Filmmaker Joe Johnston cemented himself in cinematic history thanks to his contributions to the original Star Wars trilogy, but his credits don’t end there, as he also directed the original Jumanji, Jurassic Park III, and the 2010 The Wolfman. Going even further beyond that, he directed the 1991 action-adventure movie The Rocketeer and also brought Steve Rogers to life for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having helmed Captain America: The First Avenger. Despite the passionate followings of both of those movies, Johnston hasn’t returned to those worlds, with The Rocketeer remaining a cult classic that has yet to earn a live-action continuation. Johnston himself confirmed he’s open to returning to either of these narratives, though he hasn’t found the right story that resonated with him. The filmmaker recently directed Season 2 of Light & Magic, which is now streaming on Disney+.
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When asked by ComicBook about his interest in reuniting with these fan-favorite series, Johnston confirmed, “Well, it would depend on the story, it always does. I’ve been offered a couple of projects that were associated with those films, and the stories didn’t grab me. I’m not a writer. I wish I was, but the story is the foundation of every good motion picture and I’m always looking for something interesting.”
In regards to the various attempts to revive The Rocketeer, the director confessed, “They’ve been talking about a sequel to The Rocketeer or reboot, whatever you want to call it, for 20 years or more.”
Johnston was joined in the interview by Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, who made a compelling pitch for a continuation of The Rocketeer.
“I got one: you could do the Rocketeer Corps. I think it’s not the Rocketeer, it’s the Rocketeers,” the actor pitched. “That’s how you move The Rocketeer forward. Everybody wants to do reboots, but I think there’s another section of The Rocketeer where you can have a bunch of Rocketeers and be really great. That’s just my pitch.”
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After Chris Evans debuted as Steve Rogers in The First Avenger, he went on to appear in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers and his next solo movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, was Joe and Anthony Russo’s first effort in the MCU. Thanks to their successes with Winter Soldier, as well as Captain America: Civil War, Marvel Studios seemed to be in no rush to replace the duo to bring back Johnston.
As far as The Rocketeer is concerned, the movie similarly replicated the adventure and excitement of the late 1930s, yet it didn’t make as much of a splash upon its initial release. Since then, though, various talks have emerged about a new movie being developed, with some of the latest updates being that David Oyelowo claimed a script was in the works in December of 2023.
While waiting for Johnston’s possible return to these belowed franchises, you can check out Light & Magic Season 2, which is a three-part series that follows Lucasfilm’s visual effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, as it enters its most challenging and revolutionary period: the dawn of digital. From creating the first fully realized CG character to solving the challenge of digital water, it is an era that finds ILM scaling new heights of innovation despite dramatic setbacks.
Light & Magic Season 2 is currently streaming on Disney+. Stay tuned for updates on The Rocketeer and Captain America.
Would you like to see Johnston return to these series? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!
