Why George Lucas Retired After Selling Star Wars

While Disney-era Star Wars has received its share of criticism, it’s fair to say that we’re living in the golden era of the franchise, at least in terms of output. Once Disney purchased Lucasfilm, they quickly released a slew of films, including “The Force Awakens” and “Rogue One.” While the series has seen some theatrical duds — “Solo: A Star Wars Story” notably bombed at the box office, a first for the franchise — it has largely succeed on streaming. Feeling the heat from Netflix, the media conglomerate debuted its own streaming service in the form of Disney+ in late 2019.
The launch of Disney+ included “The Mandalorian,” which marked a brand-new era for Star Wars. The show has proven to be so popular that a Mandalorian & Grogu live-action movie is coming soon. Since those early Disney+ days, the galaxy far, far away has gone on to dominate streaming with programs like the acclaimed “Andor” and “The Acolyte.” Even some of Lucas’ beloved characters have received a second life on streaming thanks to projects like “Ahsoka” and “The Book of Boba Fett.” In fact, Lucas is particularly fond of one Disney-era Star Wars show that might even surprise some fans.
Even though some projects are better than others, a lot of Star Wars is better than no Star Wars at all. Following the release of 2005’s “Revenge of the Sith,” Lucas wasn’t doing much with the billion-dollar franchise. Now, a brand new generation of storytellers have the opportunity to breathe life into the ever-expanding saga.