Star Wars and the dark side of YouTube

Whenever I discover that someone is a Star Wars fan, I enjoy talking about the franchise because it's fun. It's fun to debate. It's fun to sit down and discuss how much we love certain characters or scenes from the films or series. However, this has begun to take a dark turn.

Many people who comment on the franchise, particularly on YouTube, have been more critical than complimentary of what has been produced since Disney took over the franchise. Nothing, though, has changed since George Lucas sold the company to the studio in 2012.

Star Wars is universal and is still a modern mythology, exploring basic ideas of good versus evil.

The diversity and depth of casting have changed since the original trilogy was produced in the 1970s and 1980s. Many on YouTube have been upset by this. However, many young women relate to characters such as Rey and Osha as strongly as original trilogy fans related to Luke Skywalker.

Lando Calrissian was a great character from the original trilogy and represented diverse casting. However, the character was more similar to the archetypes of African Americans at the time, and his arc was not explored in depth in the films. Plus, the fan backlash towards Billy Dee Williams after The Empire Strikes Back has been well-documented. This is different from what we get today with characters such as Cassion Andor, who have now been explored more uniquely and meaningfully due to strong storytelling.

Disney smartly chose to tell its own story. It at first scrapped most of the expanded universe, slowly reintroducing elements back in, which is why Star Wars Legends is still very important. Plenty of fans, podcasts, and shows still celebrate the EU alongside the new Disney canon, understanding they can co-exist with Legends influencing these entries. This allowed new filmmakers and storytellers to tell their own stories and explore characters in different ways. Many on YouTube are upset at the changes made.

For example during The Acolyte, many YouTubers were quick to get upset at the inclusion of Ki-Adi-Mundi. They were seemingly mad about a background character whose backstory was no longer considered a part of the canon. The showrunner chose to add him to the story. It doesn't change his character; it just adds more to him. Again, that's okay.

I can share Star Wars with my daughter. I watch each new show with my wife, and yes, we "dork out" and debate certain things. It is about sharing and enjoying a franchise that has meant so much to so many people. It is not about getting mad that it forces death threats to be sent to anyone involved in the work. It is not about acting like my opinion is the only opinion that matters.

Disney has allowed Star Wars to grow beyond the story of Luke and Anakin Skywalker. It has given new life and added so much depth, and anyone can enjoy it. And simply, if anyone doesn't like this, then don't watch it.