Rian Johnson, the director of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, has responded to outgoing Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy's claim that he was deterred from making more Star Wars films due to online criticism. Johnson's reaction was concise yet impactful: 'lol zero spooked, sorry'. This response comes in the wake of Kennedy's interview with Deadline, where she attributed Johnson's decision to step away from his initial plans for a Star Wars trilogy to the intense online backlash he received for The Last Jedi. Kennedy noted that Johnson's Netflix deal and the Knives Out films have occupied a significant portion of his time, and that he was 'spooked' by the online negativity. However, Johnson has previously expressed his intention to challenge fan expectations with The Last Jedi, aiming to 'shake the box' rather than approach the audience with kid gloves. He shared his understanding of the potential backlash and the infighting within the Star Wars universe, emphasizing the importance of not handling sensitive topics with kid gloves. Despite the online negativity, Johnson's work on The Last Jedi is considered one of the best Star Wars movies by many. Additionally, the article mentions other Star Wars projects that have been abandoned, such as a Ben Solo movie starring Adam Driver, which Kennedy described as 'anything's a possibility if somebody’s willing to take a risk'. The focus now shifts to upcoming releases, including The Mandalorian and Grogu in 2026, and Starfighter in 2027, starring Ryan Gosling.
