie ever is the epic finale to the Infinity Saga, Avengers: Endgame. A great indication of just how much fans love the film is its astonishing financial returns of $858.4 million, easily becoming the top movie of 2019.

2020: Bad Boys For Life

The year 2020 was not a good one for the box office (or anybody) due to Covid-19 causing a complete shutdown of the theater industry for a long time. This standstill allowed the January release of Bad Boys For Life to thrive as the Number One movie of the year with a $204.4 million gross.

2021: Spider-Man: No Way Home

Theaters came back in a big way with what many might consider to be the greatest live-action Spider-Man movie ever: Spider-Man: No Way Home. Because Andrew Garfield, Tom Holland, and Tobey Maguire could not convince fans that they would not be appearing in this multiverse-spanning film together, audiences made sure they would head to theater to see it, resulting in a 2021 chart-topping win with $572.9 million.

2022: Top Gun: Maverick

The person often credited with saving Hollywood in 2022 is Tom Cruise, with his return to one of his most iconic roles in Top Gun: Maverick. It was one of the best reviewed films of the year, earned several Academy Award nominations, and topped the year’s box office at $718.7 million.

Those were top-grossing movies of every year from 1970 to now!

Star Wars is one of the biggest movie franchises in the galaxy and has grown considerably since A New Hope back in 1978. Each movie, both pre and post-Disney, has its moments that stand out amongst the best these stories have to offer, but there are also some low points. I'm here to talk about both, and maybe share some controversial takes on the best and worst parts of every major movie Star Wars has ever made, after a recent binge with my Disney+ subscription.

Some of these takes tackle the biggest complaints and high points of the franchise, and some capture the moments we don't talk about enough. Surprisingly, Jar Jar Binks did not make the list, but there are a lot of other things we need to talk about from each movie. 

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Best Thing: Luke's Destruction Of The Death Star - When it comes to all-time moments in blockbuster cinema, there are few scenes as thrilling as Luke's run in the X-wing to destroy the Death Star. Despite impossible odds, he is able to channel the Force and destroy the Empire's greatest weapon in its arsenal. This might be the top moment in all of Star Wars, period, hence why it's a highlight. 

Worst Thing: Han Stepping On Jabba's Tail - The special edition cuts are controversial for how they altered the originals, but this scene is without question the worst of them all. Han disrespecting Jabba in their meeting and going so far as to step on his tail and injure him is absolutely bonkers, given what we know about Jabba. He kept Han frozen in carbonite for months in his bar for owing him money. I believe Jabba would've thought nothing of having Han killed right then and there for this, money be damned. As such, it's a real lowlight of this movie. 

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Best Thing: Vader's Reveal To Luke - It's one of the most mind-blowing reveals in movies, to the point that it's been parodied to death. While the impact of Vader revealing he's Luke Skywalker's father isn't felt quite as strongly now as when it first happened in theaters, the scene itself is still so awesome and definitely the high point of one of Star Wars strongest films. 

Worst Thing: Leia Kissing Luke On The Lips - Of course, one of the best Star Wars movies also features the most painful scene in the franchise's history. Leia plants a big kiss on Luke in an effort to make Han jealous early in the movie, and Luke kicks back in an effort to brag. Of course, we find out in Return of the Jedi that they're brother and sister, which makes the whole scene just painfully awkward and not even Mark Hamill joking about it can shake the ick. Of all the things that have been done to change the movie over the years, why hasn't this been removed?

Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi

Best Thing: Everything In Jabba's Palace - Jabba The Hutt's palace is, quite possibly, one of the coolest sets in sci-fi history. Some fans might complain about the movie spending around a half-hour in the gangster's palace, but you won't see me doing that. Luke's Rancor fight is great, and Leia killing Jabba is one of Carrie Fisher's best Star Wars scenes. All of this happens in the Jabba scenes, and I think without it, the movie wouldn't have been nearly as good.

Worst Thing: The Ewoks - Stormtroopers are incompetent, and the Empire made plenty of mistakes during the Galactic Civil War. With that said, I've always struggled to suspend my belief enough to buy that a trained army with modern weapons could possibly lose to a bunch of small fuzzy Ewoks using primitive technology. 

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Best Thing: The Introduction Of Darth Maul - If you're someone who has watched Star Wars Rebels or read the expanded materials, you already know that Darth Maul is a gift to the universe. Even then, this villain kicked off the prequel trilogy in an awesome way with his unique lightsaber and look that was so frightening I can't help but think he inspired that demon from Insidious. Plus, he killed the immensely powerful Qui-Gon Jinn and set up an arc with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Those who haven't checked out other works with Maul that feature some of his best moments definitely should. 

Worst Thing: Anakin And Padme's Dynamic - I won't go so far as to say that Anakin and Padme's scenes in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace are unrealistic, but they are certainly uncomfortable. Trying to lay the framework for an eventual romance when the characters are 9 and 14 was a weird choice, and I still question why it even had to be established in the first place. Is it so hard to believe this romance waited to blossom until they were both adults? 

Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones

Best Thing: Seeing The Jedi Council In Action - Star Wars: The Phantom Menace introduced the Jedi Council, and then we went the entire movie without seeing them in action. Attack Of The Clones rectifies that with a massive battle between most of the members and Count Dooku's Separatist droids. We also get the first-ever Yoda lightsaber duel, which still holds up even in these days of modern CGI. 

Worst Thing: Anakin And Padme's Romance Scenes Are Bland - One thing this movie would never be accused of being is a romance film, despite any attempt to make one. The romantic chemistry between Anakin and Padme is minimal and almost painful at times. The best thing I can say about these scenes is that they led to Anakin's iconic rant about hating sand, which has lived on well past the praise for this movie. 

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith

Best Thing: Battle On Mustafar - I've had a theory for a long time that when people say they like the sequel trilogy, what they really mean is they love the Battle on Mustafar. Let's be honest, it's the greatest lightsaber duel in the history of Star Wars cinema, and it will be very hard for any future film to outshine it. It's pretty hard to top any duel in which the loser bursts into flames. 

Worst Thing: The Slaughter Of The Younglings - As Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker would go on to commit plenty of atrocious acts that far outweigh anything he did in Revenge Of The Sith. The exception, I'd argue, is the slaughter of a multitude of Younglings in the Jedi temple. That alone should've kept him from any redemption he allegedly got down the line, and is a rare display of the true evil of this Skywalker in the movies. 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Best Thing: It Led To The Acclaimed Television Series - The television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars might be the best Star Wars show/movie ever made. Dave Filoni's fleshing out of the Clone Wars era led to wonderful characters like Ahsoka Tano, as well as a greater appreciation for the prequel trilogy from fans who craved more information about that time. None of it would exist without the movie, which, as we'll get into, wasn't quite as well respected. 

Worst Thing: It's Not The Quality Of The Acclaimed Television Series - Many people tend to forget The Clone Wars started with a movie, and with good reason. It's one of the most panned movies in the franchise and found widespread criticism for being a movie that relied on knowledge of deep franchise lore, but also had a lame plot geared primarily toward children. The series would find a way to balance that tone in its series run, but the first attempt clearly missed the mark. 

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Best Thing: The Fresh Cast Of Characters - Star Wars: The Force Awakens needed a cast of fresh faces to lead the sequel trilogy, and damn, did they hit the jackpot. Daisy Ridley alone would've been enough to put this cast over the top, but Adam Driver, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac? That's a solid group to lead a sequel trilogy, regardless of anyone's thoughts on how it all turned out. 

Worst Thing: It Feels Like A Reskinned Version Of A New Hope - The Force Awakens is a good film, but it gets that reputation primarily by being A New Hope with a new cast of characters and many of the original legacy characters. It doesn't do anything to shake up the formula of the original movie, which might be the biggest crime, seeing as it didn't give much for the movies after to build on. 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Best Thing: Vader's Hallway Scene - If there's one thing the original trilogy could be faulted for, it was how it failed to make Darth Vader look like more than a stiff robot. I mean, yeah, that's what he is, but as more movies went on there was a great disparity between the amazing duelist Anakin Skywalker and the stiff saber-using Darth Vader. This one scene bridged that gap considerably and showed in a very simply scene why Vader was one of the most feared people in the galaxy. 

Worst Thing: CGI Grand Moff Tarkin And Leia - De-aging and digitizing actors is still a controversial process in 2023, and we've gotten better in executing it than when Rogue One: A Star Wars Story came out. Grand Moff Tarkin's scenes are hard to watch, and he almost looks like a caricature of Peter Cushing at times. The Leia scene is easier to overlook since it's so short, but even then, it's far from perfect. I see them as two unfortunate missteps in an otherwise perfect movie. 

Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

Best Thing: Rey and Kylo Ren Fighting Off The Elite Praetorian Guards - If the duel on Mustafar is the best duel in Star Wars history, I would say this scene from Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a close second. Rey and Kylo Ren coming together to defeat the elite praetorian guards minutes after he killed Snoke is an incredible sequence and some of the best fight choreography in the entire franchise. 

Worst Thing: The Canto Bight Story - Whether you love or hate this movie, there is no denying the Canto Bight adventure that Finn and Rose go on is overly long and a bit unnecessary. After all, they go there looking for a master codebreaker and end up returning with someone completely different. The scene was meant to be like a "cold water" reset, except I felt soggy and without a towel after. 

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best Thing: The Train Heist - There aren't many exciting moments in Star Wars you can point to that take place without a single lightsaber. The train heist is definitely one of Solo's coolest scenes that bucks that trend and delivers high-flying action for the entire sequence. It also accomplishes this while being relatively low-stakes in relation to all that happens in the universe, and I think we need more of that in the franchise in general. 

Worst Thing: The Necessity To Shoehorn In Han Solo Explanations - Solo: A Star Wars Story wanted to tell the tale of Han Solo and how the famous galactic smuggler came to be. Weirdly enough, it seems like literally every key moment of his life came together in this one adventure. This movie worked a little too hard to explain the key moments of Han's past, and it hurts the movie. 

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker

Best Thing: The Reveal That Rey Was A Palpatine - The reveal that Rey is a Palpatine is the absolute mic drop moment of the sequel trilogy. To find out the hero is the descendant of the galaxy's most evil character was incredible and set up Rey in a big way for future Star Wars stories. 

Worst Thing: We Don't Get Much Time With That Reveal - Unfortunately, Star Wars sat on the Rey Palpatine reveal far too long. Fans needed more time to sit with it, and I think if we could go back in time, we'd make this come out in The Last Jedi. Instead, we got it toward the end of the sequel trilogy and the Skywalker saga. The twist was kneecapped and should get more acknowledgment in stories going forward. 

Disney+ is the home for all things Star Wars, be it movies or television. While there's still quite a gap between now and the next movie, this might be a great time to do a rewatch and find the things people like or dislike about each movie. 

We’re coming up on the seven-year anniversary of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and it remains one of the most polarizing entries in the franchise set in a galaxy far, far away. Many fans continue to share the main reasons they have issues with The Last Jedi, and even John Boyega said a few years back that he was “iffy” with some of the choices made in Episode VIII. This has been part of larger conversations the Finn actor’s had where he’s shared criticism about his time working on Star Wars, but as we approach the midpoint of 2023, Boyega has made peace over the Sequel Trilogy’s middle entry, and also discussed becoming a fan of the franchise again.

Besides not agreeing with every story decision made throughout the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy (he specifically thought of what Rian Johnson could have “done better” in The Last Jedi), John Boyega has also dealt with racist backlash, which aided in changing his view on the franchise. However, while speaking with The Times (via Indiewire), the actor said that he’s made his peace with both the good and bad of his personal experience with Star Wars, summarizing his thoughts on the matter now thusly:

Although there was a time when Boyega felt he should be able to complain about Star Wars since Robert Pattinson could do the same for Twilight, he’s take a more introspective approach with looking back on his years playing Finn. For one thing, although not mentioning the movie outright, this is just the latest time he’s propped up The Rise of Skywalker, with past instances including him defending J.J. Abrams and making a video that steamrolled critics of Episode IX. Even though he wasn’t entirely satisfied with what The Last Jedi did with Finn, he’s ultimately comfortable with where the character was left off. Plus, he acknowledged that watching producers argue about lightsaber colors helped inspire his career.

