Dakota Johnson’s Marvel career may be over, but word is, Disney has big franchise plans for her

A recent update in the entertainment industry suggests that Dakota Johnson, who just finished her role in Materialists, might be considered for a part in an upcoming Star Wars movie. As first reported by the Sci-Fi Gazette, this possible casting decision is especially interesting because of Johnson’s honest comments about her past work in a big superhero franchise and her concerns about creative freedom in large productions.

Johnson’s openness about her experience with Madame Web has gotten a lot of attention in Hollywood. “It wasn’t my fault,” she had said when discussing how bad the movie was. “There’s this thing that happens now where a lot of creative decisions are made by committee. Or made by people who don’t have a creative bone in their body. And it’s really hard to make art that way. Or to make something entertaining that way. And I think unfortunately with Madame Web,’ it started out as something and turned into something else.”

The actress shared that the Madame Web project started with one vision but changed completely during production, leaving her feeling like she was just watching things happen without much control. Even though the movie wasn’t well received (and had a confusing ending) Johnson stayed philosophical, saying that big-budget films can fail and that she doesn’t hold long-term grudges or completely rule out similar projects in the future. She pointed out that even smaller films she’s worked on haven’t always succeeded, showing that this is just part of making movies.

Dakota Johnson may be the next Jedi

The fact that Star Wars might be interested in an actress with such strong opinions about creative control is an interesting detail. Her work with The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal on Materialists could have helped start conversations about her joining the Star Wars universe. While being considered for a role doesn’t mean she’ll definitely take it, Johnson’s willingness to work with another major franchise after her criticisms suggests that this Star Wars opportunity might fit better with her artistic preferences.

This possible casting also lines up with a bigger change in how the Star Wars franchise is approaching its stories. Lucasfilm’s leadership has recently talked about moving into a new phase, focusing more on standalone stories instead of sticking strictly to the traditional trilogy format.

Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said this new approach allows for more storytelling possibilities and lets a wider range of filmmakers tell stories that matter to them personally. She emphasized that future Star Wars projects won’t always need to connect to every detail of the existing Star Wars lore. Instead, they can tell their own stories, which might grow into bigger arcs if successful.

Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said, “I really think that now we’re in a position where it’s broadened the possibility of stories and filmmakers we can bring in to tell stories that mean something to them – it doesn’t necessarily have to connect to every little thing that’s been done in Star Wars… It can actually be a standalone story that then builds into many, many other stories.