Rian Johnson Laughs Off Claims He Was Rattled by Star Wars Backlash
Rian Johnson has responded to suggestions he was unsettled by the heated response to The Last Jedi, offering a blunt denial and sparking fresh debate among Star Wars fans.
Rian Johnson has brushed aside talk that he was shaken by the polarising reaction to The Last Jedi, after former Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy suggested he stepped back from the franchise due to online criticism. Kennedy, who recently wrapped up her 14-year stint at the helm, claimed Johnson was put off by the backlash.
“I do believe he got spooked by the online negativity. I think Rian made one of the best Star Wars movies. He’s a brilliant filmmaker and he got spooked. This is the rough part. When people come into this space, I have every filmmaker and actors say to me, ‘What’s going to happen?’ They’re a little scared,”
she said.
Johnson, however, wasn’t having a bar of it. Taking to Twitter, he replied simply:
“lol zero spooked, sorry”
—a short, sharp retort that quickly set off another round of debate among fans.
Fan Reactions Still Fierce Years Later
The comments section lit up, showing that feelings about The Last Jedi are still running hot, even nearly a decade on. Some punters were full of praise, with one writing,
“They should have given you all three films,”
while another chimed in,
“Your Star Wars was the best of the sequel trilogy. By far. Loved it very much.”
Not everyone was so keen, though. Others accused Johnson of having
“ruined Star Wars”
and said they’re
“still waiting for an apology.”
Our own review of The Last Jedi gave it five stars, calling it
“an excellent middle chapter bursting with wit, wisdom, emotion, shocks, old-fashioned derring-do, state-of-the-art tech, and stonking set-pieces.”
Johnson’s Next Moves and the Future of Star Wars
Johnson was once lined up to direct a new trilogy in the galaxy far, far away, but he’s since shifted his focus to other projects, including the Knives Out series and Poker Face. Last year, he explained,
“I mean, I kind of went down the murder mystery rabbit hole – I’m focused on making other stuff,”
but added that he wouldn’t rule out a return to the franchise:
“If I get back in the Star Wars universe someday, I’d be the happiest person.”
Meanwhile, the next big thing for Star Wars fans is The Mandalorian and Grogu, set to land on 22 May. After that, Star Wars: Starfighter is on the cards for 2027, with Ryan Gosling, Matt Smith, and Mia Goth all set to star.