Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Rian Johnson On Why Split Fan Reaction Is Actually Good

Despite the fact that most people seem to love the new film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, there is a very loud majority on the internet who are determined to make sure everyone who goes to any comment thread thinks that it’s the worst thing since Jar Jar’s leaked sex tape. While this has some fans worried, one man doesn’t seem worried at all, and he directed the film!

Direct tweets to director Rian Johnson have ranged from high praise to death threats, but the Last Jedi director is taking it all in stride, in fact, he even thinks that the current discussion is potentially a great thing. When asked about the polarizing effect of the film on Twitter, here’s what he had to say:

The goal is never to divide or make people upset, but I do think the conversations that are happening were going to have to happen at some point if sw is going to grow, move forward and stay vital.

It’s a pretty cogent response from a guy who could easily be feeling defensive about all the people accusing him of ruining their childhoods. In the end, I actually agree with Johnson on this. If Disney plans on making the Star Wars brand a lasting legacy, it needs to evolve. We already know that Johnson’s upcoming trilogy will have nothing to do with the Skywalker family, we know that Hamill couldn’t do all that many more films in the franchise if he wanted to. Daisy Ridley Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, and John Boyega are all talented actors with budding careers. Chances are that they won’t want to be stuck making a Star Wars film ever 2 years for the next three decades. They all have other projects that they’ll want to promote.

The Star Wars universe is a big place. We’ve seen great storytelling take place in it already that has nothing to do with the Skywalkers. I’m excited to see where it takes us next.