Jon Watts to direct Star Wars Episode X : confirmed
Lucasfilm has a reputation for announcing projects that never quite make it to production. We saw it at Star Wars Celebration 2023, where three new films were unveiled with fanfare, none of which have since entered production. That context matters a lot when reading the latest news : Jon Watts is reportedly set to direct Star Wars Episode X, the next mainline chapter in the saga.
Jon Watts in the director's chair for Episode X
The announcement positions Watts as the man to carry the franchise forward on the big screen, picking up the story after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. That means we're looking at a direct continuation of the Skywalker-era narrative, with Daisy Ridley expected to reprise her role as Rey Skywalker. Nothing has been officially confirmed on the casting front, but the direction of the project strongly points that way.
What makes this choice interesting is that Watts isn't a stranger to Disney or to large-scale franchise filmmaking. He directed all three films in the MCU Spider-Man trilogy : Homecoming (2017), Far From Home (2019), and No Way Home (2021). That last one grossed over $1.9 billion at the global box office, making it one of Sony and Marvel's biggest joint ventures ever. He knows how to handle sprawling universes, fan expectations, and studio pressure simultaneously.
His connection to Star Wars is also more recent than some might think. Watts directed two episodes of Skeleton Crew, the Disney+ Original series, and co-wrote every single episode of the show. That experience gave him a hands-on understanding of what this galaxy feels like from the inside, both creatively and logistically. For us, tracking what lands on streaming platforms, Skeleton Crew was one of the more quietly confident Star Wars entries to hit Disney+ in recent years.
| Project | Type | Jon Watts' role |
|---|---|---|
| Spider-Man : Homecoming | Film | Director |
| Spider-Man : No Way Home | Film | Director |
| Star Wars : Skeleton Crew | Disney+ Series | Director (2 episodes) & Co-writer |
| Star Wars Episode X | Film (upcoming) | Director (reported) |
Simon Kinberg, the screenplay, and why the green light still isn't fully on
Behind the camera, the script side of things sits with Simon Kinberg, a name that carries a mixed but substantial filmography. He co-created the animated series Star Wars : Rebels and also wrote the Marvel film X-Men : Dark Phoenix (2019). Kinberg started writing the new trilogy back in 2018, which means this project has been quietly developing for the better part of a decade. According to Knight Edge Media, the project still hasn't received a full green light from Disney. That distinction matters.
Given that Star Wars : Starfighter is currently slated for a May 2027 release, Disney's marketing calendar is already mapped out for the near term. Star Wars Celebration is scheduled for April 2027, which feels like the natural moment for any major announcement about Episode X, if one is coming. Disney tends to use Celebration as a launchpad for big reveals, and dropping official confirmation of a new mainline film at that event would generate maximum impact.
This is where a bit of healthy scepticism is warranted. The franchise has a documented pattern of floating projects, generating buzz, and then quietly letting them drift. The three films announced at Celebration 2023 are a clear example. None entered production. So while the Watts news is genuinely exciting, we'll track this one carefully before marking it as a certainty on any platform release calendar.
- 2018 : Simon Kinberg begins writing the new trilogy
- 2023 : Star Wars Celebration announces three films, none produced
- 2026 : Jon Watts reported as director of Episode X
- May 2027 : Star Wars : Starfighter theatrical release
- April 2027 : Star Wars Celebration, likely announcement window
Why returning to the mainline saga might be exactly what Star Wars needs now
There's been a real fatigue with Star Wars stories that fill in gaps between trilogies rather than pushing the narrative forward. Prequels, midquels, spin-offs : the franchise has leaned heavily on familiar territory. Going back to a proper Episode format, with a numbered chapter that advances the story, signals a different kind of ambition.
Jon Watts bringing his restrained, character-driven style to this could shift the tone in a productive direction. His work on Skeleton Crew showed he understands the quieter rhythms of Star Wars storytelling, not just the spectacle. That balance, between emotional grounding and blockbuster scale, is precisely what Episode X will need to re-engage audiences who've drifted.
Disney+ subscribers who followed Skeleton Crew or are now watching Marvel projects, like the recent Wolverine special look trailer revealed on Disney+, already know that the platform can deliver quality when the creative team is right. The question now is whether Episode X will actually move through development fast enough to justify the excitement. We'll keep watching this space closely.