A new Star Wars film hasn't hit theaters since 2019, which saw the Skywalker Saga come to an end with The Rise of Skywalker. Lucasfilm has been focused on building out its television properties over the last few years, finding success with such series as The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+. Even though the studio is continuing to expand its streaming offerings, that doesn't mean there aren't plans in place for Star Wars to return to the big screen. In an extensive look at the state of the franchise in Vanity Fair, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said that there's a "road map" for the future of Star Wars films.
Kennedy announced during the 2020 Disney Investor Day presentation that Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit director Taika Waititi was going to be directing an upcoming Star Wars feature. While updates have been few and far between since then, it seems like that project will be the first of the new batch of Star Wars films to be released. Rogue Squadron from Patty Jenkins seems to be planned for further down the line, more than likely once the director's schedule clears up following a third Wonder Woman installment. The Vanity Fair piece also mentions the rumored Star Wars film from MCU architect Kevin Feige, and while Michael Waldron recently confirmed that he's actively writing the project, Kennedy was a little more noncommittal:
"I would love to see what movie he might come up with, but right now, now, there isn't anything specifically."
Then comes the long-awaited series of films from The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson. For years, there have been rumors and conflicting reports about whether Johnson's trilogy was still going forward as planned. The mixed critical reception of The Last Jedi seemingly steered Lucasfilm away from the director, but Kennedy says the studio would still like to have Johnson return to the world of Star Wars...once his schedule opens up:
"Rian has been unbelievably busy with Knives Out and the deal that he made at Netflix for multiple movies."
The Long-Term Future of Star Wars is Being Planned Out
While there's still a lot of uncertainty around the Star Wars films that are being developed, the fact that there are plans in place bodes well for the future of the franchise. It's also not like there hasn't been a long wait between Star Wars installments in the past, as The Phantom Menace came out 16 years after the original trilogy culminated with Return of the Jedi. Even after the prequel trilogy came to an end, it was another decade before The Force Awakens breathed new life into Star Wars. Now that Lucasfilm is no longer beholden to the events of the Skywalker Saga, the door is wide open to take the galaxy far, far away into whatever direction it would like.
In the meantime, Star Wars continues to thrive on Disney+ while Lucasfilm pieces together its plan for a return to theaters. The highly-anticipated Obi-Wan Kenobi series will be hitting the streamer with a two-episode premiere next week, and Andor is set to debut later this summer. Add in the upcoming third season of The Mandalorian and the Ahsoka spin-off that's currently in production, and there's going to be plenty of Star Wars content streaming directly into your living room in the near future.