‘Star Wars Episode X’ Might Happen After All. Is that the Best Idea?

3 min readSomehow, the Skywalker Saga has returned. On September 26, news broke that Lucasfilm is moving forward on a new, tenth installment in the mainline Star Wars series and that it will continue the decades-old Skywalker Saga, which seemingly ended with 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. No one is confirmed to return, although Daisy Ridley may reprise her sequel heroine Rey.On September 26, scoop site Knight Edge Media reported that Spider-Man trilogy director Jon Watts was in talks to helm a new entry in the Star Wars series, unofficially titled Episode X. The news was later corroborated by both The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline, with both outlets reporting that Watts is officially on board for the next chapter in the Skywalker storyline.The outlets also reported that the new movie’s writer is Simon Kinberg, whose screenwriting credits include Mr. and Mrs. Smith, several X-Men sequels for Fox, and next year’s Here Comes the Flood. Both men have been involved with the franchise previously; Watts was the co-creator on the (underrated, in my opinion) series Skeleton Crew, and Kinberg served as a writer and producer on the animated Star Wars Rebels.Knight Edge Media further reported that Daisy Ridley “is expected” to return as Rey, but in a minor role. Back in April 2023, Ridley was announced to star in a new spin-off movie, titled Star Wars: New Jedi Order, which was/is supposed to see Rey rebuild the Jedi Order at last. Knight Edge Media reported that that project is now shelved “in favor” of Episode X. Deadline added that the movie is not officially greenlit by Disney for production, so plenty can still change at this juncture.Obviously, there’s a lot to take in and unpack here. First, it’s hard to feel excited for a new Skywalker-centric sequel after The Rise of Skywalker all but killed general interest in the mythos. The Mandalorian, which premiered on the newly launched Disney+ a month before Rise of Skywalker opened in theaters, has been the torchbearer for the franchise. But the anemic box office for The Mandalorian & Grogu earlier this year suggests that tank is running on fumes, too.Second, if Knight Edge Media’s reporting is true, then it is wildly disappointing and not the least bit embarrassing for Lucasfilm that Ridley’s solo spin-off got the axe. Ridley’s Rey remains a very popular character for younger Star Wars fans who grew up with her. If the franchise wants any chance at staying relevant beyond aging Gen X and millennials, it would be wise to give people in their twenties and younger—who do, in fact, still go to theaters—the Star Wars they would actually turn out for.Rey is what the future for Star Wars should look like. Not another movie where Rey plays second fiddle to more Skywalker descendants. (Or whatever the movie has planned.) Otherwise, the future for Star Wars is AI-generated trap remixes of Anakin Skywalker retelling the events of Revenge of the Sith all over again.Third and maybe most important: Star Wars Episode X already sounds like a safe and dull sequel. No shade at Jon Watts, though Destin Daniel Cretton’s Brand New Day completely mogged everything Watts did in an entire trilogy. (And I say that as someone who vibes with the teen movie angle on Homecoming.)Watts is a proven steady hand who can put out IP sequels on time and on schedule, which is precisely what Disney wants for Star Wars—and for its shareholders—over artistically bold vision. All this news tells me is that The Last Jedi is maybe the best it will ever get. I want to be wrong. But Star Wars is doing nothing to tell me otherwise. Kylo Ren said it best: “Let the past die. Kill it if you have to.”