If there’s one thing that Lucasfilm has been guilty of these past few years, it has been the habit of announcing film projects (or teasing them at the very least) and then failing to follow up on them with any real specific details. The bulk of the new Star Wars storytelling has been focused on television and Disney+ streaming, with The Mandalorian ranking as one of the best Disney+ shows available on the service. But Star Wars fans also want new films, and a project that they thought was in development from Marvel Studios mastermind Kevin Feige might not be happening after all… at least not any time soon.
As part of a massive Vanity Fair feature mapping out the short-term future of Star Wars, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy gave a brief but disheartening update on the status of a teased Kevin Feige Star Wars movie when she told the magazine:
I would love to see what movie he might come up with. But right now, no, there isn’t anything specifically (planned).
News of a possible Star Wars movie backed by Kevin Feige emerged back in September 2019, when The Hollywood Reporter included Feige’s name as one of the storytellers working with Kathleen Kennedy to map out the next chapter of the ongoing Star Wars saga. Even though reports immediately came out saying that a Feige Star Wars movie might take a long time to develop, kernels of information would surface every now and again to remind fans of the possibility. The project seemingly took a big step forward when Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness screenwriter Michael Waldron was tapped to script Feige’s Star Wars film. Though, based on Kennedy’s comments, it’s sounding like she hasn’t even heard a pitch for this movie.
Marvel Studios might be Kevin Feige’s current passion, but Star Wars is his first love. Avengers: Endgame director Joe Russo confirmed Feige’s undying love for Star Wars as he promised that any story the producer would tackle would be “passionate, emotional, and unique.” There’s also been simply too much smoke regarding a Feige Star Wars movie for there not to be any type of fire. Hell, when this news first broke, I speculated that Feige would leave Marvel for Lucasfilm one day, knowing how desperate every major franchise is for “a Feige type shepherd,” as well as how much Feige adores George Lucas’ universe.
But a couple of things probably happened here (though this is pure speculation). For starters, Kevin Feige is extremely busy with the Marvel universe. He recently confirmed plans for a creative retreat that would map out the next decade of Marvel storytelling, both on television and in theaters. The list of upcoming marvel movies is substantial, and the studio is focusing as heavily on streaming series as Kathleen Kennedy is with Star Wars.
Also, as is often the case, Lucasfilm probably just got ahead of its skis and announced a collaboration that wasn’t anywhere close to being ready. As part of the same Vanity Fair piece, it was confirmed that Patty Jenkins’ in-question Rogue Squadron film is “further off” and would arrive after Taika Waititi’s announced Star Wars movie. As for that trilogy from Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, it has been sidelined, as Kennedy confirms:
Rian has been unbelievably busy with Knives Out and the deal that he made at Netflix for multiple movies.
This morning, we learned a lot about the future of Star Wars, both on Disney+ and in movie theaters (eventually). But for now, Kevin Feige doesn’t appear to be part of those longer-term plans. Marvel fans likely will be delighted to hear that he’s staying focused on the House that Stan Lee Built. While Star Wars fans will continue to do what they frequently do: Dream about what might have been.
