I love Star Wars. I always have. But the problems with it aren’t simple anymore. They’re layered, cultural, and, yes—political. Part of it is that the people “own” Star Wars now, and just like in politics, those people are divided and being steered by grifters and MAGA trolls. But the other part—the deeper part—is on Disney. Because while they’ve had some interesting creative instincts, they’ve lacked the courage to follow through.
The true collapse started not with any one film, but with a decision behind the scenes: Kathleen Kennedy and J.J. Abrams chose not to make a long-term plan for the new trilogy. They winged it. No central arc. No clear endpoint. Just vibes and mystery boxes. For a property obsessed with “canon” and lore and expansion, that’s not just shortsighted—that’s sabotage.
Star Wars has always been built to be an ever-expanding machine. When that machine works, it generates stories that echo across generations. When it doesn’t, it fragments. And that’s where we are now—fractured, bitter, and unsure if the next entry is a revival or a retreat.
That breakdown—the fear of incoherence, of contradiction, of soul-drift—is exactly why I approached Unto a Golden Dawn the way I did. I didn’t want ten half-formed stories that tripped over each other. I wanted one. One statement. One vision. A full arc with a backbone, even if it bends time and breaks reality to get there.
I don’t like to just critique. So if I’m going to talk about how Star Wars lost its way, I’ll also offer how I think it could find it again.
So how do you fix Star Wars? Here’s where I’d start:
1. More Content—with Purpose.
Not just more, but more that matters. Audiences need to know that what they’re investing in has a spine. That it’s going somewhere. Commit to multi-season arcs. Commit to ten-episode seasons. And above all, commit to stories with an actual point. The current model of “try it and see” leads to cancellations, course corrections, and incoherence. You can’t build mythos on sand.
2. Less Content—Everywhere Else.
Comics. Books. Spinoffs. Flashbacks. Tie-ins. Alternate timelines. It’s too much. Marvel’s drowning in its own excess, and Star Wars is wading into the same flood. When the creators themselves can’t keep track of the canon, what chance does the audience have? Instead of publishing for volume, publish for impact. Slow down. Let stories breathe. Honor the idea of canon instead of using it as a marketing ploy.
3. Give People What They Actually Want (Sometimes).
No, you don’t have to cater to every Reddit thread. But when a huge chunk of the fanbase has been begging for Knights of the Old Republic era content for years, maybe listen. The silence on that front is baffling. There’s a difference between fan service and fan respect. Sometimes, it’s just smart to build where the hunger already exists.
4. It’s Time for Leadership That Listens.
Kathleen Kennedy had an impossible job and deserves credit for keeping the ship afloat. But it’s clear she isn’t the visionary to lead this next era. Dave Filoni is. Fans trust him. He gets it. Not just the lore—but the tone, the myth, the emotional rhythm that makes Star Wars feel like Star Wars. Let him lead. Not just consult.
That’s the lesson I took while building Unto a Golden Dawn.
I didn’t want to chase content for content’s sake. I didn’t want to string together ten smaller, safer books that ended up contradicting each other. I wanted one statement. One myth. One story that knew what it was and what it wanted to say.
I’ve planted seeds in that world—threads I could pick up again someday. But if I return to it, it won’t be just because it “did well” or because there’s more money to be made. I’ll only go back if there’s something new I’m burning to say. Because anything less than that feels dishonest.
Right now, I’ve got Empire, Nevada out in the world, The Cancer Diet coming this summer, and Unto on deck after that. I’ve got some sequel ideas, and Civil War 7 is simmering in the back of my mind. But I don’t have a 20-year master plan—and that’s okay. What I do have is a compass. I’m not building a franchise. I’m building meaning.
That’s the difference.
Want to see what that approach looks like? Here’s my work:
📘 Empire, Nevada
A tender, atmospheric coming-of-age novel about grief, misfits, and the long silence of the desert.
👉 Buy on Kindle – $3.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTW3MC37
📕 The Cancer Diet (Coming July 16)
Not a cancer memoir. A survival document. A record of shame, addiction, love, and staying.
👉 Read about it on my blog: https://fulcrumandaxis.com
📗 Unto a Golden Dawn: Volume I
Poe. Crowley. Memory. Mirrors. Metaphysical war. Told through dossiers, echoes, and classified fragments.
👉 Buy on Kindle – $1.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1L3M3YC
More at: https://fulcrumandaxis.com
Frank M. Anderson's Writing 
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