The Big Two

In the 21st century, there are two major franchises: Star Wars, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Both are the two biggest intellectual properties in the entire world. Both are owned by Disney, and both are the two pop culture moneymakers of the company. However, both are very different as well. Both are run by different heads, but also both have two very completely different structures and ways in how they make their films and release them. Many within the fandom want Star Wars to be more like Marvel for they see Marvel right now as the better of the two. Should Star Wars be more like Marvel? Well, perhaps not. Star Wars is not the Marvel Cinematic Universe and there is a reason for that.

Marvel Is Television On Film

Many have called the Marvel Cinematic Universe essentially television on Film. From the beginning, the MCU is telling one cohesive story using various characters. While each movie has its own story to tell, it sets up the next one in a serialized story format. Everything is dedicated to this one particular theme that has lasted from Iron Man all the way to present day, with the last big event movie being Avengers: Endgame.

Star Wars, On The Other Hand, Works A Bit Differently.

The only true serialized format in terms of films is the saga films, Episode I to IX. Of course, those have worked differently since the story of Star Wars was told in a very odd way. First, there was the original trilogy, then the prequel trilogy a decade later. Eventually we have the sequel trilogy another decade later. However, on a larger scale the franchise does not operate that way.

Star Wars goes back and forth in its historical timeline. Sometimes it moves forward with stuff like the sequel trilogy. Other times it tells a story before A New Hope like Rogue One. Then, it will go back to the time in between the trilogies or in the ancient past. This does not necessarily require one person to oversee all of it since it is not really telling a singular story the same way Marvel is. While Star Wars is many stories, the galaxy far, far away binds them all together.

Many Creative Heads, Not One

Kathleen Kennedy is the president of Lucasfilm and the overseer of everything Star Wars. However, because Star Wars is structured differently than Marvel, she does not necessarily need to be the creative head of every single project. Instead she delegates, giving creative different fields of influence within the timeline.

For example, Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau seem to be heading Mandalorian and the spin-off shows connected to it. Thus, certain shows will have interconnectivity with each other, but not necessarily other projects like Andor or Obi-Wan Kenobi, which Filoni and Favreau are either not directly attached to. Another example would be if Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron were to get a sequel, it would be wise for her to be the main overseeing creative head of the projects. We also are seeing this with Rian Johnson still in development of a trilogy where he will be the main creative visionary behind it.

Though Kathleen Kennedy is the head of Lucsafilm she has made a wise decision to delegate the creative authority to various creatives. Of course the buck will stop with her and if she is not satisfied with their work, she will be willing to replace them like Kevin Feige has in the past. That is the hardest part of being the boss, but it is one a producer like Kennedy and Feige must do.

One Universe, Many Voices

Star Wars is such a vast universe that limiting it to one voice is not necessarily a good thing. Not only that, the various leapfrogging of the timeline should not be made in the same format as the MCU as giving each era a distinct voice is also important. Star Wars is such a vast universe that multiple creative heads should be allowed to play in the various times and places in the galaxy. For the galaxy far, far away is a big and diverse place, shouldn’t the stories it tells be the same as well?

That is why Star Wars should not be like the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Source: Star Wars.com

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