Should Disney stop producing Star Wars content?

Rob (No)

While Star Wars has undoubtedly been steadily declining over the years after a groundbreaking debut, it would be a shame for Disney to close the curtains on the franchise altogether. The Star Wars universe remains vastly unexplored, and there's plenty of potential for great stories. 

The franchise also still maintains a rich following with a hungry and dedicated cult of a fanbase that Disney could take advantage of. Millions of nostalgic fans who grew up with Star Wars would still like to see the franchise flourish. With the right investment in talent and resources, Disney can breathe new life into the franchise to keep it fresh and relevant and continue its legacy.

A big part of Disney's problems is their extravagant expenditure on projects, which eclipses many other studios. Part of the revival would be to revise their expenditure to cut costs on production so they don't run on losses, considering their projects are among the most expensive in the industry, with no substantial difference in quality.

As Disney CEO Bob Iger said, they plan to prioritize quality over quantity by limiting the number of Marvel releases to only two or three a year. This approach should also be applied to Star Wars projects as well. By focusing on releasing only a few quality projects that resonate with the core audience, Disney can preserve the integrity and excitement that made the franchise a cultural phenomenon. This is definitely a better strategy than simply churning out so much content that it only complicates the storyline and cheapens the franchise. 

Mark (Yes)

The truth is, we may have reached a saturation point with Star Wars content in this lifetime. The announcement of several films under the Star Wars franchise that have yet to materialize could be a sign of various issues, including a lack of faith in the brand's revenue-generating potential. Disney has a duty to protect Star Wars's integrity, which means avoiding overexposure. If they're not careful, they could risk viewer burnout, otherwise called 'franchise fatigue.' 

Take for example the concept of one of the recent Star Wars films not yet produced. It would tell the story of the first Jedi, which hardly feels like a compelling narrative that could be turned into a feature-length picture. Audiences don’t appreciate being fooled or tricked. If Disney churns out Star Wars-themed projects simply to capitalize on the namesake, they risk alienating the fan base. It’s time to accept that there are no novel premises on which to base any new Star Wars Projects. And now, as seen in The Acolyte, creators are even changing franchise lore and inserting woke moments that have rightfully angered fans. 

A recent report by Forbes revealed that Disney has yet to recover from its purchase of Lucasfilm. George Lucas has even grown disillusioned with Disney’s vision for his creation, citing how projects like The Force Awakens lacked originality as it was very close to A New Hope. Notwithstanding Star Wars's incredible run and massive impact on modern cinema, it's now do-or-die for the franchise. Soon enough, its core audience will be aging out, and future generations will have no affinity for the brand. The force is no longer with Star Wars; Disney should realize this.