10 years later, ‘The Force Awakens’ changed Star Wars for better (and worse)
At the end of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” Cillian Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenheimer visualizes how his creation of the atomic bomb could one day destroy the world. Oppenheimer stares into the abyss, paralyzed by the fear of his decision and torn by the guilt of his actions.
I can’t prove it, but I imagine that in the last few years, George Lucas has stood at the edge of a pond, contemplating his decision to sell Lucasfilm to Disney. “I’ve spent my life creating Star Wars — 40 years — and giving it up was very, very painful,” Lucas said in the book “The Star Wars Archives: Episodes I-III 1999-2005.” Unlike Oppenheimer, Lucas made some money — a casual $4.05 billion — off of his pivotal decision, which probably makes it a little easier to sleep at night.
‘The Force Awakens’ plays the hits
My negative feelings about the prequels — “Phantom Menace” is bad, “Attack of the Clones” is terrible, and “Revenge of the Sith” is legitimately good — might have influenced my high praise for “The Force Awakens.” The bar for an enjoyable Star Wars movie was low after the prequels. Enough time has passed that I know my initial reaction to “The Force Awakens” — Star Wars is fun again! — was correct.
Lucasfilm recruited J.J. Abrams to direct “The Force Awakens” and pen the script with “Star Wars” legend Lawrence Kasdan and Oscar winner Michael Arndt. Abrams essentially made his version of Star Wars with 2009’s “Star Trek,” so his transition to a galaxy far, far away was seamless.
Set 30 years after “Return of the Jedi,” “The Force Awakens” introduces the battle between the First Order and the Resistance, which are stand-ins for the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has self-exiled himself and gone into hiding. Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), a leader in the Resistance, knows her brother holds the key to defeating the First Order.
This time around, a trio of new heroes — Rey (Daisy Ridley), a Force-sensitive scavenger; Finn (John Boyega), a former Stormtrooper who defected from the First Order; and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), a talented Resistance pilot — team up with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca to find Luke before Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), a First Order warlord, can get to him.
If the above synopsis sounds like the plot to “A New Hope,” then your instincts are correct. The similarities between the two movies are striking: An unlikely protagonist from a desert planet becomes a hero. A droid carries critical information in a war against oppression. A conflicted warrior from the Dark Side is hiding a major secret. Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon.
Frankly, I’m not bothered by the resemblance to “A New Hope.” After the darker prequels, “The Force Awakens” is an upbeat breath of fresh air. The new characters are likable and memorable — the audience wants to root for the heroes, not ridicule their appearance and voice (cc: Jar Jar Binks). The action sequences — including Finn and Rey’s escape from Jakku and their lightsaber duel with Kylo — are engaging thrill rides. How can you not get emotional watching the highly anticipated meeting between Han Solo and Kylo?
“The Force Awakens” set the franchise up for success. It laid the blueprint for a trilogy that could rival the original. The following year, “Rogue One” proved that the franchise was ripe with spinoff stories that could take “Star Wars” in new directions. To quote Andy Bernard, “I wish there was a way to know you’re in ‘the good old days’ before you’ve actually left them.”
There was a plan? What plan?
2017 represented the fork-in-the-road moment. I’m talking about the most divisive topic in “Star Wars” fandom: “The Last Jedi.” After “The Force Awakens,” Abrams passed the trilogy to Rian Johnson, a creative filmmaker then best known for directing “Looper” and episodes of “Breaking Bad.” Financially, Johnson delivered another billion-dollar hit for Lucasfilm. Many critics shared positive reviews, but the fan response told a much different story.
I’ll keep my “Last Jedi” thoughts brief. On one side of the scale, some believe “The Last Jedi” is a masterpiece. Others feel it’s the worst “Star Wars” movie ever made. I don’t think it’s a masterpiece, and it’s not my favorite, but the positives outweigh the negatives.
