Star Warsis a long-running multimedia franchise that has seen a surge in popularity since the release of the prequel trilogy in 1999. From films and TV series to video games and comic books,Star Warsis a gold-mine of marketable content with seemingly never-ending storylines and characters to explore. Thanks to the unique universe and thecharacters found within,Star Warshas gained a massive fanbase, many of whom would defend anything about the franchiseto the bitter end. Over the past decade, the amount ofStar Warscontent being released has more than doubled, and we have Disney to thank for this.
SinceDisney purchased Lucasfilm, they have gained access to allStar Warscontent, past, present, and future. The saga turned from a simple six films to a total of 12 films, including two spin-offs, with more on the way. While many fans are all abuzz about the progressive overload ofStar Warscontent, MCU actorMark Ruffalo, who plays Bruce Banner AKA The Hulk, recently came out with a number of criticisms towardsStar Wars. The question is: are Ruffalo’sStar Warscriticisms valid? Let’s break down what he said and, more importantly, whether there’s any truth to it.
“Same Version of Star Wars”
When comparing the MCU toStar Wars, Ruffalo defended the MCU, stating that all the content within the superhero franchise are unique in its own way. Ruffalo has gone on tocriticizeStar Wars’ new content as rehashing the same stuff over and over without any real originality, saying “You get the same version ofStar Warseach time,” as if Disney is trying to recreate the original trilogy. While this may seem harsh, particularly to those hardcoreStar Warssequel fans, many fans may agree with what Ruffalo is saying. The main criticism of the sequel trilogy was that all Disney was doing, as outlined byDen of Geek, was using the nostalgia of the originalStar Warstrilogy to make audiences happy. While it makes sense to keep a formula that works, there is a nuanced difference between using the same formula and re-using content over and over simply because it’s popular.
Related:Mark Ruffalo Will Stay in the MCU as Long as Marvel Keeps Calling, Wants to Play an Old, Grizzled Hulk
Differences Between the MCU and Star Wars
The MCU andStar Warsare the main source of new content and revenue for Disney. With Disney regularly releasing MCU andStar Warsprojects, many have begun to place the two franchises in the same category. However, Ruffalo’s remarks include speaking about the clear differences between the MCU andStar Wars. WhileStar Warshas a long history of legends, lore, and constantly changing canon, the MCU is jam-packed with original content from comic books created by the late Stan Lee. One massive difference between the two is thatStar Warstakes place in the same galaxy with many of the same characters. WhileThe Mandaloriandid introduce us to a number of new characters and storylines, the setting was virtually the same as seen in many previousStar Warsfilms. On the other hand, the MCU has had so many varying characters and locations that the dynamic feels like it’s ever-changing, as is the storyline.
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Are Mark Ruffalo’s Criticisms Valid?
While Ruffalo’s words may seem harsh toStar Warsfans, the reality is that he is not entirely wrong. There is some truth and validity to what he’s saying: when it comes toStar Wars, Disney has been reusing what has worked in the past. One of the main reasons for this may be because the production team at Disney may be scared of losingStar Wars' massive fanbase due to a bad choice made by the studio. After tepid reception towards its catalog of movies in the Galaxy Far, Far Away Disney has since chosen to play it safe for the most part withStar Wars. That being said, they have somewhat branched out and away from the Skywalker saga inThe MandalorianandThe Bad Batch, focusing less on the Skywalker family and more on other characters and events that took place with the Skywalker Saga. Of course, that being said, Disney would benefit from taking large steps towards new and exciting content. PerScreen Rant, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy expressed the studio’s need to do so. In order forStar Warsto keep up with the MCU, Disney is going to have to take the plunge and bring some new and original content to theStar Warsuniverse.
