How Disney Can Save Star Wars - and What We Can Learn
- Tony Johnson
- 6 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Let me lead off by saying that I am an enormous Star Wars (and Disney) fan. It was a formative part of my childhood, and I have seen or read most of the movies, series, and books - in fact Star Wars: A New Hope was the first movie I ever saw in a theatre. I know this isn't my usual lane, but with the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu right around the corner, it seemed like a good time to share some thoughts.
Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012 for a little over $4 billion - that was a bargain for both sides as there was unlimited, but unrealized, potential.
Lucasfilm was not producing much in the way of new content. The last live action film was 2005's Revenge of the Sith.
While live content was sparse, animated content was strong with the Clone Wars and written content was robust with over 300 books at the time Lucas sold his I.P.
When George Lucas sold his empire to Disney, there wasn't much in the works. There was a hunger for more content, which was why the books and animated properties were so successful.
So when Disney brought Lucasfilm into their portfolio, I cheered along with the collective fandom, assuming that we were in for a renaissance of content that would rival Marvel's success in the house of mouse. 2009's Star Trek by JJ Abrams showed that a thoughtful recasting could bring new life to a series where the actors needed to be replaced.
But we were disappointed. After Rogue One, which was amazing, we had expected to see some of our favorite storylines from the popular book series brought to live action. it seemed only natural that Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy would take Luke's story further, showing us the most powerful jedi in his prime fighting one of the best villains imaginable.
We didn't get that.
But certainly Darth Plagueis, master of Darth Sidious, the Emperor would be featured in upcoming projects - showing us how his machinations made the events of The Phantom Menace take shape.
Nope.
But certainly with the wealth of stories out there and the ideas Lucas passed along, we could expect to see some great stories about The New Republic.
Not a chance.
What did we get?
A vision away from what Star Wars fans wanted - Luke, Leia, and Han - toward new stories unrelated to the source material and a new land within their parks that had no connection to anything familiar. We saw an out of Character Luke Skywalker who was 100% mishandled as a character and railed against by Mark Hammill himself. We saw Leia and Han killed off early on to make way for the new cast.
With the exception of The Mandalorian, most of Ahsoka, and Andor, which at least seemed to understand and respect the source material, the rest has been unremarkable.
So why am I writing this now, all these years into the frustration?
Because there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. The Mandalorian and Grogu is heading to theaters - the first Star Wars film in theaters since 2019. And from everything we have seen, it looks like Disney may have finally remembered what made Star Wars work in the first place. Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni - the two people who have consistently respected the source material - are at the helm. Din Djarin and Grogu are characters fans actually care about and if they craft a compelling story, this could be the start of something great.
This film is the perfect place to start - and we are all hoping for another glimpses of Luke Skywalker somewhere along the way. Some of the best parts of The Mandalorian and Ashoka series have been Luke's appearances.
I want to believe. And I want Disney to learn from this moment - because if they do, the rest of us can learn from it too.
So where did Disney go wrong during all of this? They forgot to listen to their customers.
And that, friends, is a customer experience lesson that may come from a galaxy far, far away, but it is all about growing your business in the here and now.
Here is what Disney forgot that every brand should remember:
Your loyal customers are your most valuable asset. Treat them that way.
Star Wars fans are not casual consumers. They are advocates. They wear the t-shirts, buy the LEGO sets, name their dogs Chewie, and pass the films down to their kids. That is the kind of loyalty most brands would mortgage the building for. But loyalty is fragile - and it is hard to inspire and easy to lose. When you make your most devoted customers feel like an afterthought - or worse, an obstacle to your "new vision" - you do not just lose a ticket sale. You lose those who can advocate and recommend your brand.
Listen before you innovate. Consistency is what builds trust over the long haul. Disney had decades of customer data sitting right in front of them with book sales, conventions, and fan commentary. The most popular stories were not a mystery - Thrawn, the Old Republic, the post-Endor New Republic, and the rise of Palpatine through Plagueis. Fans had been telling Lucasfilm exactly what they wanted for thirty year but Disney chose to tell new stories instead. Not because the customer asked for them - but because executives assumed they knew better. That is so often a mistake businesses make - assuming they know better than their customers.
Stay true to what built the brand. Star Wars brings a rich mythology and was focused around the three original heroes, Sith Lords, and compelling characters like Boba Fett and Lando Calrissian. They are the cornerstone of the emotional connection the fanbase has with the brand. When they ignored them or sidelined them, the fans didn't care for that. This would be like Chick-fil-A saying "no problem" after you said thank you to the drive through associate. That isn't to say you can't innovate, though. Much like CFA introduces new sandwiches that riff on the original, Star Wars did have luck with the Mandalorian series. This dug into a bit of lore to bring more understanding to the world of Boba Fett and the bounty hunters.
Execution is everything. You can't just throw money at problems when they occur in your business. It takes a thoughtful, intentional approach to create great experiences for customers. For example, Lucas wrote and directed Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, and it is not a great movie. The lore is fine and the characters are interesting in their own way, but it is missing the same magic the other 5 original movies have. At the time, Lucas spent $115 million making the movie and it didn't land. The Acolyte reported cost as much per episode as a blockbuster film and it was nearly unwatchable. Most business shortfalls are driven by a breakdown in fundamentals, not a single large event.
Hospitality is hospitality - whether you serve burgers or blockbusters.
Every brand, in every industry, has a customer base that wants to feel seen, respected, and heard - people want to feel like they belong and see themselves in the experience. Whether you are running a hotel, a hospital, a restaurant, or a multi-billion-dollar film franchise, the rules do not change.
Listen to your customer.
Lean into what brought them to you in the first place.
Innovate within the trust you have already built.
Prioritize the basics of service and execution.
And never, ever assume you know better than your customers, guests, or consumers.
I still love Star Wars and I always will. When I see the Lucasfilm logo come on the screen and see the opening word crawl that sets the scene, I still get chills. I'm a nerd from way back and I'm deeply invested in the story and the brand.
This is not that different from those who always fly Delta, stay at Hiltons, love In-N-Out burger, or have a favorite downtown bar they always frequent. It is what makes brands like Raisin' Canes, Amazon, and Kroger so successful - that blend of loyalty, familiarity, and advocacy.
That is the lesson Disney - and really every business - should take to heart. Your most loyal customers are not the ones who shrug when you get it wrong.
They are the ones who write the blog post, send the email, or take the time to constructively complain. They are an important source of learning because they are deeply invested in your success.
So I am cautiously optimistic that The Mandalorian and Grogu is the signal that Disney is finally hearing what fans have been saying all along. Because that is what loyal customers do - we don't walk away the first time. We give the brands we love a second (or third) chance to get it right. But there is a limit to the number of mulligans brands get with customers.
That said, hope is not a strategy, but listening and acting on what you learn is absolutely a winning approach.
This is how you can keep experience at the center of everything you do.
This is the way.
Tony Johnson
* Crafted with care + intentionality by a real human, not A.I.
Tony is an award winning speaker and author on the topics of sales growth, customer experience, and leadership. Tony speaks to thousands annually and has been featured on ABC News and Fox News. He is available for business planning, motivational keynotes, leadership workshops, and employee service skills training.
Tony is the founder of Ignite Your Service + Consulting and the Co-Managing Partner, Co-Owner, and Chief Experience Officer for 4xi Global.
Tony is available to help with your Customer Experience and Employee Engagement Strategies, inspirational keynote talks, team training and development, and executive leadership coaching.
* (C) 2026 The Tony Johnson, LLC. May not be used to train A.I.
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