After a somewhat rocky 2024,Star Warshas a lot riding on 2025. It’s no real secret thatStar Warsmovies and TV showshave struggled in recent years, especially when it comes to positive reception and audience engagement. 2024 saw some particularly intense negativity, especially when it came toThe Acolyte.
Unfortunately, unlessStar Warsintentionally switches gears for 2025, it seems likely to succumb to the very same fate in the new year. WhileStar Warsmay not be able to do a complete overhaul in the scope of one year, there are some key decisions the franchise could make that would set the stage for a change in the right direction.By taking advantage of certain possibilities in 2025,Star Warsmay be able to course correct just in time.
2024 Has Been A Difficult Year For Star Wars
Backlash, Show Cancelations, And An Unclear Future All Plagued Star Wars This Year
Although there were some solid additions toStar Wars’best TV showsin 2024, especiallyStar Wars: Skeleton Crew,2024 proved to be a very challenging year forStar Wars. This was most obvious in all that happened before, during, and afterThe Acolytewas released.The Acolytesuffered from review bombing before the show had even premiered, and things did not get better from there—in fact, they got much worse.
AsThe Acolytewas being released, there was a shocking amount of vitriol online, with comments targeting and harassing the show’s actors and creators. While Lucasfilm has yet to confirm whether this was the true reason, this harsh backlash almost certainly contributed toThe Acolyte’scancelation, which came surprisingly quickly after the show had concluded.This is unfortunately symptomatic of larger issues within the franchise and is not limited to justThe Acolyte(although this show seems to have gotten the worst of it this year).
The Acolyte’s Backlash & Controversies Revisited Now The Series Is Over
Now that all episodes of The Acolyte are streaming on Disney+, let’s look back at all of the controversy the show caused—and if it was warranted.
In truth, this is somethingStar Warshas long struggled with, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better any time soon. Dating back toStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace,Star Warsactors have shared their experiences of being bullied for their performances. This persisted in theStar Warssequel trilogy as well. Notably, it is almost always people of color and/or women—especially women of color—who are on the receiving end of these attacks.
This is somethingStar Warshas long struggled with, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better any time soon.
Perhaps because the franchise is unsure how best to navigate this rocky (to say the least) terrain,there are very fewStar Warsprojects currently confirmed. AmongStar Wars’upcoming TV shows, onlyAndorseason 2 andAhsokaseason 2 are confirmed. There is a host ofupcomingStar Warsmoviesthat have been announced, yetThe Mandalorian & Groguis currently the only movie with a confirmed release date, and otherStar Warsprojects are stuck in Development Hell.
Star Wars Celebration 2025 Feels Like It Has To Be A Relaunch
Star Wars Celebration May Be The Perfect Reset Button
Star Wars Celebration 2025 will run from April 18-20, 2025, in Japan, andthis could be the perfect opportunity forStar Warsto hit the reset button on the whole franchise. That obviously doesn’t mean overriding what has come before but rather clarifying what is confirmed—especially movies—and providing an all-new, clear-cut movie and TV show release lineup. At present, one of the biggest things harmingStar Warsis the complete lack of clarity regarding what is coming next. How can audiences be excited if they can’t even be certain that announced projects are really happening?
How can audiences be excited if they can’t even be certain that announced projects are really happening?
Especially withStar Warsnot holding a Star Wars Celebration in 2024 and with the franchise revealing shockingly little at D23 earlier this year, it would make plenty of sense for Lucasfilm to use Star Wars Celebration to lay out their plans for the future. This would also be the ideal time because they would be surrounded by fans who are enthusiastic about the future and upcoming projects. Of course, previous Star Wars Celebrations (especially 2023) have proven that what is said at Star Wars Celebration doesn’t always come true.
Every Major Star Wars Reveal At This Year’s D23
A number of shocking announcements have already been made at D23 2024—here’s everything the event has revealed about Star Wars' upcoming projects.
Can Star Wars Successfully Relaunch Itself In 2025?
Even If This Is The Plan, It Doesn’t Guarantee Success
The question remains,ifStar Warsdoes attempt this relaunch, will it even work?Having a clearer sense of what the franchise’s plans are for the future will certainly improve things, but it won’t entirely solve the larger issues seen in recent years, especially the problems with vitriol and harassment in the fanbase. That is something that Lucasfilm is going to have to confront sooner rather than later, or projects in the future will continue to be attacked before they even debut.
With movies such as Rey’s upcomingStar Warsmovie (seemingly) coming, there must be some sort of game plan for the franchise to directly call out this behavior. So far, that has primarily fallen on the actors. Even so, any progress is good progress in this case, and hopefully,Star Warswill take advantage of this incredible opportunity at Star Wars Celebration 2025.
