After Deadpool & Wolverine, Shawn Levy is set to do a new movie for an equally big franchise: Star Wars. In 2022, news broke that the renowned director was in talks to helm a film set in the galaxy far, far away after he completed Deadpool 3 and Stranger Things Season 5. Though little is known about his upcoming epic space opera project, that may soon change as the filmmaker now gives minor details about it. In fact, he teases his Star Wars movie will bring something new to the franchise.
In an interview with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Levy talked about his yet-to-be-titled Star Wars movie. The 56-year-old revealed his plans for his next project as he has finished working on Deadpool & Wolverine, while Stranger Things Season 5 is now in production. If there’s one thing he wants to do, he wants his sci-fi film to be different from the movies and series from the franchise.
There’s only so many times that Star Wars movies can revisit the same section of the timeline, and it’s really forced me — because I don’t want to do a Star Wars movie that is redundant to others, nor am I interested in doing one that has to serve another movie. I really wanted to craft something that felt organic to me, both in tone and characters.
Without giving anything away, Levy assures that his film will certainly feature the Force and a connection to something bigger. However, he wants to make it more powerful and combines those themes with “visual delight and wish fulfillment.”
By the looks of it, his Star Wars movie will veer away from the Skywalker Saga, which started in George Lucas’ 1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and ended in J.J. Abrams’ 2019 Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. The bloodline of the Skywalker ended with the death of Ben Solo / Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) in The Rise of Skywalker, though Rey (Daisy Ridley) ended up adopting the last name, which raised questions about the supposed end of the saga. So, as the recently concluded Star Wars: The Acolyte started exploring other timelines, being set during the High Republic era, Levy might continue this trend.
Shawn Levy to Put His Own Take in His Star Wars Movie
In an interview with Variety in 2023, Levy revealed that when Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy brought him on board to make a new Star Wars movie, her specific instruction was she wanted a “Shawn Levy movie.” She liked it to have a story and a tone that would suit him and his taste, as well as what his signature films featured, but with a Star Wars tale.
“So, I have felt extremely empowered,” he said. “I feel very empowered to trust my instincts in the development of this story and movie.”
After his experience directing a Marvel movie with Deadpool & Wolverine and the creative freedom Marvel Studios gave him, he promised to develop his Star Wars movie with similar optimism and the belief that his instincts would be allowed to lead the way. However, when asked if his film would be a prequel to Abrams’ 2015 Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens due to his closeness with Driver, he refused to answer.
“As you know, Adam is a buddy, and I’ve always been a huge fan of Kylo Ren. But no comment,” he said.
With Levy’s incredible track record, proven by the success of Deadpool & Wolverine, fans can trust that the new Star Wars movie will be in good hands. Though it remains to be seen what this film will be about, fans expect to get an update soon, especially with D23 2024 coming.
