Can 'Star Wars' find its way again? Here's how to fix the franchise
Can 'Star Wars' find its way again? Here's how to fix the franchise
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY Mon, May 25, 2026 at 5:13 PM UTC
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There’s been a disturbance in the Force for a while now. And it's going to take more than the adorable Baby Yoda to get “Star Wars” zooming back into hyperspace.
This holiday weekend marked the first “Star Wars” film in a movie theater since December 2019, when “The Rise of Skywalker” closed the four-decade Skywalker Saga not with a rousing finish but a disappointing whiff most fans would rather forget. But “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” a continuation of the TV adventures of Pedro Pascal’s helmeted gunslinger and his little green buddy, didn’t exactly hark back to George Lucas’ box-office smashing heyday.
The new movie's $100 million four-day opening, according to studio estimates, marks the weakest start for a "Star Wars" movie released by Disney – just a hair lower than the Memorial Day opening weekend of 2018's "Solo: A Star Wars Story."
So where does the megapopular galaxy far, far away go from here? “Star Wars” likely will never be what it once was, though that doesn’t mean that it can’t explode with something fresh and new like it did nearly 50 years ago. Especially under new management.
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'Star Wars' TV shows have replaced blockbuster movies
Pedro Pascal's armored warrior and his adorable apprentice have an important mission in "The Mandalorian and Grogu."
“Star Wars” has seemed to be in disarray for a while, and in recent years become more of a TV franchise than it has a movie one. When “Rise of Skywalker” hit theaters with a thud, Disney+ was early in its run of “The Mandalorian,” the first “Star Wars’ live-action TV series, which had introduced a child that looked a whole lot like a wise Jedi Master we all knew and loved. (His name hadn’t yet been revealed as Grogu, which is why “Baby Yoda” became a thing.)
Since then, six other shows have debuted, from an acclaimed, clear-eyed look at a rebellion against fascism (“Andor”) to a kid-friendly adventure with pirates and youngsters aplenty (“Skeleton Crew"). Meanwhile, many movies were announced as being in development but then were never heard from again. Rian Johnson was to do a new trilogy, and then Simon Kinberg got tapped for a three-part series. Patty Jenkins signed on for “Rogue Squadron” – essentially the “Star Wars” version of “Top Gun.” Daisy Ridley was supposedly coming back for a Rey-centric adventure. And don’t forget the films that were to be headed up by Marvel honcho Kevin Feige, Taiki Waititi and James Mangold, among others.
The results of all those announcements? Just two actual movies so far: “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” obviously, and director Shawn Levy’s “Star Wars: Starfighter” (in theaters May 28, 2027) starring Ryan Gosling. That’s not ideal for a franchise built by epic space dramas that people would flock to see on the largest screen possible.
Could a new Jedi master help 'Star Wars' find its way?
It is a new day within “Star Wars,” however, with Lucasfilm president Dave Filoni – an apprentice under Lucas in the 2000s – as this popular galaxy’s latest Jedi master. But it’s also a much different world than in 1983 when people would line up and wait for hours to see the first showing of “Return of the Jedi,” or in 1999 when fans missing “Star Wars” bought a ticket to “Wing Commander” just to witness the first trailer for “The Phantom Menace.” (And not just because you can get your tickets online or wait for footage to pop up on YouTube.)
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The big franchises don’t have the best success rates anymore – even mighty Marvel isn’t the powerhouse it once was. Kids now are hungry for Super Mario, and adults are getting their sci-fi fix with “Project Hail Mary.” “Star Wars” is back in a marketplace changed by everything from the Internet to COVID, where it has to find its way again.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” is a good start, switching up the usual template. But it’s far from being a savior. Essentially a compressed season of the Mando’s show, it’s a fun and creature-filled pulp adventure with a big heart but lacks the high-stakes spectacle and grandeur of good guys blowing up a Death Star (or three). And while Grogu is good for pushing merch and Burger King meals, “Star Wars” is going to need more than one movie to rediscover its creative mojo.
'Star Wars' is a starship in need of a hard reset
Picking a lane would be one scenario: TV is far more cinematic than it has ever been, and “Andor” is an example of how deep “Star Wars” can be, but a reemphasis on movies might help the creative focus as well. If “Star Wars” intends to keep its all-mediums, all-the-time approach, though, it has to evolve.
It can’t just be fan service for those who grew up with the original trilogy or prequels, because as much as people freaked out when Luke Skywalker dared to throw his lightsaber away in “The Last Jedi,” the OGs aren’t as reliable a customer anymore. In fact, they’re pretty fickle (at least the critics and trolls online). "Star Wars" yearns for a new generation of fans who, like those of the past four decades, will pass on a passion for this universe to their own loved ones down the line.
What “Star Wars” really needs to do is, well, blow up the Death Star. Do something crazy and different. Stop returning to timelines that are well tread at this point. (For goodness’ sake, at least leave the prequel era alone.) Explore the galaxy’s past in maybe some sort of “Game of Thrones”-type jam or craft a future story with uncharted territory.
Or, even better, abandon all the tropes, create new rules and archetypes, use new influences, and rock people’s worlds with something that doesn’t even resemble “Star Wars.” (If Baby Yoda needs to come along to sell some action figures and Whoppers, fine.)
That would be bold and brash and jaw-dropping. But it worked in 1977 – why not now?
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where does 'Star Wars' go after 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'?
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