My relationship with Star Wars is probably not that different from that of many people. I grew up watching the original trilogy and didn't have to wait too long for the prequels. However, it seems that since that time, Star Wars has continued to have a significantly larger presence in media, at least that I'm more aware of. The expanded universe of comics, novels and games gives us a near constant influx of stories. This isn't a bad thing I suppose, but I've found myself getting less excited about Star Wars. Maybe that's just because there is rarely a break from it. With the release of the new trilogy backed by Disney, the franchise has probably never seemed more prevalent than it is now. Solo underperformed at the box office. This has caused many people to question if Star Wars still has staying power. This is kind of silly though. Of course it does. It's Star Wars.
Star Wars is a series that resonates with many people, The universal themes and character driven narratives, combined with a unique dash of space fantasy, have helped build the franchise up the behemoth it currently is. However, the primary films have been built up to such a legendary status due to the long waits and anticipation for each new release. These days, everyone is trying to tap into that nostalgic nerve and build a franchise off of it. I've talked about that on this site and on my channel many times before. Reflecting on geek and pop culture stuff from childhood and examing my relationship with it has typically the focus of this blog . Star Wars is basically trying to copy Marvel.
I think we live in a wonderful time where many of the fantastic franchises we grew up with, not matter how popular or obscure, could potentially come to life on the big or small screen. This leads to many interesting possibilities from major studios or die hard fans with their own projects. In the case of Marvel or even Star Wars, too much of anything can be tiring. As with exposure to anything, sometimes you need a break to sit back and appreciate it. Despite my love of comic books, I do sometimes grow weary of Marvel's films. This is mostly due to them playing it safe and following the same formula, even though it's a formula that mostly works. The movies have all been pretty good. Even so, they're kind of predictable. Plus, we're now getting multiple super hero movies a year. Each year also continues to have more reboots, prequels, sequels and spin-offs. Many of these are harping on expanding or starting a new franchise. While part of me adores the fun aspect of each of these possibilities, this consistent leaning towards franchises seems to be stifling new and original concepts. I just feel like there was a greater variety of movies a decade or two ago. At least, a wider variety that people could gravitate to.
In any case, Star Wars may just be overdoing it a little bit. Solo was a decent movie, but it came in the wake of the very divisive and more canonically important Last Jedi. It also had to compete with the very popular Infinity War and Deadpool films. In addition, interest in the side stories seemed pretty mixed based on the success and reception of Rogue One. That doesn't include the typical resistance to recasts and some behind the scenes issues.
I don't think these side stories are supposed to have the same impact as the main films. I suppose, if done well, they could potentially outdo the main trilogies. There are plenty of ways for the franchise to experiment. Then again, outside of the expanded universe, the main franchise has generally provided the same expected beats. Star Wars does tackle more varied and interesting stories, but most audiences don't really seem to need that. I think Disney is still trying to figure out how far they can push things and still make big profits. The Force Awakens was generally liked, but stayed very close to the feel of the original trilogy. The Last Jedi attempted to subvert expectations, with a much more divisive reception. Either way, the films brought fans and casual viewers to theaters. They still made pretty large profits. With the most hardcore fans being the most vocal, it can be harder to gauge the perception of some of these properties immediately. Disney has done a pretty good job at finding the best possible method to entertain while gaining a profit. Still, it will be interesting to see where the franchise will go. I just hope we can get a breather. After all, it's kind of hard to build up anticipation for something that's kind of always there.
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