But perhaps more importantly, John Boyega is comfortable with viewing other entries in the Star Wars franchise, naming two of the recent small screen installments available exclusively to Disney+ subscribers. It probably helps that The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi are set in time periods far before Finn enters the galactic picture, allowing the actor a certain level of disconnect. While the latter series was a one-and-done offering, the former wrapped its third season just a few weeks ago, and Ahsoka will debut next sometime in August.

All this being said, it’s possible that Boyega’s time with the Star Wars franchise isn’t done. It was announced at Star Wars Celebration last month that Daisy Ridley is returning to lead a movie that follows Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. Not too long after, it was rumored that Boyega will return for this movie, and considering that J.J. Abrams confirmed that Finn is Force-sensitive, it would make sense for him to be involved in that particular story. For now though, Boyega remains a Star Wars fan like the rest of us, but should it be announced he’ll be back for the Rey movie, or maybe a different Star Wars project, we’ll let you know.

For now, you can watch John Boyega’s more recent movie, The Woman King, with a Netflix subscription, and his next movie, They Cloned Tyrone, will hit the same streaming platform on July 21. Head to Disney+ if you’d like to watch the Star Wars movies in order, or take a look at what other upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows are on the docket.

Among the many frequent actor/director pairings in Hollywood, one of my personal favorites is Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Rian Johnson. Due to there being a few exceptions (such as the filmmaker’s Breaking Bad episodes, most notably), the two-time Emmy-winning star of 3rd Rock from the Sun and the Inception cast has been involved with almost every major project by the creator of the Knives Out movies (the third of which is in development) in some capacity since his feature film debut, Brick. Speaking of the 2005 drama, what better way to begin this breakdown of every JGL role featured in Rian Johnson’s movies and TV shows so far?

Brendan Frye (Brick)

The conventions of the film noir style are so distinctly defined that you could set a story in any time period and at any place and it might still feel like a genuine contribution to the genre. The best and most evident example of this may be Brick, which stars Gordon-Levitt as teenage Brendan Frye, whose investigation of his girlfriend’s mysterious death leads to his discovery and infiltration of a dangerous mob of adolescent criminals. Don’t let Frye’s age mislead you, as his first-rate detective skills, indomitable will, and colorful manner of speaking earn him a spot alongside heroes like Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade in Johnson’s astonishing debut and one of the most unique high school movies ever made.

Bar Patron (The Brothers Bloom)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt took a step away from the spotlight for Johnson’s second feature-length effort, The Brothers Bloom, which stars Academy Award winner Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo as a pair of brotherly con artists whose dynamic is threatened by their lovely new target (Rachel Weisz). JGL does not even receive credit for his role in the 2008 dramedy as a man in a hat seen wandering aimlessly in the background and in a seconds-long close-up shot during a scene set at a crowded bar. However, this would end up being the first example of an ongoing challenge to spot the actor in a Johnson-helmed project in which he does not play the lead.

Joe (Looper)

For Johnson’s third film — 2012’s Looper — Gordon-Levitt would be reinstated to the leading man position, but you would be forgiven if you did not realize it was him at first. To play Joe, a hitman who specializes in taking out people sent back to his time by a futuristic mob, the actor wore make-up prosthetics to better resemble the man playing his older self: Bruce Willis, in one of his own best movies. JGL’s dedication to mimicking the appearance and mannerisms of his legendary co-star is just one of the many ways this highly inventive sci-fi thriller is one of the best time travel movies in recent memory.

Slowen Lo (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)

It is time for another edition of “Find Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the Rian Johnson Movie!” Not only is the actor’s cameo in Star Wars: The Last Jedi — Johnson’s sole contribution to the blockbuster sci-fi franchise (so far) — hard to spot with one’s eyes, but also with one’s ears as he speaks in a deep Southern twang to voice Slowen Lo, which is only his first role in the Star Wars universe, having later joined the Star Wars: Visions cast in 2021. Viewers of the 2017 film — of which JGL is a big fan — may recall seeing the red, long-faced alien from the Canto Bight sequence, during which his warning that Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) have parked on a beach illegally is bluntly ignored.

Detective Hardrock (Knives Out)

JGL’s cameo in 2019’s Knives Out is only slightly easier to spot than Slowen Lo… if you can easily recognize the sound of his real voice, that is. The unseen whodunit within the whodunit that Marta Cabrera’s (Ana de Armas) sister, Alice (Shyrley Rodriguez), watches in an early scene follows an investigator named Detective Hardrock, who is accusing a suspect of a hilariously over-the-top murder that happened to be caught on “nanny cam footage.” It is none other than Gordon-Levitt providing the voice of the detective — a minor character that I would be interested to see return in more than just a vocal appearance for the mystery franchise’s upcoming third installment, even though that would mean breaking tradition.

Hourly Dong (Glass Onion)

When the sequel to Knives Out was first announced (long before it was given the title Glass Onion), one of the things we had hoped to see was a bigger role for Joseph Gordon-Levitt following his aforementioned cameo in the first film. Well, I guess you could say that we, technically, got our wish when you consider the fact that he is credited this time and that his voice can be heard far more often throughout the hit, Oscar-nominated Netflix original movie from 2022. The human-voiced “dong” that can be hear on Miles Bron’s (Edward Norton) Greek island estate at the top of every hour is portrayed by JGL — a fact that makes the running gag all the more hilariously satisfying.

Trey Mendez (Poker Face)

The most recent time that Johnson directed Gordon-Levitt in a starring role was in one of the best episodes of Poker Face — a fun throwback to murder mystery shows like Columbo that the filmmaker created himself. In the penultimate chapter of the acclaimed Peacock original series’ first season, called “Escape from Shit Mountain,” human lie detector Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne), finds herself, once again, stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time and, this time, with a guy (Gordon-Levitt) who should have just stayed home when his house arrest ankle bracelet malfunctioned. His A-list status aside, JGL is a standout of the Poker Face cast for his partially relatable portrayal of isolation in the opening montage and the way he taps into Trey Mendez’s more sinister side as dark secrets about him come to light.

Lest we forget, there is another actor known for his frequent collaborations with Rian Johnson (including in one of his Breaking Bad episodes) named Noah Segan. He played a foil for JGL’s roles in both Brick and Looper and can even say he has speaking parts in the movies where the other only cameos — most notably the two roles Segan has portrayed in the Benoit Blanc universe so far (Trooper Wagner in Knives Out and Derol in Glass Onion). It is always a pleasure looking forward to how Johnson will put these two into his projects next.

Sequels and franchises have become the norm in Hollywood. In recent years, both established and up-and-coming directors have been cranking blockbuster sequel after sequel. Knives Out director Rian Johnson joined the ranks by helming the polarizing Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Now, he’s back with another sequel – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story. Of course, like the first Knives Out movie, the film isn’t your typical sequel. Despite having two sequels under his belt, Johnson has strong feelings about making such movies n Hollywood.

Johnson treats Glass Onion as a standalone movie rather than an actual sequel to the  2019 sleeper hit. The new mystery film features a new setting and mystery with new characters. The only consistent element between both films is Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc. You would think helming two massive follow-ups would signal his penchant for them, but that’s far from the truth, as he disclosed to ScreenRant his lack of interest in movie sequels.

Rian Johnson prefers sequels with self-contained stories rather than interconnecting storylines from film to film. That’s why Glass Onion is a different movie from its predecessors. His words are in stark contrast to Hollywood’s current preference for blockbuster sequels and franchises, especially in the age of Marvel, DC, Fast and Furious, etc. In 2022 alone, audiences were treated to Top Gun: Maverick, Jurassic World: Dominion, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, among others. So the Looper director might be in the minority regarding standalone sequels despite signs of sequel fatigue.

That doesn’t mean the Oscar-nominated director is against movie follow-ups completely. Johnson inked a deal with Netflix to craft and direct two sequels to the original Knives Out. That means there will be a follow-up to Glass Onion at some point on the streamer, which the director is excited to start working on. Hopefully if both sequels are successful, Johnson might be tempted to make more Knives Out mysteries if he and Craig are down for that. Each sequel will serve as a singular story, which would position the films as an anthology series rather than a franchise. Johnson is also currently attached to doing another Star Wars movie, but he is on the fence about the film getting made.

Fans of Knives Out won’t have to way much longer to see how Detective Blanc will solve this latest mystery when Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story drops on December 23 through a Netflix subscription. The film has already bolstered positive reviews before its Netflix release.  In the meantime, check out Detective Blanc’s introduction to the world by getting an Amazon Prime Video subscription to stream Knives Out. You can follow that up by getting a Disney+ subscription to watch Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

When Disney first concluded its sequel trilogy with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, there seemed to be a growing consensus amongst the fandom. Episodes VII through IX had their highs and lows, and regardless of what any one individual considered those highs and lows (Star Wars' original editor did not like the Sequel Trilogy at all), everyone seemed to agree it was best to take a step back from that era for a bit. Evidently Lucasfilm concurred, as each successive project it announced seemed to focus on other eras in the saga. Now there are rumors the franchise is ready to revisit that era with Damon Lindelof’s upcoming Star Wars movie, and if that’s true, there’s one easy way to boost its relevance. 

Star Wars has landed on Disney+ in a big way with a number of shows that fans have tuned into and many more on the way. I believe that if the franchise knows what’s good for it, it'll work toward ensuring that a couple, if not many of the characters from those shows make some appearance in this Lindelof project, assuming it's actually a follow-up to the Sequel Trilogy. There’s obviously some sound logic to talk out on why this is a good idea, so let’s get into it and hope the powers-that-be are already two steps ahead on this idea. 

Fan Opinion On Star Wars Television Is More Universal Than The Movies

I wouldn’t say that every Star Wars television project is beloved, but I’d argue the approval rating of most of them is far higher than the movies as of late. Additionally, fan opinions on the shows are more universal compared to the Sequel Trilogy. This is completely understandable in some regard considering that the sequel movies had less time to win audiences over than some of the shows, and this trilogy really split the fandom when it went in decidedly different directions between The Last Jedi and The Rise Of Skywalker. 

To be fair to both of those movies, they dealt with higher stakes and were forced to take bigger swings than ones that The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the other shows have had to take thus far. Those decisions wouldn’t be effective if they weren’t divisive with the fandom on some level, especially with a fandom as broad and diverse for a franchise like Star Wars. Even so, I think one key to The Mandalorian's specific approval rating is that it’s telling a lower-stakes Star Wars story, and because it’s a television series, audiences are accepting and completely on board with that. 

The main point, however, is that people love The Mandalorian, so it seems like an easy choice to put a character like Grogu into this rumored movie in some way. There are, of course, more people than “The Child” that can be thrown into the mix from the shows, though admittedly, quite a few that are off the table. Then again, if Emperor Palpatine can survive being thrown from an upper ledge on the Death Star that later exploded, surely we can make a case for Cassian Andor surviving the destruction of that Scarif base!

Marvel Showed That Marrying Television And Film Is The Right Call

The Marvel Cinematic Universe certainly has its differences from Star Wars, but considering it’s another franchise that is mindful of its content to ensure it all stays in line with the canon of the shared universe, Star Wars could take some notes for how the MCU treats its latest batch of shows. Specifically, Star Wars should look at how the stories Marvel is telling on television is actively impacting its film universe and adds relevance to both mediums. 

Think back to how hyped people were when Daredevil first appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home? They were thrilled to learn Matt Murdock is back in the MCU, and later on, it was announced he was getting his own television show. Almost a year later, people are loving She-Hulk and wondering if and when she’ll pop up in a movie. Oh, and when we’re going to learn the story of where Hulk was at and why he has a son. 

So far, Star Wars treats most of its television shows as supplemental to the films. Sure, occasionally a movie will feature a brief reference to a character from an animated series, but beyond that, everything made so far hasn’t notably impacted or changed the universe on a scale the movies have to address it. In fairness, that’s partially because there are no plans to remake or further change the Prequel and Original Trilogies, but that can change with this rumored plan to build on the Sequel Trilogy. 

The Mandalorian seems like the most obvious series for Lucasfilm to incorporate into any successor to the Sequel Trilogy, mainly because Grogu has a long lifespan. With that said, there are plenty of human characters who could appear in that type of project as well from Ahsoka, though they’d be much older. Even so, Luke, Han and Leia were still able to aid the Rebels even in their advanced age, so there’s no reason to think Ezra and others couldn’t as well. 

