Why Taika Waititi’s ‘Star Wars’ Comments Should Concern Fans

Director Taika Waititi’s “Star Wars” film was first announced in 2020, but there has been very little progress made on the movie so far. Now that Kathleen Kennedyis officially stepping down from her role in Lucasfilm, fans have hopes that some projects that have been pushed aside, like the new Daisy Ridley Rey movie, might finally see some progress. However, one comment that the director has made stands out from the rest, and understandably has fans a little concerned.

When asked to name his favorite movie villain of all time, Waititi went right to the “Star Wars” franchise and named Darth Vader as his favorite villain. It’s not hard to see why. With his menacing mask, raspy half-robotic voice, and red lightsaber, he certainly looks the part of the classic Disney villain, even though George Lucas created the character decades before he sold Lucasfilm to the House of Mouse.

Waititi agreed that Darth Vader certainly invokes a childhood fear, saying, “He taps into a child’s biggest nightmare or fear, which [is] that your parent will turn on you and you won’t be able to bring them back,” as per Variety.

“‘Body Snatchers’ is like that as well. Zombies, too,” he continued. “They’re great villains as a collective because it’s the idea of people you love who won’t recognize you and will want to eat your brains.”

There’s a major problem with his comment about Darth Vader being a “parent” who will “turn on you.” Darth Vader was the father of Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker, however, neither of them knew that he was their father until much later in the original trilogy. Luke was raised by Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru on Tattooine and Leia was raised by Senator Bail Organa and his wife, Queen Breha Organa, of Alderaan.

The reveal that Darth Vader is Luke’s father is a pretty pivotal scene from 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back,” the second film in the original trilogy. The film has worked its way into pop culture. Although some fans initially thought it was a lie at first, it was later confirmed by Yoda in 1983’s “Return of the Jedi.” The movie also features a scene where Luke tells Leia that they are siblings and that Darth Vader is really their father.

Although this could be brushed aside as a small slip of the tongue, it’s worth remembering that Waititi actually forgot that Natalie Portman was Padmé Amidala in “Star Wars.” Her role was a pretty pivotal one and one that is not easily forgotten. She was Queen and then Senator of Naboo, as well as being the mother to Luke and Leia.

While working on “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which he co-wrote and directed, he told the Rolling Stone that he actually forgot that Portman was in “Star Wars” when he asked her what projects she had coming up.

“She said to me, ‘What are you up to next?’ I said, ‘Oh, I’m trying to work on a Star Wars thing. Have you ever wanted to be in a Star Wars movie?'”

She said ‘I’ve been in a Star Wars movie,'” Waititi continued. “And I went ‘…should we do another take?'”

Although little has been revealed about what his movie is about, Variety reported that he plans to bring the “fun” back to a galaxy far, far away.

“I’m just trying to go back and harness a little bit more of the fun from the original films, which is what I remember [from] them,” he told the publication at Sundance.

“The stakes are very high, and there’s serious things going on, but there’s also a lot of fun to be had in those films. That’s what I was trying to bring back,” he continued. “I was trying to work in a world that was a little bit separate to that because they’ve got so many things going on within that space. For me to do something there, it would need to be a little different and a little bit more its own thing.”

During her exit interview, Kennedy told Deadline that Waititi “turned in a script that I think is hilarious and great, but went on to say, “It’s not just my decision, especially when I’ve got a foot out the door.”

At least fans can look forward to “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” which is scheduled for release on May 22, 2026, and “Star Wars: Starfighter,” which is scheduled for May 28, 2027. The film stars Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, and Matt Smith.