But how does he feel about J.J. Abrams' Rise of Skywalker — the film which reverted Johnson's plans for Rey's parentage, sidelined some of his key characters, and brought back a zombiefied Palpatine to tie-up the saga in yet another nod back to the past?

"Everyone was ruthless at the time," Johnson says, recalling when the trilogy came out in his college days — though he has since expressed his admiration for George Lucas' prequels.