It wouldn’t be an episodic Star Wars movie without Luke or Anakin. Literally.

They’ve appeared in every “Episode” of the franchise, and Anakin even pops up in Rogue One (it counts). The only live-action movie without a Skywalker is Solo, which follows the scoundrel who later marries… a Skywalker. So, when Rian Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy was announced, Lucasfilm noted that it will be “separate from the episodic Skywalker saga” and “introduce new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored.”

The Last Jedi director isn’t allowed to discuss specifics about his new films, but in an interview with the Observer, he confirmed that what he’s working on will be different than any Star Wars movie we’ve seen so far. (Unless you count Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor.)

(You shouldn’t.)

“I think that the fun and challenging part of it is to dive in, figure out what’s exciting and then figure out what it’s going to be,” he said. “We’re doing something that steps beyond the legacy characters. What does that look like? To me, the blue sky element of it is what was most striking about it. I know the way that I’m coming at it and what’s fun about it for everyone in Lucasfilm is figuring out, ‘What’s the next step?’ It really makes you think and figure out what the essence of Star Wars is for me and what that will look like moving forward.”

As much as I’ll miss the Skywalkers and Solos and whatever C-3PO’s last name is, it’s time for Star Wars to move on. Episode IX is an ending; Johnson’s legacy-less trilogy is a beginning. But include at least one Toydarian, please?

But before Star Wars comes Knives Out, Johnson’s first original film since Looper.

(Via the Observer)