Whether they’re from The Mandalorian, Star Wars Rebels or one of the other shows, there’s no shortage of beloved characters of the franchise who could help increase interest in an upcoming movie. Like Marvel, Star Wars can and should use that to help set up what it has on the way on television, and then use that TV content to pave the way for movies. It’s worked well for Marvel so far, so why not Star Wars?

Star Wars Loves Connecting Things

If there’s one thing the Star Wars franchise loves, it’s making its massive universe feel really small by connecting all the characters within it. Seriously, this galaxy is absolutely massive with tons of planets and people, and yet all the relevant people in movies and shows always seem to know each other? This trend has been a part of Star Wars for a while, so I’ve come to embrace it. As such, the franchise should also embrace it by connecting its original characters to prominent movie characters. 

There’s already a playbook to make this happen, of course, as many characters in the Sequel Trilogy knew the OG characters in Star Wars, who are linked to the many of the characters featured in Star Wars shows thus far. Assuming some of these characters are still around in the timeline of the Sequel Trilogy, all they’d have to do is name drop Luke Skywalker, and boom, connection made. Perhaps the strongest argument for adding TV characters to the movies is the fact that it wouldn’t be weird at all given how the franchise connects its universe elsewhere. So hopefully that’s in the works, and each of our favorite characters we keep our Disney+ subscription for will turn up in a future Star Wars movie before too long. 

It will likely be a while before we get confirmation or firm details on a Sequel Trilogy follow-up in the Star Wars universe, but there’s plenty of content available to stream on Disney+ in the meantime. I’d recommend checking out Tales of the Jedi, which has already impressed some folks with its stories about beloved Star Wars characters. 

It’s been five years, and I think many agree that Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the most polarizing entry in the Skywalker Saga. There are many elements of the movie that are still hotly contested to this day, one of which is how Luke Skywalker was utilized. While there are those who feel like Luke’s story and character portrayal was mishandled or lame, I think it’s one of the best portrayals in the entire saga. 

For those who were underwhelmed by Hermit Luke and his alien milk-drinking ways, I’m sure that’s a laughable statement. Even so, while there are a lot of valid complaints someone can make about The Last Jedi, Luke’s portrayal is not one of them (especially considering it was decided before the movie). Here’s some of my thinking on the situation, and why it’s one that any critique should revisit on this fifth anniversary year. 

It Makes Sense Luke Would Be In The State That Rey Finds Him

When Rey went to return Luke’s lightsaber at the end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, fans were excited. In hindsight, it’s easy to see how the outrage behind Luke’s portrayal first got started. Fans had just seen a modern "reboot" of A New Hope and saw this as the set up for The Empire Strikes Back. That is to say, Luke was expected to be Rey’s “Yoda” and this island was Dagobah, but as we learned in The Last Jedi, that wasn’t exactly the case. 

Luke Skywalker wasn’t interested in training Rey, and he didn’t seem all that invested in stopping the First Order either. He was fine living in isolation on an island on his own, and this new up-and-coming Force user jeopardized his ability to shut himself off from the Force and the events of the galaxy at large. It was a jarring depiction of the guy responsible for ending the Galactic Civil War, and while some felt it was completely off base, I totally get it. 

As Star Wars: The Last Jedi and other successive works revealed, Luke set about rebuilding the Jedi Order after the Empire’s destruction. Not only did he fail at re-establishing the honored order to its former glory, but he effectively trained his nephew to be the driving force that put the entire galaxy right back into the very situation he and others fought so hard to stop. 

That’s a pretty colossal fall from grace, and Luke’s shame about that is the most real emotion he expressed throughout his run in the movies. Maybe The Last Jedi could’ve better expressed Luke’s shame and sadness than having him play a game of “follow the leader” with Rey across an island, but even so, I thought the movie was effective in explaining how he got in that position.

Luke’s Conflict With Kylo Ren Addressed A Very Real Trauma He Never Fully Resolved

Throughout his early journey as a Jedi, Luke Skywalker faced some pretty straightforward problems. That all turned on its head when he learned Darth Vader was actually his father, Anakin Skywalker, and that Luke had to stop his own dad or potentially be killed. Luke wrestled with that concept a lot in Return of the Jedi, and in the end, couldn't bring himself to kill his father even if it was for the good of the galaxy. Vader ultimately bailed Luke out of that decision, as he lost his life while stopping the Emperor.

Flash forward decades later, and Luke is once again faced with the situation of confronting a family member in whom he senses great evil. This time, however, it’s his own nephew, i.e.e the son of his sister and best friend. Luke didn’t really cope with the situation the first time, so when it came around again, he acted irrationally. There were many options Luke had that didn’t include attempting to kill Ben Solo in his sleep, but he chose that option. Granted, he stopped himself at the last moment, but by that point it was too late.

It sounds wild that the hero of Star Wars would even consider murdering his nephew, but not really considering all that he’s been through. Darth Vader, his own father, committed countless atrocious acts over his decades-long service to the Empire and was part of a regime that killed immeasurable numbers of people (I still think it’s weird Vader’s one good act redeemed him). If he had the ability to prevent another galaxy-wide war in a relatively simple way, wouldn’t he take that chance? He was the hero every other time before, so it tracks he’d try to be one again, even if his method was kind of twisted. 

Luke Eventually Does The Thing He’s Best At…He Learns

Luke Skywalker is not a perfect hero, but he does seem to excel at being a quick learner. When Rey arrived on Ahch-To, his heart was hardened, but her persistence ultimately helped him see the error in his ways all of these years. It was wrong of him to live in shame, and wrong of him to give up. The galaxy might’ve moved on from relying on him to save them, but he still had a role to play in the Star Wars story. 

Luke quickly re-established his link with the Force and went about confronting his nephew in order to give what remained of the rebellion a chance to survive and fight another day. Sure, it would’ve been great if Luke stayed at full strength and absolutely destroyed the First Order on his own, but the reality is maybe he was never that person to begin with. Luke proved he was good at ending conflicts, but never that he was good at preventing them. 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, in my opinion, didn’t show us the Luke Skywalker fans thought they knew, but the Luke Skywalker the Original Trilogy actually presented. The hero was humanized, in a lot of ways, and while it always sucks to see the great ones fall, Luke’s redemption remains one of the best moments of the sequel series, if not a Top 5 moment of the Skywalker Saga (especially if we add in his final thoughts revealed in the Star Wars comics). As I mentioned, there are complaints that can be leveled against this movie, but Luke’s portrayal is not one of them. 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is available to stream on Disney+. We still have some time to wait, but be sure to check out the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows to get excited about what’s still on the way.

Now that we have The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars Day at our backs, it's time to look forward to what is next for the Star Wars franchise. Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of Star Wars being released, and there is exciting news on that front below, as well as what we can expect before and after that hallowed date.

There is a brand new adventure starring Ryan Gosling coming next year and an assortment of small-screen adventures; there’s so much to look forward to in the next few years. In the coming months and years, the list of best Star Wars movies and great Disney+ original shows could grow deeper and richer as these highly anticipated theatrical releases (the first in nearly a decade), new streaming shows, which are all available with a Disney+ subscription, and much more come our way.

Star Wars: A New Hope (February 19, 2027)

Fans who have been begging for Disney to re-release the original version of Star Wars will get their wish when the 1977 film that started it all returns to the big screen for a short time on February 19, 2027.

Nearly 50 years after George Lucas changed the world, moviegoers will get to see the director’s original, unaltered vision for the first time in decades, meaning all of the CGI and additional scenes from the 1997 “Special Edition” won’t be included.

Though Disney and Lucasfilm have yet to announce if The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi will receive similar treatment in the years to come, let’s cross our fingers and hope it happens. That said, it would have been cool if the full Original Trilogy was re-released in theaters like it’s the spring of 1997 all over again.

Star Wars: Starfighter - May 28, 2027

The biggest date on the upcoming calendar was revealed at Star Wars Celebration Japan in April 2025. Star Wars: Starfighter will bring one of the most in-demand actors to the galaxy when Ryan Gosling leads Shawn Levy’s long-in-the-works project. According to StarWars.com, the new original movie will follow Gosling’s still-unnamed starfighter as he navigates the galaxy five years after the events of 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. It will hit big screens about a year from now, on May 28, 2027.

This may be Gosling’s first franchise film, but he's no stranger to being a hero in space, as he's coming off the heels of the wildly successful Project Hail Mary this spring. In terms of plot, we still don't know anything, but we do know that production wrapped back in December 2025. So far, we've only seen the briefest of teasers, which revealed only the name and release date. We can't wait for a full trailer!

Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi - 2026

Star Wars: Visions Season 3 hit Disney+ towards the end of 2025, and that isn’t the only anime-influenced show set in the “galaxy far, far away” in the near future. StarWars.com has revealed Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi, a new spinoff following the adventures of Kara and Juro from “The Ninth Jedi” in the show’s first season. The expanded series will allow writer and director Kenji Kamiyama to further explore one of the most popular stories from Visions so far.

It's been a little over a year since there have been any updates on this, as of May 2026, so hopefully we'll hear more soon

Carlton Cuse’s Star Wars Show - TBD

One of the more interesting, albeit mysterious, Star Wars projects is Carlton Cuse’s in-the-works TV show he’s making alongside his son, Nick Cuse. When it was first announced back in April 2025, outlets like Variety reported that the Lost co-showrunner was working on something set in the galaxy far, far away, but didn’t know what it was going to be about, when it was set, or if it would focus on established or brand-new characters.

We’re at the one-year mark, and we still have more questions than answers about what the Cuse father-son duo has planned for audiences. Hopefully, that changes sooner rather than later, as Cuse’s style and attention to detail would work handsomely in the Star Wars universe. Like a few other projects on this list, as of May 2026, it's been over a year since we've heard anything more about this.

Ahsoka Season 2 - TBD

With all the cliffhangers in the Ahsoka Season 1 finale, fans were hopeful they would get some closure at some point in the future, and that very well may happen. In January 2024, Variety reported that the show’s second season was in development at Lucasfilm with Dave Filoni once again leading the charge.

According to ScreenRant, new details about the upcoming season were revealed at Star Wars Celebration 2025, including the return of Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker and Lars Mikkelsen’s Grand Admiral Thrawn. There’s also the debut of Game of Thrones alum Rory McCann, who is taking over the role of Baylan for the late Ray Stevenson. Bryce Dallas Howard, who directed two episodes of the upcoming season, called the new chapter “beautiful,” “thrilling,” “adventurous,” and “romantic.”

There had been talk of Ashoka Season 2 arriving on Disney+ at some point on the 2026 television schedule, but it's since gotten a release window for early 2027.

Simon Kinberg’s Star Wars Trilogy - TBD

Simon Kinberg has been one of the busiest names in show business as of late. In addition to co-creating Star Wars Rebels, he's helmed projects like The Running Man remake and that new Star Trek big-screen adventure in the works. As reported by Deadline in November 2024, the writer and producer is working on a Star Wars trilogy of his own.

Details are limited at best at this point in the project’s development. During a January 2026 interview with Deadline, outgoing Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy explained that Kinberg’s movie is still in the works, adding that he turned in a 70-page treatment a few weeks earlier and that he’d have more in March. March has since come and gone. The status of these is, at best, unknown.

Untitled Rey Movie - TBD

Those who thought Rey’s (Daisy Ridley) story was over with the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ending may want to think again, as the character is supposedly getting her own movie. Originally, Lost and The Leftovers creator Damon Lindelof was writing a Star Wars movie with partner Justin Britt-Gibson, and Shareen Obaid-Chinoy, who directed several episodes of Ms. Marvel, had been tapped to direct the mystery project. However, by March 2023, Lindelof and Britt-Gibson departed the project, and shortly thereafter, it was revealed that Peaky Blinders' Steven Knight had taken over scriptwriting duties, who also later left the project.

The project is still in a state of limbo as of May 2026.

Lando - TBD

Those holding out for a show based on the exploits of one of the galaxy’s coolest scoundrels are in for some good news and bad news. The good news first… Lando, which was first announced back in December 2020, is still in the works. However, it’s reportedly no longer a show but a full-fledged movie.

