Back in 2012 when Disney addedStar Warsto its already enviable intellectual property catalogue, it was clear purchasing Lucasfilm for a mere $4.05 billion would prove to be a bargain in just a few years. By 2018, Disney had already made back the money it invested on film revenue alone, on top of all the income generated from licensing deals andStar Warsmerchandise.
Ever since the sale took place, George Lucas has had a hard time walking away completely fromStar Wars, always making himself available for discussing subsequent Disney projects to varying degrees of involvement on each, all the way up toThe Mandalorian. As Lucas himself says, he viewsStar Warsas his child, one he’s happy to see go make it on its own out in the world, yet never quite taking his eyes off from it.
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WithStar Warsbeing as profitable as it is,it’s no wonder Disney has big plans for it heading into 2021and beyond withThe Book of Boba Fett,Obi-Wan Kenobi,Rangers of the New Republic,Ahsoka,The Bad Batch,Andor,The Acolyte,A Droid Story,LandoandVisionsall coming to Disney+ somewhere in the future; all of these will likely precede Patty Jenkins’Rogue Squadronand the still-untitled mainlineStar Warsfilm directed by Taika Waititi.
Disney’s former CEO Bob Iger was once quoted saying that releasing 3Star Warsmovies within a span of only four years may have been overly ambitious. After all, fans had to wait 16 years betweenReturn of the JediandThe Phantom Menace; and then another 10 years forThe Force Awakensto release after Lucas finalized the Prequel Trilogy. All things considered,Star Warsremains amuch rarer cultural event than Marvel films.
For years, animated series likeThe Clone WarsorRebelshave largely stayed out of the spotlight due to them simply not being marketed as much asStar WarsMovies. When looking at it from a wider perspective, it would appear thatStar Warshas a higher ceiling and much more room to grow than the MCU by adding extra content with all the series that will be heading to Disney+, as well as having all their existing shows put on a bigger platform.
With 10 new entries coming to theStar Warsuniverse, there is a cause for concern in terms of quality due to the inconsistent output from the franchise’s Disney era. WhileThe Last JediandRogue Oneare generally well-liked movies by both hardcore and more casualStar Warsfans, the same cannot be said ofSoloandThe Rise of Skywalker, both of which have received their fair share of criticism, even frompeople with close ties toStar Warslike Lucas himself at times.
The Bad BatchandThe Book of Boba Fettwill probably be leading the charge in this new era with plenty ofStar Warsat the tip of mainstream audiences’ fingers, if these two can somehow replicate or create their own identity,just likeThe Mandaloriandidfor the past two seasons, then the force that is Disney+ may have a chance a staying perfectly balanced for the time being
