The New Star Wars Canon Presents a Fascinating Paradox of Storytelling

Everything changed when Disney bought Lucasfilm and all the Star Wars properties. At first we were excited, because that meant that we’d get more Star Wars movies, while feeling apprehensive, because we didn’t want it to turn into Mickey Mouse. Then Disney announced that the "expanded universe" of novels, games, and fan fiction up to that point were not to be regarded as canon, which startled fans. What were they thinking? They were thinking of unifying all Star Wars lore. And that in itself raises many questions.

When Lucasfilm was purchased by Disney, the decision was made that anything that advances the Star Wars story would become part of the same singular canon. Books, comics, games—they’re now as definitive as TV and film. Anything you pick up related to Star Wars adds to the whole; there’s a group of executives called the Lucasfilm Story Group whose sole job is to make sure all of these moving parts come together in a cohesive way.

As a Star Wars fan, I can’t think of anything more exciting than it all having a purpose. The amazing fact that we’re finally finding out what happened to Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo (RIP) after Return of the Jedi is just the icing on the cake. Now, every single bit of Star Wars out there gives us another piece of the puzzle. You can go to the store, pick up Marvel’s Star Wars comic, and read crucial pieces of Star Wars history. Did you ever wonder how Darth Vader would’ve reacted between when he realized Obi-Wan Kenobi hid his son from him? Well, that happens in the comics—and it was a result of Luke Skywalker meeting Boba Fett, if you can believe it.

At the same time, longtime fans are having a time shifting from a malleable fictional universe to a concrete universe, and newer fans wonder if you really have to buy all those comic books to learn what’s going on. The pros, cons, and questions about Disney’s new approach to Star Wars are laid out for your reading pleasure at io9.