My biggest problem with “The Last Jedi” is with Lucasfilm, not the actual movie. Johnson has previously talked about the creative freedom given to him on “The Last Jedi.” Abrams reportedly wrote drafts for the entire trilogy, only for Johnson to take the movie in another direction. Clearly, there was a disconnect between Johnson and the duo of Abrams and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. Lucasfilm clearly believed in Johnson as a Star Wars filmmaker; they hired him to write a new trilogy (which will never see the light of day).
However, “Star Wars” brass didn’t like Johnson’s decision-making for this trilogy. Abrams replaced Trevorrow on the third movie to retcon several key elements from “The Last Jedi” in “The Rise of Skywalker.” From Rey’s parents and treatment of lightsabers to sidelining Rose Tico and Snoke’s origins, “The Rise of Skywalker” is a fan-service exercise more than a satisfying conclusion. I mean, Palpatine returned! If that doesn’t scream “We’re sorry for the last movie,” then I don’t know what does.
Squeezed in the middle of the second and third movies was “Solo,” a Han Solo origin story starring Alden Ehrenreich as the fast-talking smuggler. Lucasfilm must have been pretty upset with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller to fire them months into shooting. Ron Howard replaced Lord and Miller and reshot roughly 85% of the movie. While “Solo” has some fun chase sequences, it bombed at the box office. That movie was never going to succeed with that much turnover.
Like most problems at Lucasfilm, it comes back to leadership. Someone needs to define the creative vision and establish parameters for each movie. It’s been downhill since “Solo.” Kennedy is reportedly on the way out. Is Dave Filoni, who understands Star Wars like the back of his hand, the right architect for the franchise’s future? I’m not sure. Filoni should concentrate on his movies and TV shows. Someone else should oversee the entire film division.
The person to fix Star Wars should have been Kevin Feige. The Marvel mastermind was scheduled to produce a “Star Wars” movie, but those plans have been abandoned. After the success of “Avengers: Endgame,” Lucasfilm should have given Feige control of the Death Star … I mean, the entire company. At least with Feige, he has experience mapping out interconnected stories that build to epic conclusions.
Throwing darts at the wall looks like the strategy going forward
While this conversation focuses on movies, I must mention that “Star Wars” television, aka the live-action Disney Plus shows, has been the more reliable medium since 2019. “The Mandalorian” is currently the most important property in the “Star Wars” universe, so much so that Disney put season 4 on hold to make a movie, “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” that arrives on May 22, 2026.
Aside from “The Mandalorian,” the Star Wars show that has garnered the most critical acclaim is “Andor,” which wrapped up its two-season run in May 2025. Aside from those two properties, the other Disney Plus shows have failed to make significant cultural impacts. There are some nice moments, especially “Skeleton Crew,” but nothing of substantial impact. After “Ahsoka” season 2, it’s unknown what the next Star Wars Disney Plus show will be.
Meanwhile, the Star Wars movies are relying on this strategy: Throw darts at the wall and see what sticks. After “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” the next movie is “Star Wars: Starfighter,” a new adventure from director Shawn Levy starring Ryan Gosling. Set five years after the events of “The Rise of Skywalker,” “Starfighter” is an original story that hits theaters in May 2027.
After “Starfighter,” there are numerous movies in development: a Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy-directed film involving Daisy Ridley’s Rey, a James Mangold-led project set during the Dawn of the Jedi, a Dave Filoni-directed adventure that involves the Disney Plus shows, a Lando solo outing with Donald Glover, a Taika Waititi story, and a trilogy from Simon Kinberg.
If Han Solo pointed a blaster at your head, which movie gets made after “Starfighter?” My pick would be the Rey Skywalker movie, but I’m not confident. That’s the issue. Making a handful of projects with different filmmakers is a gamble, not a plan. If “The Mandalorian & Grogu” and “Starfighter” disappoint, then what happens? Lucasfilm is not ready for that conversation.
Rebellions were built on hope. Can the same principle apply to a franchise’s cinematic future?
Stream “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on Disney+
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