Star Wars: Why They're Failing To Replicate The MCU's Success

It’s no secret, that the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a smash hit for Disney/Marvel. Now that their streaming service is taking off, Disney/Lucasfilms is trying to replicate that success with their Star Wars franchise. They’re trying, but failing miserably. While they have had limited success with shows like The Mandalorian and Obi-wan is coming to its end, movies like Solo and shows like The Book of Boba Fett were met with mixed reviews. While a bunch of die-hard Star Wars fans will rave over any new content, it’s clear Disney is hit or miss so far, but why?

Too Many Limited Series

Disney is pushing their streaming offerings to new levels. Unfortunately for the fans, all roads seem to lead to a dead end. Even with their MCU shows, very few are making it out of the first season. The Mandalorian is approaching season 3, but Obi-Wan is a limited series. Boba Fett season 2 hasn’t been announced. Even Ahsoka has been announced as a limited series. Every single show is just a means of bypassing the theatrical experience. It’s as if they don’t want to break the budget by bringing the story to theaters, so they stretch each series for 6 episodes. The likelihood that fans would see a movie would be a gamble so they throw it on streaming and fumble their way through.

No Connection With The Stories

Luke Skywalker showing up on The Mandalorian was probably the coolest part of the shows so far, but the stories don’t seem to connect. Ahsoka showed up briefly in both Mando and Boba Fett but the story would’ve been just as complete without her. At least while they were building the MCU we got the sense that the Infinity Stones were a big part of the main story even as these movies stood out on their own. So far, the whole Star Wars Universe seems like “what can we throw at them next”. Despite each show having huge interest, they’ve limited the sense that these movies and shows fit together.

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No Connection With the Fans

Luke, Leia, Obi-Wan, and Boba Fett are all characters that fans absolutely adore. They’re the biggest part of why Star Wars was a huge success. Yeah, lightsabers and a badass villain like Darth Vader paved some of that road as well, but it was the adventure along the way. The connection to these characters and what comes next for them kept people flocking in. Now it seems Disney and Star Wars are just trying to fill the gaps between movies, both with the stories and from a marketing standpoint. Where are the moments like finding out Luke and Leia are siblings? Where’s the next “No, I am your father” moment? Watching the original movies, these twists along the way that you never saw coming made them exciting.

Limited Surprises/Easter Eggs

When it comes to The MCU, part of the fun was first and foremost, where Stan Lee would show up next. In the early days of the MCU, while they were still building the foundation, it was a nod to fans where the beloved comic creator would show up next. These irrelevant but fun moments had almost nothing to do with the story, but it was a way to connect with fans. It was their icing on the cake moment. While it’s a small detail, it’s something Star Wars hasn’t quite mastered yet. Fans are connected to the characters, but their stories are lacking that personal touch.

Another huge part of the MCU was those background moments that only eagle-eyed fans would catch, the Easter eggs. Nothing drove theorists insane quite like what was hidden in the background of these Marvel movies. Each movie was a new idea of what was going to happen next. It led viewers down a rabbit hole of excitement trying to spot every nod to characters and stories along the way. Again, minor details but it showed a connected universe and

Disney and Star Wars are starting to feel what Warner Bros and DC have with their extended universe. Without those same special touches that give passion to their hardcore fans, playing to the casual fans will sink the ship. They’ve gone big with characters even with some shows having success, they’re missing their mark. The Star Wars Universe could be so much bigger and more exciting but they seem to be missing the passion that the MCU once had.