The “Star Wars” film series has been regarded by many as a substantial storyline that stands the test of time. It was almost a rarity to receive a new piece to the canon “Star Wars” storyline, the most notable of which being “Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope” in 1977, “Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back” in 1980, and “Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith” in 2005. Besides a couple of TV series and some other movies, this was predominantly all the “Star Wars” content fans got on the screen. That is until 2012 came along. 

On Oct 30, 2012, Disney announced a deal to buy Lucasfilm (the company responsible for the creation of “Indiana Jones” and more notably, “Star Wars”) for $4.05 billion, an objectively shocking change to film history. The company’s future could now reach the stars, as Disney planned to expand the “Star Wars” universe and create exciting new content to add to the saga. Josh Dickey, a film editor at “Variety Magazine” said on bbc.com that the future was bright for “Star Wars” because of this purchase. 

“I think if you bring together the minds from Pixar [and] the minds from Disney, the news that Disney is going to reboot ‘Star Wars’ was a lot more exciting to fans than just ‘there’s gonna be another Star Wars’,” Dickey said. 

The major element that fans were excited about when it came to Disney purchasing the rights to “Star Wars,” was a new movie trilogy based on the events after the original six movies. Many former fans were reintroduced to “Star Wars” at this time, and although the movie trilogy was overall received poorly by critics and fans alike, they were still drawn by the potential of one certain streaming service that would revolutionize Star Wars: Disney+. 

Hampton Nettles (10) has been a “Star Wars” fan for as long as he can remember. While he considered the new trilogy to be lackluster, he feels the Disney+ shows have almost always been hits. 

“I like how Disney is elevating ‘Star Wars’ to a level it originally could not reach. My favorite Star Wars Disney+ show is ‘The Mandolorian,’ and I believe that ‘Star Wars’ can only grow from here,” Nettles said.

While the Disney+ streaming service has brought shows and content that fans altogether enjoy, like “The Mandolorian,” “The Book of Boba Fett,” and “Kenobi,” it does have its fair share of criticism as a service and Disney as a company altogether. Many fear that Disney has taken the character out of “Star Wars,” and reduced it to just shows and movies that take away the imaginative “What if?” factor that used to exist surrounding the Saga. 

Abby Brown (12) is one person in this group that feels as though Disney has sucked the life out of “Star Wars.” She feels that while it is still enjoyable, Disney has created this overwhelming presence around the franchise that she just wishes would leave. 

“I feel as though Disney has too much control over the entirety of ‘Star Wars.’ All the narratives of the universe of ‘Star Wars’ are all told through Disney now, and they have assimilated too much of the formerly wide-branched franchise,” Brown said.

Love it or hate it, the Lucasfilm purchase by Disney has changed “Star Wars” forever. Fans are now getting new shows and movies to go along with unexplored parts and times of the saga, something previously unheard of. Despite all the discontent, Disney has found a way to draw new audiences to this once ancient franchise and revitalize it in a way that makes the time constrained “Star Wars” series feel like a never-ending roller coaster.