With the obvious exception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has yet to experience a box office bomb or a universally-panned movie after 23 installments, it’s almost impossible to gauge the potential that any long-running franchise possesses when it comes to consistently high levels of success. Even Star Wars, which has endured for over 40 years as a pop culture monolith, saw Solo flop spectacularly, while The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker split opinion right down the middle for very different reasons.
That’s hardly going to deter Disney and Lucasfilm from continuing to deliver brand new adventures set in a galaxy far, far away, though, with the advent of the Mouse House’s streaming service only going to increase the volume of content. There are three feature films set for release over the next six years, but close to a dozen TV shows already in the works.
Insider Daniel Richtman is now claiming that Lucasfilm are mapping out the next 20 years of Star Wars behind the scenes as well, which is as ambitious as it is potentially foolish. George Lucas may have known since the very beginning that he had designs on crafting a Sequel Trilogy eventually, but planning two decades into the future is an entirely different proposition in modern Hollywood, especially when personnel behind the scenes are in a constant state of flux.
For example, if Kathleen Kennedy or Jon Favreau depart at any time over the next few years, then the entirety of Star Wars will need a complete overhaul from the ground up given how integral both of them are to the current complexion and short-term future of the mythology. Then again, if George Lucas can do it, then the outfit that shelled out $4 billion for his defining work are well within their rights to give it a shot.
