Star Wars X Report Claims a Fan-Favorite MCU Director Will Helm the Next Episode

With all the uncertainty surrounding Star Wars and its future, some new rumors just hit that could lay out the plan for the next few movies in the franchise. Things looked bleak after the last movie, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, disappointed at the box office, grossing only $345.6 million. However, Star Wars: Starfighter is still coming in 2027 with Ryan Gosling in the lead role, and there are high hopes that the movie will turn things around thanks to Gosling’s popularity after Project Hail Mary and a fresh Star Wars story. The latest reports indicate that Lucasfilm is preparing to launch the next trilogy with Star Wars: Episode X.

According to Knight Edge Media, the next Star Wars trilogy is coming from screenwriter Simon Kinberg (Star Wars Rebels), and Lucasfilm wants Jon Watts (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew) to direct the first movie.

Lucasfilm Looking at Jon Watts for Star Wars: Episode X

Jon Watts’ movies made a lot of money during his time with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He directed Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home before stepping away from the franchise. Those three movies alone grossed $3.9 billion worldwide. Disney has to hope that Watts can work the same magic with the Star Wars franchise. While Star Wars has continued successfully on Disney+ with shows like Andor and Ahsoka, things have not been as reliable on the big screen. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker broke $1 billion worldwide, but it received terrible reviews, sitting at 51% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Lucasfilm wants to turn things around, but bringing the popular Disney+ series The Mandalorian to the big screen didn’t work. The movie failed to meet Disney’s expectations at the box office, struggling against 2026’s two breakout horror movies, Obsession and Backrooms, which were in theaters at the same time and stole viewers away from most of the summer’s big tentpole releases. However, an earlier 2026 breakout hit might offer a brighter future for Star Wars since Ryan Gosling’s Project Hail Mary was a box-office and critical success in theaters. With Gosling starring in Star Wars: Starfighter, there is hope his rising popularity helps bring people to the 2027 Star Wars release.

While Watts would be a huge signing for the first movie in the new trilogy, his track record might be spotty with some fans. He was the co-creator of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, which earned praise from critics but was only moderately received by fans, sitting at 79% for the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. That said, his Spider-Man movies were well received and delivered a fun time, so he might be a safe choice at least for the new Star Wars stories.

One thing that will be key in determining if the movies succeed is the casting. According to the rumors, Daisy Ridley is expected to return as Jedi Master Rey, which might be a polarizing decision for fans who dismissed the sequel trilogy. Rey was supposed to be the lead in Star Wars: New Jedi Order, but it seems that movie was shelved in favor of Star Wars: Episode X and the next trilogy. It’s unclear whether John Boyega and Oscar Isaac will return as Finn and Poe Dameron.

Are you excited about Jon Watts possibly directing Star Wars: Episode X? Would you rather see a different director take the lead? Let us know in the comments below.

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