We’ve learned more about Lando over the years, including the fact that Donald Glover and his brother, Stephen, are behind the project, which was originally developed by Justin Simien. In September 2024, Glover told the Wall Street Journal that he wanted “it to be fun,” but didn’t elaborate on the status of his return to the Star Wars universe. In her big exit interview with Deadline in early 2026, Kathleen Kennedy said that Glover had turned in a script for the long-dormant project.

Untitled Dave Filoni Movie - TBD

After being arguably the most influential figure in Star Wars television for years, the time has come for new Lucasfilm chief Dave Filoni to leave his mark on the franchise's cinematic realm. It was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023 as part of the latest update on the franchise's movie plans that he will direct a feature about "the escalating war between the Imperial Remnant and the fledgling New Republic."

After years of back-and-forth and plans that never amounted to much, THR reported in January 2026 that the project had been placed on the back burner, in favor of Filoni possibly continuing the Mando and Grogu story. I supposed we'll just have to see how the final box office shakes out for the first movie.

Star Wars Movies And Shows With Unknown Statuses

Though there are a great number of upcoming Star Wars movies and shows with release dates or at least updates from the past year, there are several others currently up in the air. Here are a few projects that are vague for now.

Star Wars: Dawn Of The Jedi - TBD

James Mangold is hard at work on a long-in-the-works Star Wars project. The filmmaker behind A Complete Unknown is set to helm Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, a movie that will take place roughly 25,000 years before any of the previous stories in the franchise that have been chronicled on film and television. The filmmaker described this project as a "Biblical epic" that takes a Ten Commandments-like approach to showing the origins of the Force.

The status of the project has been in limbo for some time, and in March 2026, Jeff Sneider appeared on The Hot Mic, where he said things didn’t look good for the movie. This isn’t something confirmed by Disney, but we shall see.

Taika Waititi Standalone Movie - TBD

It has been more than four years since it was first announced that Taika Waititi was working on a Star Wars movie after first directing The Mandalorian Season 1 finale. But nearly a half-decade after word began to spread, we have no movie and no idea what it’s about. There have been smaller updates over the years, like the one about 1917 writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns penning the script, but nothing big has come out in a long time.

In her January 2026 exit interview with Deadline (the one mentioned above), Kathleen Kennedy said the project was “still somewhat alive,” but it’s hard to say what that means at this time. This seems like yet another project that is on the backburner, at best.

The Mandalorian Season 4 - Disney+ - TBD

In February 2023, showrunner Jon Favreau revealed that he'd finished writing all of the episodes for The Mandalorian Season 4 and that the next season would connect with Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew. Taking into account the Dave Filoni-helmed movie now in development, we are not fully sure when the next installment in the popular series will premiere or what kind of story it will tell once the show does return.

In 2025, Favreau told Empire Magazine (via MovieWeb) that he still had Season 4 sitting on his desk and that it was structured more like a movie and less like a serialized show. The Mandalorian & Grogu is, according to Favreau, not a replacement for the series, but it may serve to be the end of the story. We'll have to see.

Be on the lookout for more information about these and other yet-to-be-announced projects in the coming weeks and months.

As far as fantastical science-fiction weapons go, there are few greater in cinematic history than the lightsaber. It was specifically inspiration from samurai movies that moved George Lucas to have the greatest heroes and villains in the Star Wars universe wield bladed weapons, and when that concept mixed together with some brilliant-yet-simple construction involving old camera equipment and various hardware, the result was the creation of one of film history’s most iconic props.

Fans have now been celebrating the existence of lightsabers in all their variations for more than 40 years, and we've built this guide to highlight some of the most iconic examples of the weapon from the live-action franchise. To start, let's begin with the most iconic version of the laser sword.

The Skywalker Lightsaber

When the lightsaber is first introduced in the Star Wars franchise, it's the Skywalker Lightsaber that is put front and center – which is ultimately appropriate given its incredibly important history. Anakin created it during the Clone Wars, and he used it up until his turn to the Dark Side, after which it was taken in a duel with Obi-wan Kenobi. Eventually Kenobi bestowed it upon Anakin’s son, Luke, who used it in both Star Wars: A New Hope and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, but it was presumed lost when Darth Vader cut off the hand Luke was using to hold it during a battle on Cloud City. We don’t really know exactly what happened to it after that point, but it eventually wound up in the possession of Maz Kanata, who gave it to Rey when it called to her in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Yoda

Like many Jedi Masters, Yoda built his own lightsaber, which goes a long way in explaining why it’s so very much a reflection of him. In addition to having a green blade – a shade a bit brighter than Yoda’s skin – it also has a hilt that is much shorter than most (which is an extension of the fact that Yoda is much shorter than most Jedi). As depicted in the only sequence where the diminutive alien does battle (versus Count Dooku in Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of the Clones), having a smaller weapon is advantageous for the way he fights, which involves a lot of leaping and jumping around.

Mace Windu

As you’ll see reflected as you continue reading this feature, there isn’t a ton of color diversity when it comes to lightsabers, with most of them being either blue, green, or red, but that’s what makes Mace Windu’s weapon so special. Though it has the same Kyber crystal construction as most, it emits an amethyst plasma blade that allows it to stand out in a field of Jedi doing battle. Sadly, though, the special laser sword has seemingly been lost in the Star Wars universe ever since Anakin betrayed the Jedi Order by pledging his allegiance to Senator Palpatine and letting the future emperor kill Mace Windu with Force lightning. (As for why the lightsaber is purple, the answer is simple: Samuel L. Jackson wanted it that way, and George Lucas acquiesced).

Qui Gon Jinn

The lightsaber wielded by Qui Gon Jinn wasn’t particularly notable in its construction, with a normal-sized hilt and a green blade, but what certainly does help make it stand out are the circumstances in which it was used. Specifically, Qui Gon carried the weapon during the Battle of Naboo when he and Obi-wan Kenobi faced off against the insidious Darth Maul. Sadly the Jedi’s skills with the weapon proved insufficient in one-on-one battle, with Maul killing Qui Gon Jinn, but at least the lightsaber got some revenge, as Obi-wan used his master’s weapon to slice Darth Maul in half.

Darth Maul

There are many elements of the Darth Maul design – as first introduced in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace – that are intensely cool, but arguably nothing trumps his badass double-bladed lightsaber. Keeping with Sith tradition, the lasers are red, but the weapon is beautifully memorable because nothing like it had ever shown up in a Star Wars movie prior to its debut. The user of the lightsaber could activate one blade at a time or both simultaneously, and it helped Maul stand as a force to be reckoned with during the aforementioned Battle of Naboo. The double-bladed sword was used to kill Qui Gon Jinn, but then suffered the same fate as its wielder: bifurcated and thrown down a pit.

Count Dooku

Count Dooku’s lightsaber has only been featured in one Star Wars movie to date (Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones), but its design is still notable. While most lightsabers are constructed with primarily straight, parallel lines, the same cannot be said about the laser sword built by Dooku. Instead, there is a particular curve in the hilt of the weapon, which the Sith Lord felt allowed for greater finesse. As with most of those doing their business powered by the Dark Side of the force, his blade is red.

Luke Skywalker

After having used his father’s lightsaber for most of his adult life, Luke Skywalker built his own, complete with a green blade, while finishing his Jedi knight training and going to rescue Han Solo from Jabba The Hutt in Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi. Because the last lightsaber was built long before Luke got his Jedi training, he was forced to use a synthetic crystal in the construction instead of the standard kyber crystal – but the only real difference between the two ultimately is the sound that is made when the weapon is turned on.

Darth Vader

Following his turn to the Dark Side and becoming Darth Vader instead of Anakin Skywalker, the notorious villain built himself a new lightsaber complete with a red blade. While it functions in most ways like your typical example of the weapon, part of what makes Vader’s particularly special is a dual-phase function that allows him to control the length of the emitted laser. Of course, this is also famously the lightsaber that killed Obi-wan Kenobi and cut off Luke Skywalker’s hand.

Kylo Ren

The kyber crystal is the magical key that allows lightsabers to work the way that they do, and the reason why Kylo Ren’s weapon looks different than most is because it contains a damaged kyber crystal. Because there is a risk of overloading the cracked element, lateral vents are required – which is what accounts for the unstable energy that both takes the appearance of, and works like a crossguard when the lightsaber is activated. It has been used to fight and/or kill some very important characters, including Kylo Ren’s own father, Han Solo, who is stabbed through the chest with it in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Leia Organa

One of the big revelations in Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi is that Princess Leia Organa has some very special blood running through her veins – but it still took a hell of a long time after that for audiences to finally see the character wielding a lightsaber. Leia utilizes the Force in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but the first time we see her carrying the official weapon of the Jedi Knights is in Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker during a flashback sequence. Like the classic Skywalker Lightsaber, it has a blue blade, and at the end of the final film in the Saga it is buried in the sands of Tatooine next to Luke's.

Rey

As mentioned above, Rey made use of the Skywalker Lightsaber through both Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but at the very end of Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker she finally made a weapon to call her own. It's not made wholly clear where she gets a kyber crystal from, but the custom laser sword is revealed immediately after the heroine buries Luke and Leia's lightsabers in the sands of Tatooine. It holds a special place in the history of the Star Wars franchise by being the only one in a live-action movie that is colored yellow.

Of course, this is not the end of the legacy of lightsabers in the Star Wars universe, as we will surely see many more of them invented and introduced on the big screen in the coming years. To learn about all of the projects that the franchise currently has in the works, be sure to check out our Upcoming Star Wars guide.

This December will mark the second anniversary of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’s release, the movie that concluded both the Sequel Trilogy that launched in 2015, as well as the Skywalker Saga as a whole. As with a lot of things in the Star Wars franchise, opinions range on the quality of the Sequel Trilogy, but it looks like we can count Marcia Lucas, one of the editors on Star Wars: A New Hope and ex-wife of creator George Lucas, among its detractors. In fact, she went so far as to call The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker “terrible.”

Marica Lucas’ opinions about the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy came to light when she was interviewed for Howard Kazanjian: A Producer’s Life (via Indiewire), a book by the late J.W. Rinzler focusing on the producer who worked The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, among other things. But during the interview, which took place between the releases of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, current Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and director JJ Abrams, who helmed Episodes VII and IX, came up, and Lucas subsequently revealed why she doesn’t like the Sequel Trilogy. In her words:

Marcia Lucas was an integral contributor to the original Star Wars trilogy, having shared editing duties on A New Hope with Paul Hirsch and Richard Chew, as well as editing Return of the Jedi with Sean Barton and Duwayne Dunham (she also did uncredited work on The Empire Strikes Back). Furthermore, it was her idea for Obi-Wan Kenobi to die in his duel with Darth Vader and continue mentoring Luke Skywalker as a spirit, as opposed to survive the conflict with the Sith Lord. Fast-forward several decades, Lucas isn’t pleased with what Disney has done with the Star Wars property, and takes particular umbrage with Han Solo being killed off.

For what it’s worth, Harrison Ford did have the idea of having Han Solo die in Return of the Jedi, and while that obviously didn’t come to pass, Kathleen Kennedy and JJ Abrams (along with some assistance from then-Disney CEO Bob Iger) decided for the character to meet such a fate in The Force Awakens. But it wasn’t just Han’s death that bothered Marcia Lucas; she also took issue with the Sequel Trilogy did with Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, among other things. As she put it:

While Marcia Lucas certainly isn’t the only one who was bothered by Luke Skywalker dying in The Last Jedi, let’s not forget that it was Rian Johnson who delivered that narrative beat, not JJ Abrams. And as far as Lucas’ comments on Rey go, we did ultimately learn that Daisy Ridley’s character was the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine, but even if that hadn’t happened, there are countless Jedi/Sith/Force-sensitive characters who are powerful regardless of familial ties. Still, I suspect even if Lucas were to be asked about her thoughts on the Sequel Trilogy now, nearly two years separated from The Rise of Skywalker, she’d feel the same way.

