Even the ‘Star Wars’ Cast Admits the Franchise Needs to Slow Down
The Star Wars cast is ready for a break.
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” used to be a phrase that inspired hope, excitement, and much anticipation from audiences. But ever since Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, Star Wars has been lightspeed-skipping ahead with no end in sight. From 2015 to 2019, the studio has released a new film each year, leaving some fans desperate for a break.
Truly, the lack of an overarching vision for this latest run of films feels clearer than ever in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Even moviegoers who love the Disney era must admit the inconsistent narrative and behind-the-scenes director shuffling have taken a toll. The best thing Disney could do for Star Wars right now is press pause. Even the cast thinks so.
The Skywalker saga is now complete
The Star Wars saga is in the perfect position to give the movies a rest. When Disney announced a revival for the franchise, the studio said we’d be getting a new trilogy and standalone films in between. With The Rise of Skywalker, that strategy is complete.
The series has closed the book on the nine-part story of the Skywalker family. Of course, the films could still continue eventually, but the latest film presents a natural stopping point. Whenever the story resumes, the saga once again has the room to continue at its own leisure. Moreover, when it does, it can do so without having to contend with any baggage from the original trilogy.
Just look at The Mandalorian. That series, while set in the Star Wars universe, expands the canon with new characters and a disconnected adventure. Fans are mostly loving it, and Lucasfilm should take heed in stepping in a direction that looks to the future, not the past.
The ‘Star Wars’ cast on the saga’s future
Even the actors involved in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker believe the saga should pump the brakes on big-screen installments for now. Key members of the cast and director J.J. Abrams shared their thoughts on the future with Yahoo! Entertainment. And the consensus is clear among the sequel trilogy’s three main heroes.
“What I want is a break,” Daisy Ridley said. “And everyone’s discussed it, but I think we just need to let The Rise of Skywalker have its moment, and then just take a breath. Figure out where next.”
Ridley has previously said she loves where the new film leaves her character and has seemed hesitant to return. Oscar Isaac too hopes future Star Wars projects can afford to take more care in the stories they tell.
I would like to see it slow down a little bit. I think to make it special when the next one comes out, and it doesn’t feel like it’s part of an assembly line. But then it’s really particular, specially-made stories that are really about something. And taking the time to find the right people to put those things together and developing it with a real clear arc in mind.
Isaac’s comments speak directly to one of the current trilogy’s biggest issues. Meanwhile, co-star John Boyega — who has already dispelled hopes for a Disney+ series — just hopes the saga stays on the big screen.
“I just think it’s really important — especially now where we’ve got so many options in terms of how we watch content — for, like, the biggest movie of all time to make sure it has its place in the cinematic universe,” he said. Because that’s how we love to see Star Wars.”
Will Lucasfilm really take a break?
As for the other interviewees in the Yahoo! piece, Abrams said he wants to see new stories set after The Rise of Skywalker. Stars like Richard E. Grant, Naomi Ackie, and Kelly Marie Tran, however, just want to see more Star Wars in general. Particularly, the latter two allude to expanding the world going forward.
Of course, Disney has no intention of letting their $4 billion investment sit idle when they can be making a fortune instead. But it does sound like the beginnings of Star Wars fatigue have even set in internally. Can the saga sustain an interconnected web of stories like the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Perhaps. But first things first, the franchise needs a fresh start.
If Lucasfilm announces a new trilogy now, the company will be robbing Star Wars of the chance to truly leave the Skywalkers behind. Right now, it’s unclear when we will see a new Star Wars movie. Yet, if even the people involved in making the saga think it’s being spread too thin, perhaps they have a point.
