If you’re like me, then one thing you probably love to do is argue with people over the internet. Usually, I like to argue about video games or The Legend of Korra being better than Avatar: The Last Airbender, but sometimes, I argue about Star Wars, and let me tell you. Nothing gets diehard fans angrier than when you insinuate that Star Wars is better off than it ever was before, because Disney acquired the rights to Lucasfilm.
I mean, what I thought would be a pretty interesting discussion turned into a litany of responses telling me that I know nothing about Star Wars, and that I must be a Disney bootlicker if I could think that anything Disney touches could be a good thing. I really didn’t know how to respond to all of those comments because it’s not like I was just trolling or anything. I really do think the franchise is better off with Disney, and I have five reasons why.
The Force Awakens Made Star Wars A Box Office Sensation Again After Years Of The Series Being Dormant In The Theaters
For some reason, people love the prequels now (which, I will agree, are better than the sequels). But, I vividly remember people hating Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace, and Episode II-Attack of the Clones back when they first came out. Yes, people said that Episode III-Revenge of the Sith, was much better than the first two, but as a whole, a lot of “fans” complained that George Lucas “ruined” Star Wars with the prequels, and then, there were no new movies. For like, 10 whole years!
But, Disney put a stop to that drought when they released, Star Wars: Episode VII-The Force Awakens. And, I can tell you with certainty that people LOVED this movie when it first came out, despite what they might tell you today. Our very own Eric Eisenberg gave The Force Awakens a favorable review (though, not over-the-moon) when it first came out, but I remember plenty of fans being super happy with the movie, calling it a return to form, and the best thing to happen to the series since the original trilogy. Plus, it made MASSIVE bank at the box office. It broke opening weekend records, and became one of the fastest movies to reach a billion dollars ever.
In every way, Star Wars: Episode VII-The Force Awakens made Star Wars a box office sensation again, and fans have Disney to thank for it. Sad for some people to believe, but true.
Baby Yoda Brought Bigger Brand Recognition To The Franchise
Though The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda parted ways at the end of Season 2 of The Mandalorian, he was just too damn cute to be gone until Season 3, so they bought him (and Mando) back in The Book of Boba Fett, which I think most people will agree was the highlight of that rather mediocre series.
But, Baby Yoda (Or Grogu, which is his name) is probably worth Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm alone, with all the money the cute character raked in for Disney. Not only that, but Baby Yoda also brought a lot more recognition to Star Wars as a whole, as even people who had never watched the Disney+ series knew who Baby Yoda was. He was ubiquitous, as you saw his cute face on backpacks, keychains, T-shirts, you name it. For a time, Baby Yoda was absolutely everywhere.
And, while the more cynical types might view this as a bad thing, I don’t know how brand recognition of any kind could be seen as anything but good. It means that more people are interested, and don’t you want more people to be interested in Star Wars? I sure do.
Multiple Projects At Once Are Great For Diversifying The Brand
I recently wrote an article about how non-Star Wars fans should check out Andor, and it’s true. It’s the best Star Wars-related thing I’ve seen since my favorite franchise movie, Rogue One. And right there, you, a Star Wars fan, might be thinking, well, there you go. The author of this article is clearly not a real fan. And, if being a “real” fan means worshiping Star Wars: Episode V-The Empire Strikes Back, and reading all of the novels, then you’re right. I’m not a “real” fan.
But, to stay healthy and profitable, the property needs less “real fans” and more people like me, the casual viewer who will still check out most things with the “Star Wars” logo on it. Because “the real fans” are going to show up regardless, but people like me aren’t necessarily going to turn up for everything.
Like, I don’t care one whit for anything related to the Jedi or the Skywalker name. And, even though I’ve seen all of the movies, I didn’t watch Obi-Wan Kenobi since I don’t care about him. But, Disney realizes that Star Wars isn’t one-size-fits-all, so they also release things like The Bad Batch, and The Mandalorian, and my favorite of all, Andor. Really, only Disney has the kind of capital to gamble on a Star Wars-adjacent show like that, and that’s why Disney is the best thing going for Star Wars. They have those dolla, dolla bills, y’all.
All Of Star Wars' Rich History Is Now In One Place
As I mentioned in the intro, I love video games, and one thing that breaks my heart is that a lot of them will get lost to the sands of time since they belong on older hardware, and they’re hard to come by. Yes, there are means to play older games on your computer, but preservationists are often trying to beat the clock and get as much of the classics on ROMs as possible so that we don’t lose some games forever.
Even worse though is the fact that a lot of modern digital games are going to disappear forever once eshops close down. As a gamer all my life, this is utterly devastating to see.
Now, you might be wondering what this has to do with Star Wars. Well, thankfully, it isn’t going anywhere thanks to Disney. Pretty much anything Star Wars-related that you could possibly want to watch is on Disney+, and this includes the terrible (yeah, I said it) Ewok specials, and even the LEGO Star Wars stuff. This is a big deal, since it means that your precious franchise doesn’t have to worry about the fate of my precious video games, as Disney has you covered if you just so happen to want to watch “The Story of the Faithful Wookiee.”
The Future Is Brighter Than Ever
I know that you might be thinking that years to come might be bleak when you read that Star Wars’ movie future is “more unclear” due to projects being scrapped, but really, it's brighter than it ever was when Lucas was at the helm.
Just the fact that we still have multiple shows and movies scheduled to come down the pipeline should get fans excited. Yes, Rogue Squadron hit a big setback and is now on indefinite hold, but we still have Rian Johnson’s return to the franchise, (which I know rubs some fans the wrong way, but whatever), as well as Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie, and a number of upcoming shows.
So, even if you don’t like the sound of Waititi making a new Star Wars movie, just think of it like sex and pizza, as even “bad” sex and pizza are still sex and pizza. And, don’t you want more Star Wars? Because I certainly want more sex and pizza, that’s for sure.
But, what do you think? Is Disney good for Star Wars, or, is it the worst thing to happen to it since…well, since George Lucas (according to some fans)? Whichever side you pick, make sure to swing by here often for more news from a galaxy far, far away!
