Star Wars is in trouble, and it has been for a while now. While The Mandalorian initially filled fans with a flurry of excitement, that excitement has since worn off. Beneath the shiny, polished armor of its first two seasons was a rusted trap of old metal that quickly showed itself. While watching the adorable Grogu — lovingly named ‘Baby Yoda’ by followers — slowly learning the ways of the force is entertaining to an extent, the third season seemed to lose track of everything that made the first two so great. So, what happened? Why is Star Wars on a downward spiral, and what needs to happen pull the X-Wing back to a level and safe flight path?
An Overreliance on Fan Favorite Star Wars Characters
The return of the Bounty Hunter Boba Fett should have been an event to celebrate. The character has been a fan favorite from the franchise for decades and the idea of seeing him get his own series — especially following the success of The Mandalorian‘s first two seasons — had audiences excited. However, it seemed showrunners simply wanted to use the recognition of the name Boba Fett to drive views without putting the same care and effort to giving him a story worthy of being told.
Unfortunately, this has become a common theme in the galaxy far, far away. We’ve seen the same issue with series like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka. The idea of seeing these characters in glorious live-action within the realm of Star Wars would cause the stomach of any self-respecting fan to flutter. However, those fans have been disappointed time and time again as the series fail to live up to the high standards that such characters demand. Din Djarin was an original character and his introduction was met with unanimous acclaim. So, why continue to drain the well of established characters?
Also Read: 5 Reasons Ahsoka Tano is the Most Badass Jedi Ever
Oversaturation of the Market
One of the largest issues that Star Wars is facing is the oversaturation of content. It’s the same problem plaguing the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Disney+’s need for streaming content seems to be the primary source. It’s not only the influx in series however. Disney has taken Star Wars by the horns and plans to milk it for all its worth. There was the spinoff film with a troubled shoot, Rogue One, the prequel origin story nobody asked for, Solo, and the the quickly pumped out sequel trilogy with a reputation that’s all over the map. Not all of these are bad of course. Rogue One is fantastic and The Last Jedi is great no matter what the online fanbase says. But when the studio becomes more focused on quantity over quality, the brand suffers.
A Lack of Proper Planning
Perhaps the most egregious failure in the Star Wars franchise in recent years is the total lack of a structured plan for the story. While it is admirable to give full control of a film to a filmmaker as Disney reportedly did with Rian Johnson for The Last Jedi, it inevitably causes cracks in the frame. It’s not that it’s a bad film (not to me, anyway), but The Last Jedi completely ignores elements set up within The Force Awakens and the end result is a jumbled finale that doesn’t really make a lot of sense or pay off on the build up.
The Best thing Star Wars can do right now is slow down. Stop pumping out new series every year and develop a strong idea of what stories need to be told and how they plan to tell them. But what do I know?
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