What We Expect From Star Wars Episode X Now That Jon Watts Is Reportedly Directing

It's been almost seven years since The Rise of Skywalker, and the next chapter of the saga finally has a director attached. On September 26, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and TheWrap all reported that Jon Watts will direct the first film in Simon Kinberg's new Star Wars trilogy (TheWrap). THR and Deadline framed it as Episode X of the Skywalker Saga. Lucasfilm declined to comment, and THR noted that Disney hasn't officially greenlit the movie yet (ComicBookMovie).

So there's no title, no release date and no confirmed cast. There is a director, a writer and a whole lot of fan opinions, though, and most of them have been building since 2019 (ours included).

What do we actually know about Episode X?

Kinberg was hired in November 2024 to write and produce a new trilogy. Kathleen Kennedy stepped down as Lucasfilm president on January 15, 2026. Dave Filoni took over as President and Chief Creative Officer, with Lynwen Brennan as Co-President (StarWars.com). In her exit interview with Deadline, Kennedy said Kinberg's early draft was "very good, but not there," and that the team had "pretty much upended the story" (SuperHeroHype). She also said Filoni and Brennan were on board with where Kinberg was taking it.

That's about where the official record ends. Lucasfilm has never used the words "Episode X" itself. The next movie on the actual calendar is Star Wars: Starfighter, which opens May 28, 2027 and is set about five years after The Rise of Skywalker (GamesRadar+). We ranked the biggest Starfighter fan theories here.

There's pressure on whatever comes next, too. The Mandalorian and Grogu made about $346 million worldwide after opening in May, which makes it the lowest-grossing live-action Star Wars movie so far (The Numbers).

Is it really Episode X?

This is the part that's still messy. When Kinberg was hired in 2024, early reports disagreed on whether his trilogy would be Episodes 10 through 12 or something standalone, and some still call it a "new saga" (TheWrap). Kennedy used that same phrase herself in 2025 (ComingSoon). The September reports from THR and Deadline lean hard toward a Skywalker Saga continuation, though. Lucasfilm hasn't cleared it up either way.

My read is that it'll probably carry the Skywalker Saga label in some form, since Rey is reportedly involved. Whether Lucasfilm actually puts "Episode X" on a poster is another question, because The Rise of Skywalker was sold as the end of the saga.

What does Jon Watts bring to Star Wars?

Watts directed Tom Holland's three Spider-Man movies, from Homecoming to No Way Home, plus Apple's Wolfs. For Star Wars fans, the bigger credit is Skeleton Crew, which he co-created with Christopher Ford for Disney+ in 2024. That show had a kids-on-an-adventure energy that felt closer to an Amblin movie than to prequel politics. It was also a lot of fun. Knight Edge Media, the outlet that broke the Watts story, also claimed on October 16 that Watts and Ford spent much of 2026 developing a Western-style Star Wars series, though nobody has confirmed it (Fantha Tracks).

Writer Andrew Liptak called Watts a "solid but safe choice" (Transfer Orbit). I'd argue safe isn't the worst thing right now. Watts has shown he can juggle legacy characters without letting them swallow a movie, and that's exactly the problem the sequel trilogy had in its final stretch.

Fan reaction has been split. ComicBook.com found that Kinberg drew more pushback online than Watts did (ComicBook.com). Nerdist made the opposite case, arguing that one writer for all three films could avoid the back-and-forth that hurt the sequels (Nerdist).

Where does Rey fit now?

THR reported that Rey would appear "in some capacity," and the insiders don't agree on how big that capacity is. Knight Edge says she has a minor role that could grow over the trilogy. Daniel Richtman reported in January that she has a major role but isn't the main character (Disney Fanatic). Neither claim is confirmed. That's a lot of maybes for the saga's biggest star.

Meanwhile, the Rey movie announced at Star Wars Celebration in April 2023 still hasn't moved. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was set to direct, and the script went through several writers, with George Nolfi joining in early 2025. On October 21, Deadline reported that Daisy Ridley will lead Paramount+'s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea series, and io9 noted the New Jedi Order film may never be made (Gizmodo). Ridley herself said in December that "it will arrive when it's ready" (Parade).

If the Rey film really is shelved, folding her into Episode X as a teacher is probably the smartest version of this. Jeff Sneider reported back in 2024 that Rey would be the trilogy's Obi-Wan, and that's still the role that makes the most sense for her (InSneider).

Will Finn, Poe or Ben Solo come back?

John Boyega said in March that he's talked with Filoni about returning as Finn (Nerdist). Oscar Isaac told GQ last year that he'd be open to playing Poe again under the right conditions (Variety). Neither has been cast. Knight Edge also claims Lucasfilm is looking at relatively unknown actors for the new leads.

Ben Solo fans probably shouldn't get their hopes up. The #TheHuntForBenSolo campaign flew banners and rented billboards in Times Square, but Filoni said at D23 in August that "we're not making that picture right now" (Complex).

What should Star Wars Episode X actually be?

Our wishlist is short. Kinberg has pointed to The Empire Strikes Back and Andor as his models (Bleeding Cool). Those are good targets, and they point toward a smaller, character-driven story with real stakes in place of another planet-sized superweapon (and please, no more Palpatines). Smaller can still feel huge. Andor proved that.

New leads who aren't related to anyone famous would go a long way. Rey works best as the mentor who has to figure out what a Jedi Order even looks like now, and Finn and Poe could show up without taking over. One writer steering all three films is also the best chance yet at a trilogy that actually feels planned from the start.

As for timing, Knight Edge claims cameras could roll in 2027. If that holds, a release in 2028 or later seems likely, though nothing about the schedule has been announced. Until Lucasfilm makes it official, everything above stays in the "reportedly" column, and we'll update this as soon as there's real news.

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Header image is an official still of Rey from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker from Lucasfilm, via StarWars.com. The Star Wars Celebration photo is from Lucasfilm, via StarWars.com.