When director Rian Johnson returns to the "Star Wars" universe, he won't be carrying any baggage from the past.

"The Last Jedi" received positive reviews from critics and made a killing at the box office, but still inspired some backlash from fans who criticized Johnson's storytelling choices. But Disney and Lucasfilm clearly loved his work, since they made a deal with the director to create an entirely new trilogy set in the "Star Wars" universe.

In an interview at SXSW recently, Johnson said the new trilogy won't be affected by that backlash whatsoever.

"I feel like every 'Star Wars' thing that ever gets made has a big, loud response because 'Star Wars' fans are passionate and that's what makes them awesome," he said.

"I don't think it's possible if you're really telling a story you care about and having it come from your heart it's just not possible to be intellectually processing what everyone else wants. Nor would it be a healthy thing, I don't think that's a good way to tell a story."

Johnson's words echo that of J.J. Abrams, who is overseeing "Episode IX," the conclusion of the third trilogy in the Skywalker saga. Abrams recently said the backlash would not change his storytelling in the concluding film, "not in the least."

At SXSW, star Mark Hamill backed up his director, saying, ""It's the only movie series where people go on Twitter and say 'I swear to god, if x,y, or z happens, I'm totally out of here!' So they're anticipating things they're not going to like. I love our fans."