It’s okay if you don’t like Disney’s Star Wars
It’s okay if you don’t like all Star Wars, especially under the Disney umbrella.
What started as a humble movie made by one of the most innovative creators in a generation has become one of the biggest franchises ever. From the Extended Universe, Dark Horse Comics, and fan documentaries to now with new shows on Disney Plus, there is so much content. There are books, comics, audio dramas, video games dating back to the Atari system, card games like Star Wars: Destiny, tabletop with SW5e and Star Wars: Legion, movies, animated series, live-action series, and everything in between. With so much content going on, there will be corners of the franchise that you just don’t like.
This is normal with big franchises. For example, I’m not a fan of MMORPGs in general, so I didn’t play Star Wars: The Old Republic. That doesn’t make that piece of the franchise lesser because it’s not my jam. Some of my closest friends adore those games, and I’m happy they love what I don’t. We bond over the other parts of Star Wars we have in common.
Why waste energy focusing on the parts you don’t like? That looks exhausting, especially when there’s so much Star Wars to choose from. Are you a fan of the Extended Universe? Cool. Go read those! They haven’t vanished. It’s not like Disney had a massive book burning, and they are gone forever. In fact, many of those Legends creators, like Timothy Zahn, James Luceno, John Jackson Miller, and more, are still writing Star Wars books. Isn’t that neat? They didn’t go into hiding to write secret Thrawn stories away from the searching eyes of Bob Iger. They’re still the same writers.
Being a fan doesn’t mean you must like all of it. If you don’t like anything Disney does with Star Wars, don’t watch it. No one is making you. Mickey’s not in your walls waiting for you to sleep to plug Disney+ into your brain. I’m sure you have more important things to do, like spending time with family, friends, your career, possibly kids, and/or pets. Aren’t any of the things I just listed far more important than wasting energy on hating Disney’s Star Wars?
We also live in a golden age of media with so much content. I’m sure there’s something out there that smacks those Star Wars buttons for you. To name a few possibilities, hit up those Akira Kurosawa films if you haven’t since they were a significant inspiration to George Lucas. Also, Dune, Guardians of the Galaxy, Planet of the Apes, The Fifth Element, Space Balls, Galaxy Quest, and Starship Troopers are some more.
Hey, do you like Dave Filoni’s stuff? He worked on Avatar: The Last Airbender and was heavily inspired by the work of Studio Ghibli. Have you ever seen Princess Mononoke? San was the direct inspiration for Ahsoka Tano.
Heck, Ted Lasso, House of Dragons, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Succession, Abbott Elementary, Stranger Things, and Barry are all great shows. Try one of those! I’m sure there is something on this list that you’ll enjoy if you don’t like Disney’s Star Wars.
Life is short, and Star Wars is about fake space wizards, pew pews, and murderous teddy bears who win a fight against a technological powerhouse. So chill out, enjoy the parts you like with people you love, and do the Jedi thing of letting go of the parts you hate.
To quote the great Qui-Gon Jinn, “Your focus determines your reality.” If you don’t like it, don’t watch it. I promise the world won’t set on fire if you don’t watch all Star Wars. The world will not end because other people like a Disney Star Wars that you don’t. It’ll be okay.
At the end of the day, we’re all fans here, even if we don’t like every bit of a galaxy far, far away.
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, Star Wars wouldn’t exist.