Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts now appears set to return to the Star Wars universe for a massive new project. Watts last hit big in the MCU with No Way Home, which became the highest-grossing solo superhero movie in history in 2021 before its 2026 sequel, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, surpassed its $1.9 billion box office gross total. While he has not directed many projects since that time, he now looks to take on one of Disney's other major IP franchises.
Director Jon Watts is reportedly in place to direct the first film in Lucasfilm and Disney's new trilogy of Star Wars movies. Reported by Daniel Richtman, this movie will be written by Simon Kinberg, best known for his work on Fox's X-Men Saga from 2011 to 2019 (along with other Marvel projects such as the 2015 Fantastic Four movie and the TV show The Gifted).
This would not be Watts' first time joining the Star Wars universe, as he also had a job as an executive producer and showrunner on the Disney+ series, Skeleton Crew, in late 2024 and early 2025. He was also the director of the show's first and last episode.
As of writing, there are no specific plot details confirmed for the next trilogy of movies in the Star Wars universe. Kinberg was initially reported to be involved in this trilogy in 2024 when Kathleen Kennedy was the president of Lucasfilm. While this came before Kennedy left, with longtime Star Wars creative Filoni taking over for her job, Kinberg and Watts are now expected to continue their work under Filoni on this new trilogy.
There are currently no plot details that have been confirmed for Kinberg's new Star Wars trilogy. However, it is expected to take place after the end of the Skywalker Saga, which last came to theaters in 2019 with Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker. After The Mandalorian & Grogu's release in May 2026, the franchise will return to theaters in May 2027 with the release of Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling.
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Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