The film side of the Star Wars franchise is still on a break, but fans can look forward to Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron hitting theaters on December 22, 2023. In the meantime, there’s plenty of Star Wars TV shows to keep us occupied, including the anime series Visions arriving this week and The Book of Boba Fett coming in December.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

Whether he's earthbound or in a galaxy far, far away, Oscar Isaac brings out the humane core of each of his characters. Through varying genres and a wide range of personalities, the performer has demonstrated his talents on several occasions, and that won't stop anytime soon. Currently, Isaac stars in The Card Counter and HBO's Scenes from a Marriage. Soon enough, Isaac will be seen in Dune and heard in The Addams Family 2. It's a very active time for the animated actor, and it's well-deserved, too. Certainly, if you've followed Isaac throughout the years, you're probably well-aware of his skills, and if you're not, then you have some homework to do. If you love the Star Wars actor, here's what you should stream next.

Inside Llewyn Davis (Amazon Prime)

A week in the life of a sorrowful singer (Oscar Isaac) navigating poverty and rejection in Greenwich Village's 1961 folk scene.

Why You Should Stream If You Love Oscar Isaac: As our forlorn folk singer who can't catch a break, due to his rotten luck, his inflated pride, or his stubbornness, trying to make his way in a competitive market following years of grief and disdain, Inside Llewyn Davis is a textured and enveloping film that provides Oscar Isaac with the opportunity to give what might very well be his finest performance. Through each dispirited sigh and crooning tune, Isaac portrays the fine talent and unstable resentment that bubbles throughout this man's wayward core. He brings so much depth and life to this man, even with all the weight provided by another excellent screenplay from writers-directors Joel and Ethan Coen. As moving as it's melancholy, Inside Llewyn Davis is a smart, profound movie about trying to move forward when you're stuck at a creative crossroad.

Stream Inside Llewyn Davis on Amazon Prime.

Rent Inside Llewyn Davis on Amazon.

Ex Machina (Showtime/Hoopla/Kanopy)

A programmer (Domhnall Gleeson) is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment with a reclusive genius (Oscar Isaac) and a highly advanced humanoid A.I. (Alicia Vikander).

Why You Should Stream If You Love Oscar Isaac: As a hard-drinking, secret-wielding, machine-making, dancing-loving tech whiz on the verge of changing the known world for eons to come, Oscar Isaac absolutely tears it up in Ex Machina, writer-director Alex Garland's beguiling and profound sci-fi character drama that also serves as a wonderful showcase for Domhnall Gleeson, Sonoya Mizuno, and especially Alicia Vikander, only a few short months away from winning her Oscar. A sneering, tactful genre film filled with lofty ideas and even grander ambitions, Ex Machina is intelligent enough to let the talky characters captivate us, assuring that the nifty little movie keeps itself focused on their budding dynamics as well as their growing resentment for that which they create and destroy — even if it's themselves. Of course, Isaac's stunning turn remains sensational.

Stream Ex Machina on Showtime.

Stream Ex Machina on Hoopla.

Stream Ex Machina on Kanopy.

Rent Ex Machina on Amazon.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens & Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Disney+)

Follows the continuing intergalactic adventures of a galaxy far, far away.

Why You Should Stream If You Love Oscar Isaac: For many mainstream audiences, especially younger viewers, the new Star Wars trilogy was their formal introduction to Oscar Isaac. Though the actor has been quick to impress in a number of recent movies, his affable-yet-hot-headed portrayal of Poe Dameron remains an ever-popular favorite, showcasing his machismo and magnetism in equal measure. Particularly in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, the proven talent is quick to showcase his star potential (if you can pardon the pun) as a captivating and venturous actor who brings a wealth of wit and gravitas to his characters. Even in the recesses of space, Isaac is quite a bright figure. As for The Rise of Skywalker... the less said about it, the better.

The Star Wars sequels are available to stream on Disney+

Rent Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Amazon.

Rent Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Amazon.

Triple Frontier (Netflix)

When five former special forces operatives reunite to take down a South American drug lord, loyalties are tested.

Why You Should Stream If You Love Oscar Isaac: Reuniting with A Most Violent Year director J.C. Chandor, Triple Frontier isn't quite as strong as Oscar Isaac's previous film with the acclaimed filmmaker, but the expensive Netflix drama is also elevated by the assured performances at its center. While Ben Affleck gets the most time to shine in his hefty, hard-lucked lead role, Isaac does solid work in his prominent supporting part, bringing the weighted pathos that you can readily expect from the dependable actor. Particularly by the movie's emotionally taxing third act, Isaac conveys the long-suffering troubles of his burdened character well, resulting in a moody finale that conveys a wealth of sorrow that's made bearable through the dedicated dependency of its creditable ensemble. It might not ultimately be Isaac's best or more memorable movie, but it's certainly worth watching — not merely for his performance but the commendable work of its high-profile cast.

Stream Triple Frontier on Netflix.

Show Me A Hero (HBO Max)

Mayor Nick Wasicsko (Oscar Isaac) deals with the building of public housing in the white, middle-class side of town upon taking office in 1987.

Why You Should Stream If You Love Oscar Isaac: Under the firm guidance of acclaimed writer David Simon (The Wire) and award-winning director Paul Haggis (Crash), HBO's Show Me A Hero allowed Oscar Isaac to play a well-drawn character, one who could be fleshed out in ways that his big-screen counterparts often couldn't. Though the material threatens to be too uncommercial or, dare one say, unbecoming, Isaac's intelligent and simmering performance (even under a dorky haircut and a trimmed mustache) keeps it captivating, allowing the acclaimed actor to really sink his teeth in this political persona. The result is one of Isaac's most celebrated performances, even in a career filled with highlights, and yet another great demonstration of his expanding star power — notably at a time when Hollywood was taking notice of the performer's powerhouse promise.

Stream Show Me A Hero on HBO Max.

Buy Show Me A Hero on Amazon.

Annihilation (Paramount+)

A biologist (Natalie Portman) signs up for a dangerous expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature do not apply.

Why You Should Stream If You Love Oscar Isaac: Though he's strictly in supporting character mode opposite Natalie Portman and the rest of the female-led ensemble, Oscar Isaac does a dutiful job playing the emotional rock at the festering core of our lead's internal struggle in Annihilation. Given the opportunity to reunite with writer-director Alex Garland, Isaac makes a meal out of every moment, providing depth and pathos to even the most seemingly banal interaction. The actor's care and attention to detail are especially highlighted, as he brings some sensitive perspective to each key scene and gives meaning to each interaction he shares with his Oscar-winning co-star. The result isn't Isaac's all-time best performance but a fine display of his dependable talents, no matter how much screentime he gets, and another reminder that Isaac can plant a seed and build a vast, vibrant forest out of seemingly any character he's given.

Stream Annihilation on Paramount+.

Rent Annihilation on Amazon.

Drive (Peacock)

A mysterious Hollywood stuntman (Ryan Gosling) moonlighting as a getaway driver gets himself in trouble when he forms a connection with his neighbor (Carey Mulligan).

Why You Should Stream It If You Love Oscar Isaac: Though Nicholas Winding Refn's Drive is ultimately Ryan Gosling's showcase, it's one of several movies from the past decade that proves that Oscar Isaac can leave a deep impression, even when he's only given a few select scenes. In the role of Standard, Isaac's innate charisma seeps out, providing a transfixing supporting turn that doesn't steal the show but certainly wins over your attention. While the actor's better work would come in the years to follow, this early standout performance is a good early indicator of what he can bring to the fold. This movie remains one of his finest (which is saying something), even if he only plays a minor role, and it's made better knowing that he'll shine ever brighter as the actor gets more plump parts and several more opportunities to prove his commanding versatility.

Stream Drive on Peacock.

Rent Drive on Amazon.

A Most Violent Year (Showtime/Hoopla/Kanopy)

An ambitious immigrant (Oscar Isaac) fights to protect his business and family in New York City 1981 — the most dangerous year in the city's history.

Why It's Worth Streaming If You Love Oscar Isaac: Before they took on the lead roles in HBO's Scenes from a Marriage, Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain starred in 2014's A Most Violent Year, a gritty, gripping character drama with a thoughtful narrative and tight formal control. With its tempered pacing and its classy presentation, this period piece is well-crafted and commanding with each beat, and it's elevated quite nicely by the well-assured performances from its central stars. Isaac, in particular, is impressive in his restrained control, conveying the depths of his changeling character with dignity and grace. With even one passing glance, he can convey magnitudes. That quiet captivation proves exceptionally gratifying here, particularly as this movie fares subtle nuances that give it more life.

Stream A Most Violent Year on Showtime.

Stream A Most Violent Year on Hoopla.

Stream A Most Violent Year on Kanopy.

Rent A Most Violent Year on Amazon.

X-Men: Apocalypse (Disney+)

In their most perilous adventure, the X-Men must defeat an ancient, all-powerful mutant (Oscar Isaac) who intends to bring destruction to the world.

Why It's Worth Streaming If You Love Oscar Isaac: One would be hard-pressed to consider X-Men: Apocalypse to be Oscar Isaac's best, most accomplished, or most dignified performance. Wearing a permanent scowl and buried under mountains of blue make-up, this melancholic menace is often considered a career-low for the prestigious actor, earning more comparisons to Power Rangers villains than his other, more acclaimed performances. And yet, despite all the movie's clunky failures, there's something charmingly quaint about X-Men: Apocalypse. For all its assortment of blunders, there's a schlocky appeal to this would-be trilogy capper that's absent in most serious-minded superhero movies today. It makes no bones about being slapdash and silly, often owning up to its inherent goofiness. It's reminiscent of the sort of comic book movies that once paraded on the big screen, which might not be nostalgic for some but earns some of my affections.

Stream X-Men: Apocalypse on Disney+.

Rent X-Men: Apocalypse on Amazon.

At Eternity’s Gate (Netflix)

Explores the wayward life of Vincent van Gogh (Willem Dafoe) during his French travels.

Why You Should Stream If You Love Oscar Isaac: While Willem Dafoe's warmly soulful portrayal of the little painter fellow understandably got the lion's share of the praise during At Eternity's Gate award season rollout, Oscar Isaac's spirited performance as Paul Gauguin shouldn't have been overlooked. While Dafoe is the movie's emotionally tormented centerpiece, Isaac's take on the French post-impressionist artist carries the actor's signature flair for playing wily characters with a fire in their belly and a roaring desire to take the world by storm — whether the world wants him to or not. He only gets a handful of scenes throughout the film, but Isaac provides a splashy turn, filled with wry humor and a boisterous heart. It serves as a fine counterpoint to Dafoe's anguished characterization, providing flickers of flare and fury that bolsters a broad-reaching film that can be held down by its tiring pondering and its occasional heavy-handedness.

Stream At Eternity's Gate on Netflix.

Rent At Eternity's Gate on Amazon.

Be sure to follow CinemaBlend for more updates on 2021 movies, Netflix movies, Amazon Prime movies, and more.

If you listen to enough Star Wars fans, you’ll learn that many of them HATE the Star Wars sequels. It's no secret that there's been significant backlash about the movies. Sure, a lot of fans will say that they enjoyed Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens. But when it comes to Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, and especially Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, a lot of them will tell you that the film franchise has definitely lost the force.

Now personally, I don’t care. I like Star Wars and all, but I don’t find any specific film to be better than another. I don’t rank the Star Wars movies, and to me, they’re all pretty okay, I guess. I mean, I personally prefer the prequels to the sequels, but I do think that the sequels have their merits. That said, I remember when not too long ago, people were happy that Disney was taking over Star Wars because they thought that George Lucas (Yes, that George Lucas) “killed” Star Wars with the much-maligned Episodes I, II, and III.

So, keep that in mind. I like Star Wars, but I’m not a capital F fan of the franchise. Still, I’ve been reading the tea leaves, and I have five reasons why I think Star Wars fans will not only accept the sequels in the future, but will also love them. And if you don’t believe me, well, then “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

The Sequels Are The Last Time That We Will Ever See Han, Luke, and Leia, And Fans Will Appreciate That In Time

Remember when people saw that first trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens? Well, I do, and the scene that I recall every Star Wars fan going ga-ga over was when Han Solo stood beside Chewbacca, and said, “Chewie, we’re home.” Now, when I saw this, I thought, wait. We’re still dealing with these characters? But Disney knew that this would appeal to the old-time fans, and The Force Awakens debuted domestically at a staggering $247,966,675. I mean, jeez. Just jeez.

