Star Wars' Rian Johnson didn't set out to change the canon with The Last Jedi

While Star Wars: The Last Jedi proved controversial among some fans, director Rian Johnson has insisted that he did not set out to change the canon.

The movie's divisive reception when it was released in 2017 led some to go as far as starting a petition to remove it from the Star Wars canon.

However, speaking exclusively to Digital Spy, Johnson reiterated that he absolutely thought of how it all fit in with the rest of the series when making the movie.

Related: Star Wars' Rian Johnson doesn't mind the arguing over The Last Jedi

"You're thinking very much about how [the movie] sits next to everything," he said. "That's the whole thing with the entire [Star Wars] saga is the way that the movies reflect themselves and the way that the patterns repeat and don't quite repeat. Especially with the characters.

"For me, since I was 5 years old, Luke Skywalker was my hero, so growing up with that emotional connection to that character and feeling that depth of feeling for that character... I think all of that has to feed into the storytelling."

Johnson is set to oversee a new trilogy of Star Wars movies in the future, and he confirmed to us that he's already thinking about them.

The director's latest movie, Knives Out, is released this week. It stars Captain America favourite Chris Evans, who was cast because he's "really good" at playing a "real dick".

"I had seen – obviously, I love Chris in the Marvel movies – but then I saw him in this Kenneth Lonergan play Lobby Hero where he played a real dick. And I was like, 'He's really good at that'. And he's such a good actor," Johnson said.

"He's got such a range, and I think he enjoyed tapping into this and doing something a bit different."

Knives Out is out in cinemas on November 27. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has a release date of Thursday, December 19 in the UK and Friday, December 20 in the US.

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Sam Warner

Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International.  Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.

Gabriella Geisinger

Gabriella Geisinger is a freelance film critic and journalist, with a focus on J-drama & film, and the Japanese production industry. She was previously Locations Editor at Screen International and Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy. Her writing can also befound in Curzon, 1883, and more. A born and raised New Yorker, she loves coffee and the colour black, obviously.