Game of Thrones ended and no one is really better for it. The show could have continued on the way it was going for years. The final season felt much more rushed than the rest of the series despite it taking two years to come out. This change in style and quality has something to do with the writer’s being greenlit for a Star Wars movie and the show’s storyline passing what George R.R. Martin has finished writing in the books. Game of Thrones is sadly over now and what’s done is done. My concern though is that the future of Star Wars is now in the hands of these same writers. Before this season, I was actually excited to hear that they would be in charge of a Star Wars movie or trilogy in the future. Now that I have seen what can happen, I’m afraid of Star Wars becoming irreparably damaged.

The showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have done a lot of their work writing off other original ideas. Their credits include an X-Men Origins: Wolverine, based off a comic book, Troy based off an epic poem and Game of Thrones and The Kite Runner based off novels. Of course, this still takes a lot of work and they still have to have their own ideas, but there are characters and guidelines in place for them to use. The next movie in the franchise is supposed to be the start of a new story not involving the Skywalkers. This new chapter will be in the Star Wars universe, but likely won’t have any of the existing characters. This literally means there are no real guidelines. The writer’s will have a similar world to look to for inspiration in the existing Star Wars movies, but there will not be a story or characters setup. They have a blank canvas to make whatever Star Wars type story they chose to concoct. This makes me worry because of the difference between the seasons of Game of Thrones that are based on completed books and those that are not.

At least due to this new story, they cannot come in and quickly change the Star Wars story that has existed for over 40 years. They can’t turn Leia into a villain that slaughters Ewoks or suddenly make Kylo and Rey a romantic couple. They will have control over the brand though. What they decide to do will impact future Star Wars movies. This is a long running franchise that plans to continue into the future. Star Wars has been popular for so long because it does a certain something right. This movie could change what Star Wars is and goes onto be in future films. If the new movie really doesn’t fit with what we enjoy about Star Wars, people may not buy into the “new” Star Wars. There could end up being a negative association with the brand. Fans of the Skywalker Star Wars could end up not being fans of the new series of movies thus dividing Star Wars fans. Benioff and Weiss have a lot of power and responsibility in being the first film in this new Star Wars world.
The way that some of the characters and story points shifted in the final season of Game of Thrones is a little concerning because it felt like the writer’s didn’t care about what had been built previously. I hope that Weiss and Beninoff don’t disregard what has been built up previously in Star Wars. The legacy is important to the franchise. Star Wars is it’s own world with its own set of rules. The players and settings can change, but it still needs to be a “Star Wars” movie that’s relatable to those that have come before. Jedi need to act like Jedi and lightspeed needs to work the same way it has for 40 years. If what the previous movies have built up don’t matter, than it is a science fiction movie in space with Star Wars slapped on it to attract audiences

We are heading into unknown territory. This could be a exciting new time for Star Wars fans. This could also be an exciting time for those who never got into the Skywalker movies. There is a lot of potential with the freedom they have, along with a lot of expectations because of the franchise’s long and storied history. It’s unfortunate that the final season of Game of Thrones ended uncomfortably. Its negativity is fresh in people’s mind and they’re carrying it over into Star Wars before it has even begun. Hopefully, enough time will have passed when the new Star Wars movie comes out and this negativity will have faded. The writer’s deserve another chance and Star Wars needs this new start to work out. I’m not ready to let go of Star Wars or change the way I feel about it. Right now i’m just feeling overprotective, because I can’t go through another season 8 experience. I invested years into Game of Thrones, but I’ve been invested in Star Wars since I can remember.