The news that Star Wars is apparently heading back into the Skywalker Saga caught me a little off guard. After The Rise of Skywalker closed out nine numbered movies in 2019, Lucasfilm spent years exploring everything from Mandalorians and High Republic Jedi to whatever beautifully strange corner of the galaxy Andor occupied. I figured the studio might leave Episodes I through IX alone for a while longer. However, on second thought, there is probably one big reason fans should have maybe seen this news we're about to talk about coming.Reportedly, the Skywalker Saga is going to continue, with the Spider-Man: No Way Home filmmaker Jon Watts set to direct the first installment of a new trilogy written by Simon Kinberg. Daisy Ridley is expected to return as Rey in some capacity. Nothing has been formally greenlit yet, and plenty about the movie remains unknown. Still, a comment from Dave Filoni’s D23 appearance shared by Star Wars Holocron on X suddenly feels a lot more interesting in hindsight. He said: We have several different generations of Star Wars fans, right? There’s original trilogy fans, prequel fans, sequel trilogy fans, Clone Wars fans, expanded universe fans. They all have different interests. And I always look at how we’re going to serve all these different interests. And most importantly, how do we bring them all together because they have this common love of Star Wars.During a Disney Worldbuilders panel at D23 in August, Filoni talked about the challenge of running a franchise with multiple generations of fans who didn't necessarily grow up loving the same version of Star Wars. He went on to explain what he thinks about how Lucasfilm can serve those different interests while also finding ways to bring them together. He also talked about balancing nostalgia for what came before with pushing the franchise forward.To be clear, I do not think Filoni was standing on that D23 stage secretly teasing Jon Watts’ movie. The comments were made during a broader discussion about storytelling, fandom and even how Star Wars works inside the Disney parks. But they do reveal something about how Lucasfilm’s new creative boss is thinking. Plus, with the Watts news now out there, his comments make the strategy look a little less mysterious. Look at what Lucasfilm has on the board right now. Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter is headed to theaters May 28, 2027, with Ryan Gosling leading a story built around new characters and a section of the timeline Levy has described as largely untethered from the existing saga. Ahsoka continues Filoni’s corner of the franchise, drawing heavily from The Clone Wars and Rebels. Then you potentially have Watts and Kinberg going straight back to the Skywalker Saga.(Image credit: Lucas Films, Disney)That is pretty much Filoni’s D23 philosophy playing out in real time. Some fans want something completely new. Others want Rey back. Some still want Luke, Leia and the mythology surrounding the original trilogy to remain central to whatever new Star Wars movies and shows come next. Lucasfilm does not seem interested in picking one of those groups and telling everybody else good luck. Instead, it may be trying to build different lanes.Watts is also an interesting choice for the Skywalker lane. Beyond directing Tom Holland’s first three MCU Spider-Man movies, he already has Star Wars experience from co-creating Skeleton Crew. Kinberg, meanwhile, co-created Star Wars Rebels with Filoni and previously consulted on The Force Awakens. These are not filmmakers walking into the galaxy cold. Whether returning to the Skywalker Saga is the right creative move is another question entirely. After nine mainline movies, I am still interested in seeing Star Wars wander somewhere weird and unfamiliar. But am I surprised Lucasfilm is going back to the well of nostalgia? After hearing Filoni explain how he views the fandom, absolutely not.All the Star Wars films and shows are streaming with a Disney+ subscription.