All The Ways Disney's 'Star Wars' Expanded The 'Star Wars' Universe
Before Disney bought Lucasfilm, and subsequently, the rights to the Star Wars universe, there were games, books, comics, and rumors of a secret seventh film in the works, but these were not considered by George Lucas to be canon. That changed when Disney bought Lucasfilm and announced that they would be continuing the Star Wars legacy with three new movies and a host of other content to come. The fan reaction may be a bit divided, but it cannot be denied that Disney added to the Star Wars universe in several big ways. Here are just a few of their contributions.
1. Continuing the Saga
Possibly the biggest way that Disney added to the canon was by officially continuing the Skywalker saga and giving us a look into what Luke, Leia, Han, and the gang have been doing all these years later. This was also the first time the characters’ stories had been added to in a canonical way. There had been novels in the past, but this we were told explicitly is canon.
2. Giving Us A New Set of Characters
Along with the new films, we got a host of new characters and stories to follow and learn. Characters like Finn, Poe, Rey, Kylo Ren, and the rest of the cast were what some saw as a breath of fresh air to the series. It was interesting to see how a new host of Jedi, Sith, and rebels handle the fight of good against evil. The characters also added some diversity to the story and brought some different struggles to the characters we hadn’t seen in the other Star Wars movies.
3. Adding a Canon Timeline
As I said above, before the Disney buyout a lot of the stories in the expanded universe were unclear of their importance to the canon story. Some were loosely connected at best. While there are still some questions to be had about how canon certain characters or stories are, Disney and Lucasfilm have have done a good job of lining up a canon timeline for the universe. This also gives them the opportunity to connect all the future movies, TV shows, books, comics, and games in a Marvel-esque way. It also makes me excited to see how the connections will come into play in future stories.
4. The First Live-Action Star Wars Show
Not only did Disney deliver one of the best shows on TV, but they also gave us the first ever live-action Star Wars series. The Mandolorian is the first time we have seen a live-action version of the Star Wars universe on the small screen as a series. It is an amazing show, and it sets the bar super high for any future live-action shows that not only come from Star Wars or Marvel but also from film studios in general.
5. Putting a Larger Emphasis on Shows
Before The Clone Wars, the only real source fans had for Star Wars was the movies. There were games and books, but very few TV shows for people to watch. After Disney took over, Lucasfilm said that The Clone Wars and Rebels are as canon as the films, making them a central part of the Star Wars canon. Also, going forward, they announced that all future TV shows would be canon.
While there may be some divide of the Star Wars fans on the stories that have come after the Disney buyout, there are a lot of good things things that have come from it as well. If nothing else, Disney has been chiefly responsible for the continuation of the Star Wars lore, and Star Wars fans will have a lot more to look forward to as the series goes on.