Rian Johnson Addresses Kathleen Kennedy’s Bizarre Comments About His Star Wars Trilogy

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After a long wait, Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down from leading Star Wars, passing the creative reins to passionate fan and longtime collaborator Dave Filoni as Chief Creative Officer. Lynwen Brennan will handle the business side of things. Before leaving, Kennedy made some surprising remarks about director Rian Johnson and the planned, but ultimately cancelled, trilogy he was developing, as well as how Johnson responded to the intense online backlash against The Last Jedi.

In an interview with Deadline about leaving her position, Kennedy discussed the possibility of Rian Johnson returning to direct in the Star Wars universe. She explained that Johnson became very busy with his deal with Netflix and the Knives Out films. She also pointed out a pattern: after initial discussions about Star Wars, other projects, like Stranger Things, often take over a filmmaker’s focus. She believes Johnson was also discouraged by the negative reaction online, despite her opinion that he made one of the best Star Wars films. She noted that many actors and directors express concern about potential backlash when joining the franchise, and that fear is understandable.

Was Rian Johnson Spooked by Online Reactions?

lol zero spooked, sorry

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) January 17, 2026

He responded to the quote on X with a simple, “lol zero spooked, sorry.” Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi was famously divisive among Star Wars fans – some strongly disliked it, while others felt it captured the spirit of the original trilogy. Predictably, the comments on Johnson’s post quickly became a heated debate about the film’s impact on the Star Wars franchise, with one fan declaring, “Don’t listen to the complaining fans, you’re the best Star Wars director ever!”

Rian Johnson intentionally aimed to disrupt expectations with his Star Wars film, The Last Jedi. In a recent interview with Polygon, he explained that he wanted to challenge the franchise, knowing it would likely spark debate among fans. As a lifelong Star Wars enthusiast, he understood that challenging established norms often leads to backlash, but he believed that was a necessary risk. He argued that the biggest mistake would be to treat Star Wars too carefully, pointing out that previous films, like The Empire Strikes Back, also provoked strong reactions and ultimately deepened fans’ engagement with the series. He felt that stirring up conversation, even if it initially caused anger, was ultimately beneficial for the franchise.

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2026-01-18 00:43