Disney CEO Bob Iger has given some clarity regarding the Star Wars films situation. Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, the executive stated that Lucasfilm is being very careful about the next movie set in the galaxy far, far away. While multiple ideas have been announced as being in development over the last few years, most of them have been canceled, including this week's announcement that Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron and Kevin Feige's untitled film are no longer moving forward at the studio. Here's what Iger had to say about the cinematic future of Star Wars: "We're still developing Star Wars films, but we’re going to make sure when we make one, it’s the right one. So we’re being very careful there."
Iger cited the box office failure of the 2018 spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story as the main reason why the studio's feature output plan changed. Not only did the movie see disappointing results when it came to ticket sales, but a complicated production led to its budget suffering an exponential increase. Starring Alden Ehrenreich in the role that was first made popular by Harrison Ford, Solo is set during the smuggler's youth, explaining how he met Chewbacca and first got his hands on the Millenium Falcon. Donald Glover, Emilia Clarke and Woody Harrelson were also featured in the galactic heist adventure.
Plans for the next Star Wars film are still unknown to the public, but with Star Wars Celebration happening in Europe in about a month, and a December 19, 2025 release date set for an untitled project, announcements for the future of the franchise might be right around the corner. While Rian Johnson, the director behind The Last Jedi, is still under contract with Lucasfilm to develop a trilogy of original films, he is quite busy at the moment with the Knives Out movies. It is unlikely for Johnson to return in the near future, though him coming back to the galaxy far, far away might be a possibility down the line.
The MCU Is Also Changing Its Approach to Films
During the Conference, Iger also had time to discuss Disney's other major franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After a disappointing critical reception towards Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and the release of several projects inside a short time window, the MCU is slowing down. "I think we just have to look at what characters and stories we’re mining. If you look at the trajectory of Marvel in the next five years, there will be a lot of newness. We’re going to turn back to the Avengers franchise with a whole new set of Avengers, for example." the CEO mentioned.
For now, the Star Wars universe lives on through television, as The Mandalorian is currently streaming its third season on Disney+, with Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew set to release on the platform later this year.