And while yes, a lot of people were very upset by how Luke Skywalker was handled in Episode VIII (Even though that’s the best movie in the trilogy as far as I'm concerned) I also think that when the new movies come along, which will not feature the Skywalker bloodline, that a lot of fans will mentally gloss over Rey, Finn, and Poe, and say, you know what? It was kind of nice seeing Princess Leia and Han Solo back together again. It was nice seeing Lando Calrissian (the original Lando, not the one getting his own spin-off) again. And they’ll look back fondly on these sequels, because they, too, represent a time in a Star Wars fan’s life.

It Provides A Conclusive Ending To The Skywalker Saga

Remember when I said that I don’t view any Star Wars films as being better than another? Well, that’s true, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t dislike some Star Wars films more than others, and The Rise of Skywalker, in my mind anyway, is the very WORST Star Wars movie ever made. It’s even worse that Attack of the Clones, and that movie sucks. Even so, would you believe that I am a Star Wars fan who doesn’t care much for the Jedi? That said, I do know that a lot of fans do care about the Jedi, and for those fans, The Rise of Skywalker is a definitive ending to the Skywalker saga.

I guess this is a spoiler, but Rey takes on the last name of Skywalker after disavowing being a Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker. Ben Solo/Kylo Ren sacrifices himself, and Princess Leia also passes on. So, the Skywalker name, outside of Rey, who isn’t even technically a Skywalker, really lives on with her since the rest of the family has passed on. This makes it a definitive ending to the Skywalker saga, as the name will live on in spirit. And again, while I kind of just shrug this off, I believe that true fans will come back and appreciate the saga AS A WHOLE. Because whether you like it or not, the sequels ARE canon. And I think fans will accept that and cherish it in time.

There Are Some Scenes In Each Movie That Are Truly Iconic

I know a lot of fans say they hate the sequels, but come on now. There are some scenes that are really cool in each movie. Who didn’t love the Episode VII “traitor” scene with that badass storm trooper? Or Luke Skywalker’s amazing final stand in Episode VIII. I mean Episode IX even had that badass scene where Rey takes down Kylo Ren’s ship.

The fact is, while all of the movies might have left much to be desired, there are still some super iconic scenes in each movie. And when people look back upon this trilogy, I think a lot of those negative memories will get wiped away when they remember Finn fighting Kylo Ren in the forest. Or that awesome moment when Kylo Ren fought side-by-side with Rey against the Praetorian Guards. Those scenes were epic.

For A Certain Generation, This Is Their Star Wars

I know this might be hard for some fans to hear, but to this generation, THIS is their Star Wars. When I’m not writing, I teach, and a bunch of my students who grew up with the prequels will tell me that they think the original trilogy is boring. And yes, you just heard that right. My students find your favorite movie, The Empire Strikes Back, to be a boring slog.

But that’s just how generations are, and if I teach long enough, I bet you that my future students will say that they love the sequels, and that The Last Jedi is their The Empire Strikes Back. Because it’s what they grew up with. Strangely enough, I think those feelings will trickle up, because Star Wars fans, if anything, love Star Wars, even if they do seem to love to hate it. In that way, I think this new generation will turn the haters into lovers, which brings me to my final point.

Star Wars Fans Hated The Prequels When Those Were Out, And Now Fans Love Them

This one just boggles my mind, but apparently, many Star Wars fans now like the prequels. And I’m just going to stop you right there, because I was there, man. Star Wars fans used to HATE the prequels. They always made fun of Jar Jar Binks, or mocked the awful dialogue in Attack of the Clones. But now, Star Wars fans LOVE the prequels? Are you kidding me? How?

Personally, I think the prequels are pretty bad. Episode III is fine, but the other two are bottom of the barrel. And a lot of fans used to agree with me. But now, there’s almost a sort of nostalgia for those films. I think a lot of that has to do with the last generation coming up with the prequels and saying how much they loved them. I’ll talk to younger fans today who had no idea that people didn’t like the prequels, and I think the same will happen with the sequels. They’ll look at The Last Jedi and see it as a great movie rather than the train wreck that many fans see it as today. Just you watch. In time, fans will love Episode VIII and the whole trilogy. You’ll see.

And those are my reasons. But what do you think? Will fans ever love the sequels? Sound off in the poll below. And for upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows and how to view the Star Wars movies in order, make sure to stop by here often.

This poll is no longer available.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s Kelly Marie Tran has been open about her experiences being a part of the Star Wars universe. In the past, Tran has explained her love for the Canto Bight sequence from The Last Jedi and why she might not want to play Rose Tico ever again, plus she even recently remarked about the lessons she learned playing Rose Tico and voicing a Disney Princess in Raya and the Last Dragon. In her latest House of Mouse-related interview, Kelly Marie Tran told a hilarious story about pulling an A+ prank on The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, and it involved Pokémon.

Pokémon Go, the mobile Pokémon game in which you can walk around in real life and catch Pokémon, came out during the making of The Last Jedi. So, of course, the cast and crew had some fun with it. In fact, Kelly Marie Tran told Looper.com a story about a prank she pulled on Rian Johnson involving the massively popular game, saying:

It's no secret that Star Wars sets are basically trying to keep movie-related details under lockdown and phone use is at a minimum, so it's actually a little bit surprising that Kelly Marie Tran and co. were able to use their cell phones for Pokemon Go. Eventually, one day this also led to the perfect opportunity to prank Rian Johnson related to the game. She went on to explain the prank she pulled, saying:

Yes, Rian Johnson was and still is a Pokémon Go fan and Kelly Marie Tran thought it would be funny to bait him with a Pikachu. Yet, there were no hard feelings between Johnson and Tran and she says they even ended up helping each other with the game as friends. In fact, despite some trolling from the fanbase, in general it seems Kelly Marie Tran has fond feelings about her Star Wars experiences, also telling the outlet she had an "otherworldly, magical" experience while filming Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Kelly Marie Tran isn't the only person who has shared some fun details from set. The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson has also shared some cool details and interesting facts about the film since its release. Johnson shared some of the practical effects the film used to create some of its sequences, and he has explained the ‘open for interpretation’ nature of Rey’s mirror scene. Rian Johnson is also responsible for the great Star Wars milk debate, so his impact on the series isn’t debatable.

Kelly Marie Tran has moved on from Star Wars, but it is cool to hear such fun stories from her, like her Pokémon Go prank on Rian Johnson. Hopefully, we see Kelly Marie Tran in another big franchise, maybe in the MCU. Nothing is ever off the table, and Star Wars fans may get to see the return of Rose in some form or fashion.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

Ask any fantasy or sci-fi fan: world-building is important. Would the Lord of the Rings have shined so brightly on-screen if not for the finely detailed sets and costumes? Would Star Wars have shot into hyperspeed if not for the zany cast of alien background characters? I think not. And neither does Kelly Marie Tran, who played Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. And Tran recently explained why she likes Last Jedi's infamous Canto Bight scenes.

In an episode of Collider Ladies Night, Kelly Marie Tran described why she loved the infamous Canto Bight scenes in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Fans are divided: some feel that the scene’s message added to the overall arc of the film, while others thought the subplot was contrived and unnecessary. Kelly Marie Tran said:

In the interest of world-building, I have to agree with Kelly Marie Tran. While the Canto Bight storyline didn’t add much to the general plot of the movie, it did serve a purpose. The scene further fleshed out the Star Wars universe, adding another layer of texture and color to a fantasy world. One of my favorite scenes in the original trilogy was the cantina scene: it was fairly short, and not a huge plot mover, but one look at that seedy alien dive bar and I knew exactly what sort of universe the story took place in. The cantina was a microcosm of the larger Star Wars world, a small look at the varied and wondrous creatures who called it home.

Star Wars fan can re-watch the Skywalker Saga on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

As Kelly Marie Tran, the Canto Bight scene reminded her that she was a part of the larger Star Wars universe, and that’s what it did for me as a viewer. The scene also illustrated another issue: that of the privileged few who were able to avoid the war. Kelly Marie Tran elaborated:

Like the Capitol citizens in The Hunger Games, the people of Canto Bight were so wealthy they barely knew a war was going on. It painted a stark contrast between the societal elite and the rag-tag rebels. And it reminded Rose Tico and John Boyega’s Finn why the battle they were fighting was so important.

If you’ve been missing Kelly Marie Tran since The Rise of Skywalker and her subsequent departure from social media, don’t fret. You can catch the Star Wars actress voicing Raya in the latest Disney animated feature Raya and the Last Dragon, now available on Disney+.

By now, nearly four years after the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi you would think that we'd all see all there is to say and said everything there is to say about that movie. While no movie in the Star Wars sequel trilogy survived unscathed, with some loving some or all of them, and others really not loving some of them, The Last Jedi is probably the most polarizing, with many loving it most among the most recent three films, and others really not liking it at all. With so many strong opinions you'd think we'd have covered everything that came from The Last Jedi by now, but we're wrong. There's one picture of Rian Johnson and Daisy Ridley that we had not seen, though now we wish we hadn't.

Rian Johnson recently shared a picture he took with Daisy Ridley during the production of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but this is no originary picture. It's not a behind the scenes shot of the actress filming some key scene. It's not a selfie of Johnson and Ridley just hanging out after a hard day's work on set. It's an image where the two have had their faces swapped by an app, and it is more than a little terrifying. Check it out.

Calling this the most cursed image of all-time might be selling it a little short. This is just terrifying. The fact that Rian Johnson's beard doesn't entirely transfer from one face to the other ends up making this look like two slightly off pictures of the Last Jedi director. What really throws them off is the likely the difference in ages.

Rian Johnson would have been 43 when this picture was taken and Daisy Ridley would have been 25. Seeing Daisey's very young face surrounded by Johnson's body which is clearly much older throws it all off, and the same problem happens on the other side in reverse. Both images have aspects that tell your brain the person you're looking at is both young and older at the same time.

The biggest problem with this nightmare inducing picture is that there isn't going to be much in the way of new Star Wars images to replace in our brain for a while, at least from the big screen. The next Star Wars movie, Rogue Squadron isn't set to hit theaters until 2023. Rian Johnson is supposedly still working on a new Star Wars trilogy but we don't know anything about it, unless he turns out to be the writer of Rogue Squadron. He's clearly more focused on the Knives Out franchise right now.

Whether or loved or hated Star Wars: The Last Jedi, this is not a picture you need to see, and yet, here we all are. At least we've shared this terrible pain together.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

The Star Wars franchise is known for its action, humor and spectacle on the screen, but it’s also known for its innovations behind the camera. This includes both visual and practical effects, which have been used since the franchise’s first film debuted back in 1977. While fans still get a kick out of the look of a lightsaber blade or the CG landscape of a planet, the practical effects are still impressive as well. This is more than evident in an epic video shared by Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson.

Rian Johnson was among the many Star Wars alums to celebrate this year’s May the Fourth. While many stars found great ways to mark the occasion, Johnson’s is definitely one of the best. The clip the director shared to Twitter shows special effects supervisor Chris Corbould standing in for Mark Hamill during a practical effects test for one of The Last Jedi’s key moments. Check out the amazing footage for yourself down below:

I already had plenty of respect for the use of practical effects in the Star Wars franchise, but this only boosts my love for it. For those who may not remember, the scene Chris Corbould is testing is the one in which Luke Skywalker discovers Rey communicating with Kylo Ren through the Force. The moment is thrilling enough in the film, but knowing that the stone building set was actually blown up in real time makes it all the more impressive.

As much as Star Wars creator George Lucas has enjoyed pushing the boundaries of visual effects, he set a new standard for practical effects when shooting A New Hope. This tradition continued into the prequels and, when Disney took the reins of the franchises, that mantra remained. Ahead of The Force Awakens’ release, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy actually stressed the importance of maintaining the use of practical effects alongside digital effects. Needless to say, Rian Johnson’s film is a testament to that philosophy.

You still have to give Johnson credit for what he accomplished in terms of visual effects and cinematography. The Last Jedi may be a controversial film due to its story choices, but it’s arguably the most technologically sound installment in the entire Skywalker Saga. That throne room scene alone is worth the price of admission. You can revisit the film by streaming it on Disney+, which you can sign up for by using this link.

Even though Star Wars is still making strides when it comes to visual effects, it’s good to know the creatives are still staying true to the franchise’s practical roots. Let’s hope this is a trend that continues within the galaxy far, far away for years to come!

