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:
I think we must have been wrapping up. But also, to be clear, we had never put our names in the hat. We never were anticipating doing a third one. It was nothing we were pitching ourselves for, and [Kennedy] made the decision.
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:
No, absolutely not. The reality is, if I thought I was doing both of them, I would have ended it the same way. From the very start, the assignment was doing [film number] eight, and another director would do nine. I didn’t know it would be J.J. But the whole thing was being the middle leg of the race.
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.
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