Today, eleven years ago, there was the greatest disturbance in the Force since George Lucas launched the prequels; the birth of the Disney era. Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, but it took the House of Mouse some years to figure out what to do with Star Wars. The future took shape over the next few years.
In March 2013, Disney officially canceled the final seasons of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. A year later, in April 2014, the old Star Wars Expanded Universe was officially branded non-canon (or “Legends”) so Disney could tell whole new stories. That announcement came shortly after Dark Horse announced the end of an era for their Star Wars comics.
It was indeed the end of an era; but it was also the beginning of a new one. That new era wouldn’t truly begin until October 3, 2014, with the launch of Star Wars Rebels.
Star Wars Rebels Was The First Real Disney Release
Star Wars may be a blockbuster movie franchise first and foremost, but it has an incredible history when it comes to animation. Oddly enough, this is probably the real reason Disney canceled The Clone Wars; the popular animation aired on a rival network, and it was time for a fresh start that brought Star Wars to Disney XD.
Star Wars Rebels was just the fresh start the franchise needed. Rebels featured a fantastic voice-cast, starring Taylor Gray as Ezra Bridger – the perfect viewpoint hero for a new generation of fans. An everyday character, Ezra was a Force-sensitive teenager who lived during the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign, becoming Padawan to an Order 66 survivor.
Disney worked hard to prepare the ground for Rebels. John Jackson Miller’s A New Dawn, the first book of the new canon, published in September 2014; it’s basically a prequel story, written by a much-loved Legends author. A series of animated shorts helped viewers get to know the characters.
Star Wars Rebels Was Better Than Anybody Expected
It’s easy for modern viewers to forget how controversial Star Wars Rebels really was. The fanbase was understandably wary; its release had been preceded by a whole host of cancellations, with the entire EU officially discarded from canon. But Rebels‘ reputation has improved má´€ssively over the years, purely on the basis of quality.
Lucasfilm’s animation team had learned from The Clone Wars. The animation was slicker, character arcs were easier to discern due to a simpler timeline, and the heroes were literally designed to be relatable. It’s best to view Rebels as a statement of intent from Lucasfilm; this is what Disney’s Star Wars should be.
Eleven years later, we can look back on this anniversary with fondness. The overarching narrative was brought to a triumphant (if, at times, heartbreaking) conclusion after Kanan Jarrus’ death and Ezra’s sacrificial victory against Grand Admiral Thrawn. Even better, those wonderful characters are now bigger than ever, even making their way into live-action (Ahsoka was basically Star Wars Rebels season 5).
Disney’s Star Wars is 11 years old today, and it really did get off to a strong start.
