Few franchises carry a legacy as heavy as Star Wars. Since 1977, George Luca's space opera has conquered generations with its blend of adventres, fantasy, politics, and good old family drama. But here's the twist: that same legacy has become both iths crown jewel and its achilles heel. Today, the galaxy far, far away faces a paradox it's still a cultural phenomenon, yet new releases often struggle to meet the expectations of fans and critics alike.
The Biggest Mistake: Zero Planning (Yes, Really)
If there's one thing everyone agrees on, it's this: recent Star Wars has suffered from a massive lack of planning. The sequel trilogy is Exhibit A. Each film felt less like a coherent story and more like a panic-driven response to the previous backlash. What we got was a fragmented narrative, wasted characters, and an ending that split the fandom harder than Luke and Vader's family reunion.
And no, it's not just the movies. Disney+ spin-offs like Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett entered with sky-high hype, only to crash-land thanks to weak storytelling and zero narrative identity. Eve The Acolyte, which at least tried to be different with new characters and unexplored eras, proved that "different" means nothing if the story itself isn't compelling.
And here's the kicker: it feels like Lucasfilm still hasn't learned. The Mandalorian and Grogu's "season 4" is now magically becoming a movie. A Rey film is somehow at the top of their productions list (risky much?), and it's alredy gone through four writers, countless delays, and appaarently no celar direction. Oh, and now there's a random Ryan Gosling project that came out of nowhere but is suddently racing into production. Long story short: the lack of planning is still the biggest villain in this galaxy, and no lighsaber duel is going to fix that.
What's missing isn't budget or CGI fireworks it's coherence, boldness, and consistency
The Andor Exception: Story First, Fan Service Later
Amid this chaos, Andor emerged as the unlikely hero. No Jedi, no lightsabers, no Darth Vader cameo, just complex characters, political intrigue, and a grown-up storyline. The gamble paid off. Its second season was not only critically acclaimed but even outperformed The Last Of Us Season 2 in viewership, a shocking feat considering HBO usually dominates best TV production over Disney +
Andor proved the obvious (but apparently revolutionary): what keeps a franchise alive isn't endless nostalgia or milking Skywalker cameos, it's strong storytelling. Audiences don't just want Easter Eggs; they want narratives that respect their intelligence and bring something fresh to the galaxy.
The Accessibility Problem
Here's another issue that critics love to highlight: the tangled web of interconnected content. For us the die-hard fans, sure, the expanded universe is a goldmine. But for newcomers or casual viewers, it feels like homework. You sounldn't need a degree in "Star Wars Lore Studies" just to undersyand what's happening.
This "game of telephone" effect where new projects depend too much on past content ends up weakening even the good stuff. Andor, for example, had to be marketed almost as an "exception" to the franchise, when in reality it should be the blueprint.
The Path Forward: Bold Stories, Not Just Nostalgia
The future of Star Wars depends on learning from these mistakes. Forget endless nostalgia bait, it's time for real long-term planning and creative courage. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the basiscs: story and characters. Get those right, and you win.
Even Kathleen Kennedy herself hinted that the studio is trying to bring in directios with stories they actually want to tell even if those stories don't perfectly fit the tradicional Star Wars mold at first glance. That's exaclty why Andor worked. Its political-thriller DNA could have thrived outside the galaxy entirely, but inside the Star Wars universe, it became even richer.
And, that's the exciting part: this galaxy is big enough for genre films. Why not a full-on horror story set in the shadows os the Sith? Or a gritty space Western? Or even a high-octane podracing movie? Not everything needs to orbit the Skywalkers (seriously, let them rest alredy). Give it time, let audiences miss them, and then bring them back only when there's a story worth telling.
The message from fans and the market is loud and clear: Star Wars dowsn't need more recycled nostalgia. It needs compelling weel-crafted stories that expand the universe instead of shrinking it.
If Lucasfilm finally gets that right? Well, then maybe, just maybe, the Force will be with them again.