Disney: The current state of the Star Wars standalone films

Photo Credit: [Solo: A Star Wars Story] Lucasfilm

The Star Wars franchise currently consists of 10 films: Eight episodic movies and 2 standalone entries that seek to expand the universe. We break down the current state of the Star Wars ‘stories’ since the Disney merger.

In 2012, Disney acquired Lucasfilm and promised they’d be releasing new Star Wars movies. This meant they’d be creating the seventh episode in the saga to follow the earlier six. Disney caught fans off guard, however, by simultaneously announcing that they’d be making standalone movies that didn’t directly connect to the Skywalker story associated with Episodes I-VI. What a time to be alive.

Since that fateful day, George Lucas has cashed his check for $4 billion, and we’ve gotten two, count-em, two Star Wars stories. The first one, Rogue One, released in December of 2016 and was praised by critics and fans alike. Solo, which hit theaters on May 25th, has received fewer compliments and has struggled at the box office.

Why such a discrepancy? Is Rogue One that much better than Solo: A Star Wars Story?

The short answer? Yes. Rogue One is arguably the better movie. It’s got a diverse cast of new characters, seamlessly blends emotional moments with heart-pounding action, and tells a story that did deserve to be told. It also taps into everything that makes a good Star Wars film: a reluctant hero, an epic space battle, and a lightsaber scene reminiscent of Revenge of the Sith’s younglings slaughter.

Rogue One’s quality showed at the box office as it grossed over $150 million during its opening weekend and made over $1 billion worldwide by the end of its run in theaters.

Compare that to Solo’s lackluster opening weekend numbers: the film grossed just over $80 million.