Major motion picture franchises have enhanced their brand with TV shows for decades. Disney didn’t invent the technique, but they are running it into the ground. The House of Mouse owns two of the most financially successful film franchises, and their current strategy involves milking them for streaming shows. Marvel has pumped out a dozen “miniseries” that could have been entertaining films, andStar Warshas jumped on the same bandwagon.
Film franchises have increasingly become brands. Fans seeStar Warson merchandisemore than linear time would allow them to watch the movies. Studios love this development. If the world sees the art they love as indistinguishable from any other logo, any question about the commodification of stories goes out the window. The problem starts with action figures and winds around until it reaches the art.
$775.8 million
93% from 137 critics
$538.4–$549 million
94% from 109 critics
Return of the Jedi
$482 million
83% from 99 critics
$1.027 billion
51% from 237 critics
$653.8 million
65% from 255 critics
$868.4 million
79% from 304 critics
$2.071 billion
93% from 450 critics
$1.334 billion
91% from 487 critics
$1.007 billion
52% from 521 critics
The sequel trilogy put the fear of god in Disney. The studio is notoriously risk-averse. One would think having access to brand names thatguarantee enormous box-office returnswould encourage big plays, but massive companies like Disney have to make all the money in the world, or else they feel they’ve lost their game. Everyone and their mom would tell them how easy it would be to pay talented filmmakers to create strange, compelling entries in their IP with reasonable budgets and rake in the profits. They don’t want to make several movies that each make some money. They want all the rewards with none of the risk.AfterRise of Skywalker, the third most expensive film ever made, only brought in $150 million in estimated net gains, Disney has shied away from the box office. However, humanity hasn’t received a break fromStar Wars.
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Without counting the animated shows, which may as well take place in a separate universe, there have been five live-actionStar Warsseries on Disney+. Aside from most of thefirst season ofThe Mandalorian, each of these aired after the release ofThe Rise of Skywalker.The Mandalorianis the only series centered on an original character. Returning favorites Boba Fett and Obi-Wan enjoy more direct spotlights.Andorresurrects a minor figure fromRogue Oneand gives him the best presentation of anyStar Warsproject since the turn of the millennium. Watching the entire slate of Disney+ programming would take around 39 and a half hours.People are abandoning Marvelfor hiding too much of their shared narrative behind shows demanding long time commitments.Star Warsmust avoid that problem.
FutureStar Warsmovies need to stand on their own
Fans have speculated that the nextStar Warstrilogy could feature or even starGrogu ofThe Mandalorianfame. Baby Yoda is unquestionably their most popular character at the moment. He’s the co-star of one of the bestStar Warsshows, a feat of practical effects work, a new version of an old fan favorite, and the cutest thing in the galaxy far, far away. Building a film franchise around him because people love him inThe Mandalorianis precisely the sort of risk-averse, short-sided decision Disney could fall into. The key tomoving the franchise forwardis to imagine new destinations it can explore. Move away from the past, leave the Skywalker family behind, and avoid tying into the streaming shows at all costs.
Some of the Disney+Star Warsshows are excellent.Andoris unquestionably the finest pieceof media to come out of the franchise in a generation.The Mandalorianborrows from earlier entries but delivers a new story with lovable characters.Star Warshas to find new corners of the galaxy and new icons to explore them. Leave the shows where they are and return this franchise to its original medium.Star Warscan have both, but only if they allow them to exist separately.
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