It’s hard to imagine that it’s already been a decade since the shocking announcement that the Walt Disney Company had purchased Lucasfilm, and that a new trilogy of Star Wars movies were coming. While rumors and speculation about Star Wars: Episode VII had existed for years, George Lucas had frequently sworn that he was done with the franchise’s theatrical films after the release of Revenge of the Sith in 2005. Although we’ve now reached the point in which the Star Wars franchise is oversaturated, the initial promise of another installment sparked immediate discourse about who should be behind the camera before J.J. Abrams was officially signed on to direct The Force Awakens. Interestingly, one of the veteran auteurs who nearly landed the position was Matthew Vaughn.

Vaughn was on a hot streak at the time of the Star Wars announcement. After working as a producer and writer for years, Vaughn had created a new crime classic with Layer Cake, which was the type of debut film that immediately puts a filmmaker in the spotlight. Vaughn continued to show his mastery over different genres that were integral to Star Wars when he delivered the highly underrated fantasy adventure Stardust and the action-comedy Kick-Ass. His work on X-Men: First Class proved that he could deliver a satisfying new installment in a series that had been on a downward spiral after X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It signified that he could work some of the same magic to get Star Wars fans who were disappointed in the prequel trilogy reengaged in the franchise.

Vaughn was heavily rumored and landed a critical meeting with Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm shortly after the initial announcement; the timing was particularly curious to fans, as Vaughn had recently been replaced by Bryan Singer on X-Men: Days of Future Past. While he was close enough to landing the gig that his frequent collaborators Mark Millar and Jason Flemyng commented on the situation, Vaughn ultimately did not pursue the project. However, Vaughn’s version of the Star Wars sequel trilogy would have been radically different from the one that we ultimately got.

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Why Didn't Matthew Vaughn Direct 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'?

John Boyega in The Force Awakens
Image via Lucasfilm

During the period when Vaughn was under consideration, Lucas had handed over story treatments for his version of the trilogy, which were distributed only to Kathleen Kennedy, Alan Horn, Bob Iger, and Kevin A. Mayer. Lucas had initially considered directing Episode VII himself before a potential sale of Lucasfilm, but he ultimately opted against it. Vaughn was among the initial batch of directors considered or brought in for discussions with Lucasfilm, which included Brad Bird, Guillermo del Toro, David Fincher, and Neil Blomkamp. It was evident that Lucasfilm was looking for a veteran auteur who had already had an established footstep in the industry.

Vaughn was in discussion for the initial draft of the script by Michael Arndt, the screenwriter behind Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3; Arndt’s script was later reworked by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. A writer’s room consisting of Simon Kinberg, Lawrence Kasdan, Pablo Hidalgo, and Kiri Hart put together loose outlines for a sequel trilogy, which included making Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker the “Macguffin” of the story. It was agreed upon that Luke would take over the narrative of the story if he was featured too prominently.

However, Vaughn had to resign his interest in the saga and turn down the offer due to some disagreements over the direction. Considering how many directors were announced and later left Star Wars projects for “creative differences,” it’s good that Vaughn recognized potential trouble before making a commitment.

Matthew Vaughn's Potential Future in the 'Star Wars' Franchise

While Vaughn wasn’t involved in any of the final films, he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of joining the Star Wars franchise. During a promotional tour for The King’s Man, Vaughn stated that "if you'd asked me that 10 years ago, I would've given Kingsman to Lucasfilm for free to get to go shoot a Star Wars film." After emphasizing the importance of Star Wars to his love of film and passion for directing, he stated that “I think out of all the IP I'm not involved with, Star Wars would always get my attention if they rang me up.” Vaughn joked that Disney has “zero interest” in working with him because he is a “maverick” filmmaker.

Vaughn’s comments suggest an interest in continuing the Skywalker saga, and trying to “be meticulous on trying to protect the legacy” of the series. While the Skywalker saga has wrapped up with The Rise of Skywalker, Lucasfilm hasn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing back the sequel trilogy characters, as Damon Lindelof’s Star Wars project is set after the new trilogy. With both Lindelof’s film and the upcoming Shawn Levy project, it appears that the Star Wars franchise intends to return to theaters after a majority of the stories are told on Disney+. Vaughn could certainly be in play for a future installment under the right circumstances.

The possibility of Vaughn’s Star Wars remains an exciting one; he’s clearly a talented storyteller and has the track record to prove it. Although the franchise has previously had a rocky relationship with “maverick” filmmakers with their own unique style, Tony Gilroy’s work on Andor signifies that Lucasfilm might make room for more experimental projects. Vaughn’s recent work on Kingsman: The Golden Circle and The King’s Man have received mixed responses, so it's perhaps best for him to pass his signature spy franchise over to another creative mind and get engaged in a new project altogether after his Apple TV+ spy film Argyle hits theaters. There’s no certainty that a Vaughn Star Wars would be good, but there’s no way that it wouldn’t at least be a memorable entry in the saga.