Several years ago (8 actually) I wrote a post titled “Too Much Star Wars?“. In 2015 the sequel trilogy was just starting and we just heard about Rogue One. The only series that were available to watch were all animated (The Clone Wars and Rebels). I’ve discussed this topic before, and I predicted that Disney would inundate us with more Star Wars. Now there are several series planned and a rumored announcement of a new movie. So let’s ask the question again, is this too much Star Wars?
Qui-Gon Says “Yes”, Sort of
Apparently, if you ask Liam Neeson he feels all the spin-offs are “diluting” Star Wars and taking “away the mystery and the magic”. Of course, the Internet being the Internet uses his remark as an argument against more Star Wars content. However, if you read the interview, he just mentions television series. It’s not a secret that Liam Neeson prefers movies over television roles.
I have a lot of respect for Liam Neeson, and I enjoy a lot of his work, however, just because he was in a Star Wars movie doesn’t mean he has the final say in the argument against more Star Wars content.
In fact, in the interview, he said he would consider reprising Qui-Gon if it were a film. Perhaps his prejudice toward spin-offs stems from the fact that he’s “a bit of a snob” toward television roles. So he’s not against more Star Wars content, he feels we need fewer Disney+ series.
If You Ask Me? “No”, Sort of
Be that as it may, maybe, to some extent, he’s right. Disney is releasing quite a few Star Wars series to Disney+, maybe too many. Personally, I have been enjoying all of the series, animated and live-action, however, I wouldn’t balk (too badly) if the release schedule was a little more spread out. Also, maybe we don’t need all these random spin-offs. Yes, there are a lot of characters I would love to know more about, but I’ll pick up a novel or comic book to appease my interest.
When two series overlap (ex: The Bad Batch and The Mandalorian), then maybe it’s time to tug on the reins a little bit. Perhaps, now that Bob Iger is back in charge, we may see that change. Chapek was a big advocate for streaming services and Iger seems to lean more toward the big screen, which has always been Disney’s true bread and butter.
If you think there is too much Star Wars there is a really elegant and simple solution. Don’t watch them. Change the station. Turn off the TV. If you don’t want more content, or you dislike what’s out there, then watch something else. Be your own fan.
