Star Wars has been one of the cornerstones of Disney+ since it launched in 2019, not just because it’s one of the streaming service’s core brands but also because “The Mandalorian” was the headliner launch show to get people interested in Disney+.

Following the success of the first Star Wars series, Disney wanted to keep that momentum rolling, with many more shows, such as “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and “Andor,” hitting Disney+ over the next few years.

But these Star Wars shows are very expensive to make, and with former CEO Bob Chapek pushing Lucasfilm for more content to feed subscribers, the last few shows haven’t delivered on many levels. The viewership numbers were down, and this has been put down to multiple issues, including franchise fatigue and lower-quality products.

With the return of Bob Iger as CEO in late 2022, he quickly went on a cost-cutting exercise, reducing the amount of general entertainment content being created and ordering Lucasfilm to make less while also getting them to refocus their attention on theatrical releases.

While we’ve seen multiple Star Wars shows released each year, such as “The Bad Batch”, “The Acolyte”, and the upcoming “Skeleton Crew” in 2024, we are going to see a major shift moving forward.

According to industry insider Daniel Richtman , Lucasfilm is planning to reduce the amount of Star Wars series it created for Disney+ going forward.

“I’m hearing that several series are in development, but it seems they plan to release only one live-action series per year starting in 2025.”

Disney has already got the second season of “Andor” in the can, ready for its release in 2025, likely in the second half of the year, due to “Skeleton Crew” being out in early 2025.

Production is set to begin soon on the “Mandalorian and Grogu” movie, which is due to hit cinemas in May 2026 and filming on the second season of “Ahsoka” is apparently due to begin next year, so it might not hit Disney+ until 2026 or even later.

Only last month, it was revealed that “The Acolyte” wouldn’t be returning for a second season due to bad ratings, highlighting that the days of Disney just churning out as much Star Wars content as possible are over.

Roger’s Take:  There’s little doubt that Disney hit the pause button on Star Wars projects, allowing them to come up with a plan for the future.  Since the sequels trilogy ended, the shows being released have been all over the place, both in terms of quality but also in reference to where on the Star Wars timeline they take place.  The days of Marvel and Star Wars holding up the general entertainment side of Disney+ are over, as Disney starts to utilise its Hulu/Star hub to provide different content for adults.   While some Star Wars fans might not like the idea of only getting one show a year, in the long run, this might allow them to be more focused and create a better product, especially after the backlash over “The Acolyte”.

What do you think of there being fewer Star Wars shows on Disney+?  Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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