Star Wars Desperately Needs to Break Free From the Skywalker Saga

It was recently reported by The Hollywood Reporter that Jon Watts, director of the Spider-Man trilogy and co-creator of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, is attached to direct the first installment of a new Star Wars trilogy written by Simon Kinberg. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Kinberg’s trilogy is expected to continue the Star Wars saga following the events of the Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. According to the report Kinberg has Rey is returning but she will not be our main protagonist in the film.

As soon as I heard the news, I was frustrated and my first thought was simple: Why!? Why does Lucasfilm keep going back to the Skywalker family!?

Disney and Lucasfilm need to move beyond the Skywalker lineage and tell a genuinely new story within the Star Wars universe.

George Lucas created a rich and vibrant universe that drew from American westerns, Japanese culture, and a mixture of Eastern and Western philosophies before placing those ideas in a galaxy far, far away. There are plenty of other influences that helped shape Star Wars, but those are some of the elements that have always stood out to me.

That universe is much bigger than one family. And yet, once again, Lucasfilm appears to be looking toward the Skywalkers.

The Skywalker Saga Has Been Beaten to Death

I understand that the Skywalkers are the first family of the Star Wars universe. The story of Anakin, Luke, and Leia helped establish and ground this space epic. I love the rich and complex story and world Lucas built around this family. I respect and admire its stories, its heroes, and its villains, along with its vast mythology and lore. Star Wars has transported our imaginations to a galaxy far, far away that has captivated moviegoers for over four decades.

The last trilogy relied on nostalgia, similar story beats and themes, destroyed iconic characters with poor writing and growth. Which lead to a trilogy that was uninspired, deeply flawed from a narrative perspective, and boring. The Skywalker storyline was beaten to death at this point. It’s a franchise on life support desperately in need of a powerful jolt of creative power to revive this dying franchise.

Disney completely fumbled the ball with the last trilogy. The sequel trilogy became a mixed bag of nostalgia bait, questionable writing, the dismantling of iconic characters, and storytelling that, in my view, failed to adequately understand the mythology and lore of Star Wars movies that came before.

I could go on and on about the ways I believe the trilogy failed to respect the story, lore, mythology, and characters that made Star Wars special in the first place.

But the problem goes beyond the horrible story and character development. The problem is that the new trilogy is seeking to play it safe. Lucasfilm doesn’t have the courage to tell a new story outside of the Skywalker Saga. The Star Wars universe has an entire galaxy to explore. Teaming with unique characters, stories, and unexplored lore. Yet, the film universe hasn’t explored the treasure trove of characters and compelling stories within George Lucas’s universe. 

The Galaxy Is Bigger Than the Skywalkers

The Star Wars universe is vast and keeping it within the Skywalker saga makes the universe seem small and insulated. This is why I believe the next Star Wars trilogy should have reached as far away from the Skywalker saga as possible. Tell a new story. Introduce new characters. Create new threats. Explore different parts of the galaxy. There are countless possibilities. That Lucasfilm and Disney refuse to explore within the main storyline of Star Wars.

Lucasfilm could have explored the Old Republic and adapted the story surrounding Darth Revan. Revan is a compelling character with a complex history, politics, with powerful adversaries, and a extensive lore around that could provide an entirely different foundation for a Star Wars trilogy.

Or go in the opposite direction.

Take the story deep into the future, where Luke, Leia, Yoda, and the Sith have become legends. Their stories could exist as pieces of history, mythology, and lessons passed down to future generations.

That would allow Lucasfilm to build something entirely new while still existing within the Star Wars universe.

The possibilities are enormous. The galaxy is enormous. So why do we keep going back to the same family drama?

The Bottom Line

Star Wars doesn’t need another Skywalker story. It needs a great story. That’s the difference.

If Disney and Lucasfilm can build a compelling narrative, develop interesting characters, create thoughtful world-building, and give audiences a reason to care about a new corner of the galaxy, people will come.

That’s the lesson I believe the studio should take from the last trilogy’s problems is to: learn from its failures and move in a new direction for the longevity and future success of the franchise. If not we will surely be watching the demise of the Star Wars franchise with this next trilogy if Lucasfilm doesn’t change its trajectory.

I will continue my criticism of this choice next week in Part Two, where I will discuss the dreadful writing and character development in the latest trilogy and what steps should be taken to correct this weakness in the next trilogy.