Another Bad Star Wars Idea: Dakota Johnson in a Major Role

No title, no character name, no official confirmation — just an "exclusive" from industry insider Daniel Richtman that Johnson is being considered for something in the galaxy far, far away.

The news comes off the back of Johnson's recent work in Materialists, A24's romantic comedy that also stars Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans. That film's getting solid praise — but this potential Star Wars move has already raised eyebrows.

Johnson's history with big franchises is… complicated. She headlined the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, which made money but earned her zero critical goodwill. Her most recent swing at a blockbuster was Madame Web, a Sony superhero movie that flopped with critics, bombed at the box office, and immediately became a meme. Johnson later distanced herself from the project, saying the film was derailed by "creative decisions" outside her control.

And yet, Star Wars seems interested anyway.

It's an odd fit — especially considering Johnson's recent comments about the industry. On Hot Ones, she called Hollywood "a bit of a mess" and said studios keep making the same things over and over because decision-makers don't actually understand movies.

"It's hard when creative decisions are made by people who don't even really watch movies or know anything about them," she said. "Humans want to feel new things, experience new things… but I guess it's all just a bit of a mess right now, isn't it?"

That quote was from last month. And now she's potentially joining one of the most micromanaged franchises in modern entertainment.

Lucasfilm hasn't confirmed anything, but they've had no trouble attracting big names lately. Pedro Pascal is headed to theaters in The Mandalorian & Grogu, and Shawn Levy's upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter — reportedly starring Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth — is next on the film slate. So Johnson wouldn't be out of place, just... possibly not the fresh start this franchise needs.