The King's Man director Matthew Vaughn still wants to direct a Star Wars film. Vaughn has positioned himself as a geek IP director, from his adaptation of Kick-Ass to helming X-Men: First Class, which turned the critical and public reaction on the X-Men film franchise back around after X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Vaughn has been the sole director of the Kingsman franchise, a series of spy films based on a comic book of the same name, with the latest installment set for release this month.
While Vaughn has worked in the realm of superheroes and spies, he has yet to tell a story in a galaxy far, far away. In 2012, shortly after Disney purchased Lucasfilm and announced they would be making new Star Wars films rumors started swirling that Vaughn was going to helm the then-unnamed Star Wars: Episode VII. Lucasfilm eventually hired J.J Abrams to direct the next entry. Vaughn would instead helm the Kingsman films, which had a similar release pattern to the Star Wars sequel trilogy, as Kingsman: The Secret Service opened the same year as Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Kingsman: The Golden Circle also opened three months before Star Wars: The Last Jedi and, had the film not been delayed, The King's Man would have released the same year as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
In a private roundtable interview with Screen Rant to promote The King's Man, Vaughn was asked if he still wanted to direct a Star Wars film. Vaughn says he would still love to, but the director explains that he would have jumped at the chance more so ten years ago than now, saying the franchise has been "decimated." Vaughn also clarified that he never was called by Lucasfilm about making a Star Wars film, and thinks this was down to his "maverick" style. Read Vaughn's full comments below.
"If you'd asked me that 10 years ago, I would have given Kingsman to Lucasfilm for free to get a go shooting a Star Wars film. So yes, I would have loved to [have] done a Star Wars film, which was part of the Skywalker saga, is all I can say. It sort of feels like that's been decimated, or whatever the word is for that thing. But yeah, Star Wars is a really important movie to me. I mean, I thought I liked films, and then I saw Star Wars...So, never say never...So the answer is, if they really wanted a new, proper Star Wars film, a proper one, a Star Wars movie that could be its own thing, I wouldn't say no, just have a go with a lightsaber...So, I don't know. When they were looking for a director for the next Indiana Jones, it did pique my interest. I was like, "Oh my God, to make an Indy would be great." But Star Wars, yeah, I think out of all the IP I'm not involved with, Star Wars would always get my attention. If they rang -- they've never rang me up, they've got no interest in working with me, just to be very clear. I think I'm probably a little bit too -- what's the word? -- Maverick, maybe? But I promise, if I did it, I would do -- I'm not saying no one tries to make a good film, a bad film -- but I would be meticulous on trying to protect the legacy of something that I fell in love with movies for. So the answer is a very long-winded answer. But yes, I'd like to."
Vaughns comments about the franchise seem to imply the director is, like many, not a fan of the developments the Star Wars sequel trilogy took with characters like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa. This is a similar sentiment echoed by director Zack Snyder, who took his pitch for a Star Wars film and turned it into an original idea titled Rebel Moon, which will be made by Netflix. Vaughn himself could have his own unique pitch for a Star Wars film; either one that is closer to the original trilogy or one that even takes place before the Skywalker Saga. More likely, however, he would create a new visual look for the series, in a similar move to what he did for the X-Men franchise.
Lucasfilm has a number of Star Wars movies and shows in development from various directors. Patty Jenkins is still attached to Rogue Squadron, as are Taika Waititi and J.D. Dillard to unknown projects. Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy has expressed interest in revisiting the characters of the Star Wars sequel trilogy that could expand the Skywalker Saga. However, given Vaughn's comments, it is possible that he would pass on working on one of these projects in future. Yet after years of growing up with Star Wars, if the chance to direct one presented itself, Vaughn might not be able to resist a childhood dream come true.
