Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?
I think even kids today love Star Wars on its merits, and are not pretending to like it to please their parents. Star Wars (the OT story) is timeless and magical.
Agreed, kids today definitely love Star Wars on its merits, but I'll posit that current kids don't see Luke or the OT as the center of the franchise in the way we did. Kids have been surrounded by video games, Clone Wars, Rebels, prequels, sequels. Kids learn on the playground in 1st grade that Anakin becomes Vader. It's all a big mix. Anakin, Ahsoka, Yoda, Luke, Lando, mechanical-legs Darth Maul, C-3PO, Rey... they're all peers of OT characters because they've all been given plenty of air time in different media. The LEGO Star Wars shows and games retell the saga in such a distinct way that kids see that as part of the canon, like the movies are just the serious version of the fun games they play. The LEGO Star Wars kid shows do countless irreverent crossovers, and basically all characters are completely interconnected through jokes or cameos.
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Probably a better thread somewhere for this, but...
Random thoughts on the topic of the "Star Wars Cinematic Galaxy" vs. MCU, as someone who never got deep into the Expanded SW universe: In the Episode IV, the Star Wars universe is more or less devoid of exceptional people (super-powered "mutants" or whatever). The prequels explain that there was an abundance of exceptional people, who were basically all killed off. In Marvel's universe, anyone can be a mutant or have or acquire special powers, anywhere, any time. Marvel has endless opportunities in their universe.
Is there really any room to grow a franchise with Jedi-type characters in the current SWCG? If you set it in present day (sequel era), you could maybe start building a loose association of Force-sensitives (Rian seemed to be trying to end TLJ with that thought), or you could go way back in time (Old Republic), but it's just creating ancient history for what's ultimately a dead universe.
Anyway, the SWCG as it has been constructed is pretty arid ground to grow new Jedi/Force-sensitive characters. I think that's why the KK regime are eating themselves with endless callbacks to the OT and rehashing/connecting known characters.
Disney needs to come up with a major change the the SWCU if they want to make room for new armies of Jedi vs. Sith/whatever. I'd rather have a cataclysmic event that sets off a new series post EP9 with an abundance of Force-folks, instead of just grinding out a young, wisecracking Boba Fett/Dengar buddy movie. Actually I'd still probably watch that.