Not exactly hyped for Jon Watts’ Star Wars trilogy? Spider-Man fans aren’t either

Brace yourselves, Star Wars fans, because the next film in the galaxy won’t just be another planet-hopping adventure – it’ll be under the direction of Jon Watts, the same bloke behind the latest Spider-Man trilogy. After Disney confirmed the news this week, the internet did what it always does and detonated with opinions, particularly from the Marvel crowd, who aren’t exactly thrilled with the choice.

Didn’t we learn our lesson with his Spiderman trilogy vs brand new day?

That was @Drew_s17 having a dig online, pretty much summing up the mood among certain MCU diehards. The comment drew a contrast between the reception of Watts’ Spider-Man films and Destin Daniel Cretton’s more recent solo Spidey outing, which some reckon handled the character with a bit more ambition and visual flair. In short: a chunk of fans think Watts played it too safe in his trilogy, and aren’t convinced he has the vision needed for something as sprawling as a new Star Wars era.

How Did We Get Here?

Watts, to be fair, hasn’t just been churning out superhero pictures. After wrapping up 2021’s smash hit Spider-Man: No Way Home, he briefly left the world of capes behind with the thriller Wolfs for Apple TV+ and did a stint on The Old Man. Then, in a move nobody quite expected, he stepped into the world of Star Wars telly with Skeleton Crew – not just as director, but also as showrunner.

In spite of all that, some fans still can’t quite forgive or forget. Another user, @Browny_red, joked that Watts ‘escaped the Spider-Man mines’ only to land straight back in franchise territory, this time swapping spandex for lightsabers. Whether that’s a fate worse than death or a glow-up depends entirely on your tolerance for Disney’s event movies.

The Road to This Star Wars Trilogy

This next instalment isn’t just dropping out of hyperspace either. Since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker left fans… divided, let’s say, Lucasfilm have been trying to plot a follow-up. At one point, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was tipped to direct a direct sequel with Daisy Ridley returning as Rey Skywalker. That version, after much faffing about and precious little to show for it, was eventually scrapped.

So, Watts steps in, and his film will be penned by Simon Kinberg – yes, that Simon Kinberg, whose CV is littered with superhero adaptations and, not uncontroversially, X-Men: Dark Phoenix. There’s no title, no release date, not even a snippet of concept art for the new Star Wars film, but we do know it’s meant to follow the already-announced Star Wars: Starfighter scheduled for 2027.

Disney has not officially confirmed a release date, nor even a title, for Jon Watts’ Star Wars movie yet.

A few fans have been vocal about wanting something a bit less reminiscent of the Skywalker family soap opera, but so far Disney appears to still be giving the fans what they always say they’re tired of: more Skywalkers, just with new (or recycled) directors.