Rey was supposed to be the shining light guiding Star Wars into the future. Instead, it feels like Disney is lost in a galactic fog, endlessly circling familiar space lanes without a working navigation system. News broke last week about yet another Star Wars trilogy, and the collective response was… sigh, here we go again. Because why wouldn’t we be doomed to replay the same culture wars, rebooted and recycled, while Disney keeps shuffling actors into the metaphorical Sarlacc pit of an overstretched franchise? But what if there was hope that this time would be different? Spoiler: there’s no sign of it.
Star Wars is overflowing with projects right now—some might say overflowing without direction. We get the occasional title or the odd teaser, like Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron, which was as much head-scratching as it was hype-building. Ever since The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars has mostly retreated to the small screen, finding a mixed bag of successes and failures. For every Andor (a surprise critical darling), there’s an Obi-Wan Kenobi (lukewarm at best). For every Mandalorian, there’s a Book Of Boba Fett (which came and went faster than a landspeeder in Mos Eisley). Even the best of them, like The Mandalorian, seem to fade into irrelevance faster than a Death Star under construction—or at least until Disney decides it’s time for Mando and Grogu to hit theaters in 2026. But really, when was the last time The Mandalorian felt like the epicenter of pop culture?
Despite the fact that Star Wars barely even produces good memes anymore (a fate arguably worse than a box office flop), Disney keeps throwing concepts at the wall, hoping something sticks. And at the center of this strategy—somehow, supposedly—is Rey. She’s been branded by the powers that be as Star Wars’ “most valuable cinematic asset.” In fact, maybe the only one. But it’s unclear what this means in practical terms, aside from bringing Rey back for another go-round, this time under the direction of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lucasfilm looks more like a chaotic mess than a well-oiled machine, with A-list directors tripping over each other, unclear of who is working on what or how any new trilogy fits with a previously announced standalone. Have they even checked Daisy Ridley’s calendar?
One of the most common criticisms of the sequel trilogy was its lack of clear direction. And that criticism is still glaringly true. Only now, Disney seems even more afraid to make definitive moves after the fanbase tore Rise Of Skywalker apart like Ewoks with a captured speeder bike. In the end, Star Wars feels like it’s been reduced to a press release generator, occasionally lurching forward with vague movie announcements to keep the galaxy buzzing. And maybe that’s all it should be for now. At least the press releases don’t disappoint the fans… most of the time.
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