Kelly Marie Tran has been making a name for herself over the past several years, with her turn as the titular heroine in Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon earning her acclaim from critics and love from fans. Of course, it was the Star Wars franchise that originally put the actress on Hollywood’s radar, as she played Resistance member Rose Tico in 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi. While the role unfortunately garnered toxic responses from some across the internet, many people fell in love with the character. And just recently, a fan and poet penned a sweet tribute to Rose that has me a little emotional.

Kelly Marie Tran has been a significant source of positivity within the Star Wars community since joining the franchise, and she’s inspired a number of fans as a result. Her impact was especially evident on this past May the Fourth. Tran, who boarded the upcoming film Summertime as an executive producer, used the day to surprise the poets featured in the film.

During the virtual meet-and-greet (via an exclusive clip from EW), young poet MJ Park recited a poem she wrote about Star Wars’ Rose Tico, which expresses the character’s impact on her. Park’s beautiful poem sentimentally captures the essence of Rose and describes how “we are all but left to watch a small Asian girl tear apart the First Order with nothing but a heart made of scrap metal and a passion for rebellion.” Park goes even further, sharing thoughts on how some have found a connection with Rose:

Some of us may not get in our feels that often, but MJ Park’s words are enough to get to you. And as you can imagine, Kelly Marie Tran was also moved by the poem and responded by speaking on the power of poetry:

The poem is powerful on its own, but it hits even harder when one remembers the sexist and racist backlash Kelly Marie Tran experienced after starring in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The actress took it all in stride, though, issuing a statement and choosing to leave social media. And since leaving the web, Tran doesn’t seem to regret the decision.

While Kelly Marie Tran is currently unsure whether she’d play Rose again, it’s clear there’s still plenty of love for the character. One can only hope the actress gets to suit up again and return to the galaxy far, far away.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

Disney+’s The Mandalorian has proven to be an impressive piece of television, expanding on the Star Wars universe while also bringing impressive talents to the franchise. Of course, this talent is just as prevalent behind the camera as it is in front of it. Over the course of its two seasons, the show has brought in top-notch directors like Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Rodriguez and Taika Waititi. One director, however, who unfortunately hasn’t been able to direct Pedro Pascal’s bounty hunter is Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s Rian Johnson, and reports suggest this will continue to be the case come Season 3.

While speaking to our own ReelBlend podcast back in 2019, Rian Johnson expressed interest in helming an episode during The Mandalorian’s second season. Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out in his favor. Now, ahead of Season 3, author and journalist Sariah Wilson has spoken to Johnson and reportedly learned why he cannot join the show right now:

So based on Sariah Wilson’s series of Twitter posts, it would seem that Rian Johnson just doesn’t have the time to helm an episode of The Mandalorian due to other creative obligations. It’s understandable but, with Johnson also working on a third Knives Out film and a new streaming series, there’s no telling when he might be able to join the Jon Favreau-led series.

Rian Johnson has emerged as a unique voice in the Hollywood landscape, having dabbled in genres like science fiction and whodunits. When it comes to the Star Wars franchise, The Last Jedi proved to be pretty divisive among fans, but it received plenty of praise from critics. You can revisit or check out the film for the first time by streaming it on Disney+, which you can sign up for using the link below.

Regardless of how you may feel about The Last Jedi, it’s hard to deny just how talented Rian Johnson is. Whether it be through Looper on the big screen or Breaking Bad on the small screen, he has a flair for providing major spectacle and intimate character moments.

Rian Johnson may not be joining Season 3 of The Mandalorian, but fans can still be excited that more episodes are indeed on the way. And who knows, maybe Johnson will get the chance to sit in the director’s chair before the show finishes out its run.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

John Boyega is at the height of his career. The Star Wars movies may have made him a household name, but his talent and passion have made him an actor with career longevity. In recent years, we have seen Boyega diversify his profile, appearing in everything from big-budget action films to art house indie flicks and critically acclaimed series. John Boyega is definitely one to watch.

If you’re a fan of Boyega, or just looking to explore more of his film and TV credits, then, luckily for you, the vast universe of streaming services has plenty of John Boyega projects to watch on various platforms. Let’s take a look at some of the John Boyega TV shows and movies currently available to stream.

The Star Wars Movies, Episodes 7-8 (Disney+)

Star Wars fans were first introduced to Finn (John Boyega) in episode 7, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Finn is an ex-stormtrooper who meets Rey (Daisy Ridley) and becomes part of the Resistance. Star Wars: The Force Awakens establishes Finn, Rey, and eventually Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) as the new Star Wars movies' lead trio. Throughout the course of the trilogy, we see them grow and become stronger fighters and people. John Boyega appears in three Star Wars movies, The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

This new trilogy has had mixed reviews from die-hard Star Wars fans and casual viewers, but these films helped shape Boyega’s career. They got his name to the masses and offered him a platform that allows him to speak his mind and take on more diverse projects which suit his talents. Also, if you're without that emotional attachment, or just enjoy a fun galaxy adventure film, then the new Star Wars movies may be worth your time. Boyega’s time in this universe seems done, but you never know whether or not he might appear in any upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows.

Stream the Star Wars movies on Disney+

Small Axe (Amazon Prime)

Small Axe is Steve McQueen’s anthology series about the lives of West Indian immigrants living in London in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Each story is distinct and depicts both fictional and true-life events. John Boyega is the main character in Episode 3, Red, White, and Blue. It’s based on the real-life of Leroy Logan, who joined the police academy to become a London cop at a time when racial tensions were at an all-time high. He’s also one of the first black police officers in the area.

Small Axe is a series definitely worth your time, and Red, White, and Blue is an interesting look at the struggle Logan faced trying to make a difference in his community and bring about change at a time when so many were resistant to it. John Boyega’s role in Small Axe earned him a Golden Globe award and showcased his immense talent as an actor.

Stream Small Axe on Amazon Prime.

Detroit (Tubi)

Detroit is a drama directed by Kathryn Bigelow. It depicts the Detroit Riots of 1967, and focuses on one event during it, the Algiers Motel incident, where the police held a group of black men and two white women hostage while looking for weapons and a suspected shooter. The night becomes increasingly more violent as the police abuse, murder, and mentally and emotionally torture these people. John Boyega plays Melvin Dismukes, a security officer who helps the police keep these men detained. Detroit’s cast also includes Will Poulter, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, Kaitlyn Dever, Hannah Murray, and Anthony Mackie.

Detroit is one of those movies that’s haunting, first because it’s based on true events, and second because Bigelow creates this atmosphere that is intense, emotional, and unforgettable. Boyega gives one of his best performances in Detroit as you feel his anxiety, even while being both frustrated by and sympathizing with him for being in this situation that is mainly beyond his control. Detroit is a gripping film that more people definitely need to watch.

Stream Detroit on Tubi.

The Circle (Amazon Prime)

The Circle stars Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, Karen Gillan, Patton Oswalt, and John Boyega. The film is about Mae (Emma Watson), who goes to work for a high-tech company called the Circle, which basically controls all aspects of people’s lives. At first, Mae is skeptical of the company, but eventually, she starts drinking the Kool-Aid as well. Mae becomes the poster child for the company and it takes a lot for her to finally break free from the Circle.

John Boyega has a small role in the film, but an important one to the story of how the Circle developed. He plays Ty, the creator of True You, one of the Circle’s products, who sees Mae as a potential ally because she seems to see the problems with the Circle. Boyega isn’t in the film as much as other characters, but The Circle has an interesting plot that puts a spotlight on some problems with modern technology.

Stream The Circle on Amazon Prime.

24: Live Another Day (Tubi)

24: Live Another Day is a limited event series that brings back Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland). The series ran for 12-episodes on Fox and took place four years after 24’s original eight-season run. In this one, Jack is trying to stop a drone attack on London that will result in many casualties and the death of President James Heller (William Devane). It follows Jack, the terrorist plotting the attack, and Heller’s staff, crew, and family.

John Boyega only appears in a couple of episodes of 24: Live Another Day. He plays Chris Tanner, a United States airman and drone pilot whose drone is hijacked. Boyega’s Tanner is a pawn in a bigger plan, and Boyega plays that frustration of feeling like there's no real way out well. In general, even if you’re not a huge 24 fan, 24: Live Another Day is a way to dabble in the series without committing to eight seasons. It’s fast-paced and keeps you engaged.

Stream 24: Live Another Day on Tubi

Imperial Dreams (Netflix)

Imperial Dreams follows single father Bambi (John Boyega) as he’s released from prison and returns to his violent, poverty stricken block in Watts, Los Angeles. Bambi tries to leave his old life behind and just raise his son Daytone (Ethan and Justin Coach), but he’s tested at every corner.

Imperial Dreams is a sad but powerful story of how life can beat someone down so much that just surviving it is a major accomplishment. John Boyega is the lead in this film, so it heavily depends on him to succeed or fail, and he gives a great performance. You’re captivated by Bambi’s story and just want him to finally win in life.

Stream Imperial Dreams on Netflix.

Half Of A Yellow Sun (Amazon Prime)

Half of a Yellow Sun is based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s book of the same name. It’s historical fiction, and follows sisters Olanna (Thandiwe Newton) and Kainene (Anika Noni Rose) as they try to survive during the Nigerian Civil War. Half of a Yellow’s cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor and Joseph Mawle.

John Boyega has a small role in Half of a Yellow Sun. He plays Olanna and Odenigbo (Ejiofor)’s servant Ugwu. In many ways, Ugwu is an outside observer and constantly sees what happens between Olanna and Odenigbo. He becomes less of a servant and more of a family member as the movie progresses.

Stream Half of a Yellow Sun on Amazon Prime.

Major Lazer (Hulu)

Major Lazer is an FXX adult animated series about a Jamaican DJ and superhero called Major Lazer (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). Each episode has him fighting some sort of villain, whether vampires or mad scientists. Major Lazer also has two main sidekicks, Penny (Angela Trimbur) and Blkmrkt (John Boyega). The series was created by Diplo and often features original songs.

Some of the guests on Major Lazer were Aziz Ansari, J. K. Simmons, Matt Berry, Charli XCX, and Andy Samberg. This series is one that many have probably missed, especially because it only lasted for one season, but it's oddly entertaining and the music is really good. Boyega’s Blkmrkt isn’t the most vital character to the series, but Major Lazer is so unique that I think it’s worth watching.

Stream Major Lazer on Hulu.

Watership Down (Netflix)

Watership Down is a 4-part miniseries based on Richard Adams’s book of the same name. It follows a group of rabbits who leave their home to find a safer place to live after one of them predicts that danger is coming to their home. The story focuses on their journey and the danger they encounter along the way. Watership Down’s voice cast includes James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, John Boyega, Ben Kingsley, and many more famous names.

Boyega plays Bigwig. He’s one of the animals who's tough on the outside and hard to get to know. He reluctantly follows Hazel (James McAvoy) but gives him a hard time about everything. Watership Down is a really compelling series that depicts a human journey but with rabbits.

Stream Watership Down on Netflix.

Law And Order: UK (Tubi)

John Boyega appeared in the Law and Order: UK episode “Survivor’s Guilt.” Th episode focuses on the murder of a cop as officials try to track down his killer. Boyega’s character, Jamal Clarkson, turns out to be the one who killed the cop but the story is more complicated than that. Boyega gives a strong performance as Jamal. You sympathize with him and never completely see him as a bad person for what he has done. He’s just as much of a victim as anyone else.

Stream Law and Order: UK on Tubi.

You can next catch John Boyega in Naked Singularity, which premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival on April 9, 2021.

I feel bad. Here I go, writing an article about how I think the Star Wars movie prequels are better than the sequels, thinking I would get a 50/50 split from the poll I left at the bottom of the article, only to find that (at the time of this writing) 91% agree with me. I mean, damn. Doesn’t anybody like the sequels?

It got me to thinking about reasons why I actually do think the sequels are pretty good. Now, if I was in the Mos Eisley cantina, and Han Solo, that brutal murderer, had his legs crossed up on a table and a gun pointed at me saying, “Do you think the sequels, or the prequels are better?” I would pick the prequels in a heartbeat. That being said, I actually admire the Star Wars sequels quite a bit, and I have five things that I think the sequels did much better than the prequels.

