Rian Johnson Publicly Contradicts Kathleen Kennedy Claim That He Was “Spooked” by Star Wars Fans

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A longstanding debate about the direction of Star Wars and the leadership at Lucasfilm has now become a public disagreement, with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and director Rian Johnson publicly differing on the issue.

In a recent interview, Kennedy hinted that Johnson was discouraged by the negative online reaction to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. She suggested this fan backlash was a key reason his planned separate Star Wars trilogy never moved forward.

The story spread rapidly across entertainment news outlets, but Johnson has since denied it completely.

What Did Kathleen Kennedy Say About Rian Johnson?

With renewed talk about Rian Johnson’s unfinished Star Wars trilogy, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy recently explained what happened, looking back on her time leading the company.

She explained why Johnson’s planned trilogy never happened, pointing to how audiences reacted to the first film instead of issues with the story or production.

Kennedy thinks the director was discouraged by the negative reactions online. She believes he created one of the strongest Star Wars films and that his talent led to a great movie, but the online criticism still affected him.

Kennedy explained that the negative reaction to The Last Jedi was a major reason Rian Johnson became hesitant to continue with future Star Wars projects. She suggested the issue wasn’t Lucasfilm losing faith in Johnson, but rather the intense and discouraging fan response that made him step back.

This idea spread rapidly through entertainment news, supporting the common story that fan reactions, not choices made by the studio, were the main reason for stopping a particularly divisive storyline in the series.

Johnson Flatly Denies Kennedy’s Characterization

Responding publicly on social media, Johnson dismissed the claim in blunt and unmistakable terms.

lol zero spooked, sorry

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) January 17, 2026

“lol zero spooked, sorry,” Johnson wrote, directly contradicting Kennedy’s account.

Honestly, the reply was just… blunt. It wasn’t softened or worded carefully at all. Johnson got straight to the point, and it was pretty clear he didn’t agree with Kennedy’s explanation. He basically said Kennedy’s take on things just didn’t match up with what he knew to be true, and there wasn’t much room to argue with that. It felt pretty dismissive, to be honest.

A Familiar Lucasfilm Narrative Under Scrutiny

Kennedy often presents a story that Lucasfilm has used before: problems with Star Wars aren’t due to bad decisions about the films themselves, but instead come from negative reactions by fans.

This pattern isn’t limited to Johnson’s unfinished work; many projects were also put on hold or canceled during Kennedy’s time in charge. The common thread seems to be that while creators and ideas are good, negative reactions from audiences make it impossible to move forward.

Johnson’s denial undermines that argument.

If harsh fan reactions didn’t cause him to hesitate, then the official explanation for why his planned trilogy was cancelled seems less believable—and puts Lucasfilm’s leaders in a more awkward position.

Johnson’s Own Record Complicates the Claim

This contrast is made even stronger by how Johnson has talked about the reaction to The Last Jedi since its release. Instead of avoiding the debate, he’s consistently presented the film’s divisiveness as something to be proud of, implying that strong reactions actually demonstrate successful filmmaking.

Considering what we now know about his actions, it’s becoming harder to believe the way Kennedy was often portrayed.

Johnson didn’t act like a filmmaker cowed by backlash. He acted like one who embraced it.

What This Means for Lucasfilm’s Legacy Narrative

Now that Kennedy has left Lucasfilm, her past statements are being closely examined to see how they match up with what actually happened – and with the views of the director she was trying to support.

It’s unusual for Hollywood bosses to publicly disagree with those who make the films and shows. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s decision to speak out indicates he wants to separate himself from any story suggesting he was either scared off or creatively stuck because of how audiences reacted.

The result is a credibility problem Lucasfilm can no longer easily smooth over.

I’ve always been fascinated by the story behind that big creative choice in Star Wars, and it feels like things are finally starting to shift. It seems like either Kennedy wasn’t fully honest about Johnson’s involvement back then, sticking to a story she knew well, or Johnson himself is now saying that the original explanation never really sat right with him. Either way, the reason we were given for why that controversial decision ultimately went nowhere is starting to fall apart, and I’m really eager to see what the full story is.

With Lucasfilm facing changes, this ongoing inconsistency highlights how unclear communication – not just disagreements among fans – has characterized the franchise lately.

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2026-01-17 18:58