In an interview with Deadline on the occasion of her departure as head of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy again touched on the topic of Rian Johnson's lack of new projects in the "Star Wars" universe. According to her, it's not just the director's contract with Netflix for the "Knives Out" franchise. Allegedly, after the release of the film "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," Johnson was frightened by the wave of hatred and criticism from fans.
The director himself quickly responded to this statement, writing in his Twitter/X account: "Lol, zero fear, sorry", thereby making it clear that fear had nothing to do with his decision.
"The Last Jedi," released in 2017, became one of the most controversial films in the history of "Star Wars." Despite commercial success and critical acclaim, the film was met with strong rejection from a portion of the fan audience. The main complaints concerned the reinterpretation of classic characters and the emphasis on Rey, played by Daisy Ridley.
Although Johnson, apparently, does not plan to return to the franchise in the near future and is focused on working on the fourth film in the "Knives Out" series, he does not rule out this option in the future. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last year, the director noted that "Star Wars" will always be a part of his life. He would be happy to shoot something else in this universe someday, but he is now focused on his own projects and is completely happy with that.