The Force Awakens Got People Excited About Star Wars Again In A Way That The Prequels Didn’t

I’m an old man. Not old enough to have seen any of the original trilogy in the theater, (Return of the Jedi came out the year I was born), but old enough to remember when both Star Wars Episode I and Episode VII came out for the first time. And let me tell you. While there was a lot of fanfare when Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace came out, the discussion quickly turned sour. Instead of podracing and Darth Maul, the conversation quickly turned to Jar Jar Binks and the creepy relationship that a kid Anakin had with a then-18-year-old Natalie Portman.

But plenty of people LOVED Episode VII. Loved, loved, loved it! People were calling it a return to form. And the only complaint I really heard about it at the time was that it was too much of a retread of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. But a lot of people LIKED that about the movie. They felt really burned by the prequels and were happy to just get something that actually felt like Star Wars again. Seriously, people couldn’t wait for the next movie to come out. And then…

The Last Jedi Is The Boldest Star Wars Movie Whether You Liked It Or Not

And then, The Last Jedi happened. Oh, man. I remember this, too. The backlash was swift and immediate, which was really strange to me because I remember walking out of the theater thinking it was really good. And critics seemed to really like it, too. But man, oh, man. The fans went off on this one, criticizing everything from purple hair to Princess Leia flying in space.

And look, I get it, okay? The Last Jedi is SUPER divisive. Fans had been waiting literally decades to see Mark Hamill return as Luke Skywalker, and what they got was a grumpy old man who chucks his own lightsaber over his shoulder and almost murders Kylo Ren. The narrative threads set forth in The Force Awakens were completely defenestrated. And for some reason, Finn and a new character named Rose Tico went to a casino. I don’t even remember why they went. They just did. And yet… I really liked it? Maybe it’s because it felt so different. Star Wars usually has the tendency to feel same-y to me. But The Last Jedi was such an F-U to some fans' expectations that I couldn’t help but be impressed. Love it or hate it, The Last Jedi definitely made people FEEL something. And any movie that does that gets an A+ in my book.

The Sequels Made A Timeline For Stories After Return Of The Jedi, Paving The Way For The Mandalorian

This can’t be stated enough, but without the sequels, we likely wouldn’t have had a timeline to fit in the greatness that is The Mandalorian. Nor would we have the wiggle room for all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows slated on the horizon.

Sure, we got some cool cartoons with the Star Wars prequels, but by placing events before the original trilogy, it was kind of limiting. Like, you could only go so far without butting into Episode IV. Whereas, having a timeline after the original trilogy just opened up so much more space. Pun not intended. So, without the sequels, we likely wouldn’t have that.

The Sequels Included Fan Favorites Like Luke, Han, And Leia. Again, Whether You Liked It Or Not

OK, so I kind of hate this, but I know a lot of Star Wars fans really wanted to know what happened to Luke, Han, and Leia (and I guess Lando Calrissian) following the events of the original trilogy, and the sequels gave fans that story. Now, most fans weren’t happy with what they got with Luke and Leia (especially with Carrie Fisher’s untimely demise). But this is a continuation of the story that a lot of the fans wanted to see, and the sequels gave us that story, while the prequels didn't. 

Now, this is actually one of the biggest detriments to the sequels if you ask me. The old characters took away from the importance of the new characters. But I’m not like, a mega Star Wars fan or anything like that. I don’t go ka ka cuckoo when Luke Skywalker appears on The Mandalorian. Like, I just don’t care. Those characters were great for the old trilogy, but I wanted a new, fresh cast. And Rey, Poe, and Finn weren’t cutting it. But…

Kylo Ren Had A Complete Story Arc Through All Three Movies, While The Villains In The Prequels Didn’t Stick Around For Too Long

I hated everything about The Rise Of Skywalker, okay? It was terrible and makes all the great stuff that was in The Last Jedi look like a pile of puke. It kind of reminds me of how Matrix Revolutions was so bad that it made me wonder how I could even like the first two movies. It was that awful. But if there’s any one good thing about The Rise of Skywalker, it’s that Kylo Ren got a complete story arc throughout the three movies.

I’m not saying it was a good story arc, but one area where I think the prequels faltered is that they got rid of their best antagonists and made way for new ones in each movie. I wanted to see so much more of Darth Maul and Count Dooku, but they had to make way for emo Hayden Christensen (who was supposed to be the chosen one!). Yeah. If there’s any one area where the sequels were better than the prequels, it’s that the heel had a chance to turn face. And that’s some wrestling parlance for you, by the way. Because why not?

In the end, the prequels are still better than the sequels, but there’s definitely some stuff that the sequels did much better than the prequels. But what do you think? Are there any positives to the sequels, or they just hot Rancor droppings to you? Let me know in the poll down below!

This poll is no longer available.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

The Star Wars sequel trilogy was filled with a number of twists and turns - a number of which proved to be somewhat controversial among fans. One of the biggest was arguably the true identity of Supreme Leader Snoke. After seemingly being set up as the Big Bad in The Force Awakens, he was promptly killed during the events of The Last Jedi. Though fans later learned he was actually an artificial being engineered and used by Emperor Palpatine. With such a complex arc, some may have wondered just how much Andy Serkis knew about his character’s true nature. Well, the actor has now provided some clarification.

Andy Serkis has been a part of a number of high-profile franchises, whether it be The Lord of the Rings, the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Planet of the Apes. With that in mind, he knows how to keep a secret, and he never dropped any spare details on Snoke during his tenure in the Star Wars universe. Time has moved on though and, while speaking with ComicBookMovie.com, he offered some insight into what he knew while working on those first two films:

Well, based on Andy Serkis’ comments, it looks like even he wasn’t completely in the loop when it came to Supreme Leader Snoke’s origins. Still, the clever performer must have been tipped off to it somehow if he had “an inkling” of suspicion.

In retrospect, Snoke’s arc is pretty complex, if not uneven. Those looking to re-examine it can do so by revisiting the sequel trilogy on Disney+, which you can sign up for using this link.

Secrecy is a serious thing when it comes to Star Wars, though it’s possible the producers didn’t just keep the news from the actor in an attempt to keep things from leaking. Seeing as Snoke was only a mouthpiece for Palpatine, the filmmakers may not have wanted Serkis’ performance to be affected by that fact. That way he could ensure Snoke would still have a distinct personality of his own.

Following the release of 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars literature has continued to clarify the origins of Snoke. Unfortunately, his quick demise and ultimate reveal have still drawn mixed responses. Something fans can still agree on, though, is that Andy Serkis gave a top-notch performance as the villainous character, utilizing his imposing voice to great effect.

It’ll be interesting to see what might be revealed about Supreme Leader Snoke as the years go on. But it’s a safe bet that he’ll continue to be one of the most widely debated characters in all of Star Wars canon.

I’ve said it once, and I’ve said it a thousand times. Rogue One is my favorite Star Wars movie. And guess what! I also don’t much like the Jedi or even the Skywalkers for that matter. So, with that said, you might think that I’m the last person who should be writing an article about the Star Wars prequels being better than the sequels. But think about that. Maybe I’m the best person to write this article, since I’m not beholden to any specific era of Star Wars. When it comes to the trilogies, I hold Star Wars: A New Hope to the same standard as Star Wars: The Force Awakens. They’re all apples to oranges, or rather, Anikins to Obi-Wans, to me.

That said, I do enjoy Star Wars, and sometimes even love it (Thanks, Disney+!). But it’s not like it’s my whole life or anything like that. I don’t rank the Star Wars movies or look upon Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back as the golden standard that every Star Wars movie has to live up to. Because at the end of the day, I view all the Star Wars movies as light popcorn fare, and that’s about it. But I have seen every single one of them, and after deep consideration, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Star Wars prequels are better than the sequels, and I have 5 reasons why.

The Prequels Are A Singular Vision

Now, let me just start this off by saying that I think the prequels are pretty lousy. So, I hope you didn’t come into this article thinking I was going to die on some Tatooine hill for the them or anything like that. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is kind of a mess. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a contender for the worst Star Wars movie ever, and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith… well, that one’s pretty good. I also think that if I were to judge any movie in both Star Wars trilogies, my favorite might be Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which is in the sequels, not the prequels.

But therein lies the problem. With the sequels, you can clearly, painfully, see that there are different visions at play. J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens is pretty much just a weaker version of A New Hope. Then, you have Rian Johnson’s deconstruction of Star Wars with the widely-hated The Last Jedi. And finally, you have that abomination The Rise of Skywalker, also by Abrams, which tried to retcon everything that happened in The Last Jedi, creating an underwhelming, total blah of a conclusion. But at least the prequels, bad as they are, tell one, complete narrative, and that’s because George Lucas was behind all of them. Maybe his vision was corny and even awful at times, but at least you don’t completely feel like you wasted your time by the end of it. If anything, you feel rewarded since Episode III is so good, while Episode IX is hot garbage.

The Prequels Don’t Rely On Nostalgia

You know one reason why I really don’t like the sequels? They lean too heavily on nostalgia. As soon as I saw Harrison Ford in that first trailer for The Force Awakens, I thought, wait. We’re sticking with those characters? Because while we did get some fresh faces in the sequels, the fact that we were still also getting narrative threads from Han, Luke, Leia, and even freaking Palpatine (WHY?) just reeked of pandering to the old fans. At least The Last Jedi had Luke Skywalker chucking his lightsaber over his shoulder and Kylo Ren saying, “Let the past die. Kill it if you have to.” The Last Jedi had some Midi-chlorians! (Midi-chlorians are balls, right?)

But the prequels don’t rely on nostalgia at all. Yes, we’re learning about the rise of Darth Vader, but the rest of the story is all new stuff. We’re not paying homage to the original trilogy. Instead, we have pod racing, new villains, and even an annoying new alien race called Gungans with its leading spokesperson, Jar Jar Binks. Say what you will about the prequels. At least those films felt fresh at the time.

The New Characters Introduced In The Prequels Are Better Than Rey, Poe, And Finn

I’m sorry, but Rey, Poe, and Finn suck. And they didn’t have to! The problem again goes back to The Rise of Skywalker. All the narrative threads set up in Episodes VII and VIII feel pointless by Episode IX. The story sputtered out and none of the characters had satisfying conclusions. Especially Finn. What was his point again?

But let’s talk about the prequels. Mace Windu? Dope. Qui-Gon Jinn? Dope. Padme Amidala… well, I mean, I didn’t dislike her, which is more I can say for Rey, Poe, and Finn. And the villains were the best! Count Dooku? General Grievous? Darth freaking Maul?! Are you kidding me? Every single one of them makes me ask, Snoke who?

The Star Wars Prequels Take More Risks Than The Sequels

Again, I can’t stress enough that The Last Jedi takes tons of risks! In fact, it’s definitely the riskiest Star Wars movie out of both trilogies. And that’s why I love it, and why most fans probably hate it. But The Rise of Skywalker is such a spineless movie that I can’t truly say that the sequels are risky, since it was such an obvious knee-jerk reaction to the fans’ vitriol for The Last Jedi.

The prequels on the other hand fully committed to their risks. What’s that you say? Anakin is a child and Padme is a teenager in one movie? Well, let’s put them in a relationship in the next movie like that’s totally not weird or anything. You said Anakin is a wuss who hates sand in one movie? Well, let’s have him killing kids in the next. Hell, as boring as Episode II is with its trade and economy, at least it commits to it, dammit! Interest levels be damned! And I can respect the prequels for that. What I can’t respect is when the powers that be kowtow to the fans. That’s some nerf herder nonsense.

The Prequels Helped Expand Into Animation, And It’s Really Good

And lastly, the prequels gave us the excellent Clone Wars cartoons. The prequels also expanded Star Wars animation in general. So, without the prequels, we likely wouldn’t have as much great Star Wars content like Rebels and even Resistance, which covers the world of the sequels.

And not only that, but we might not have Dave Filoni, either. He’s one of the Star Wars’ universe’s MVPs as he worked on the Clone Wars TV show, and also that famous Ahsoka Tano episode, The Jedi, on The Mandalorian. So, poo poo the prequels all you like. Without them, Star Wars wouldn’t have animation like it does today.

So, again, I genuinely believe that the prequels are better than the sequels. But what do you think? Sound off in the poll which trilogy you think is superior.

This poll is no longer available.