Opinion: Disney Should Not Retcon the Sequel Trilogy

It's no secret the Disney's Star Wars Sequel Trilogy has divided the Star Wars fanbase and angered many fans who grew up with the Original and Prequel Trilogies. Ever since the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker many fans have theorized how Disney could retcon the entire sequel trilogy.  One theory suggests using the Veil of the Force, more commonly known as the World Between Worlds, established in the final episodes of Star Wars: Rebels, to completely erase the Sequel Trilogy from the Star Wars timeline. The World Between Worlds is a mystical dimension of the Force connecting time and space with the ability to create alternate realities. The theory suggests the World Between Worlds  could be used to change a moment in the Star Wars timeline before the Sequel Trilogy that would alter the events so drastically that they would cease to exist. i.e. stopping Luke from attempting to kill Ben Solo. Most hardcore Star Wars fans see the potential flaws in this theory but there are some who are so angered by Disney's handing of Star Wars that erasing the Sequel Trilogy is better than any potential fallout that this decision will have on the rest of the franchise. Which leads to the question, is retconning a story ever a good move for storytellers?  

It Doesn't Make Sense For Disney to Undo The Sequel Trilogy 

Well first let's look at this from Disney's perspective. They spent millions of dollars investing in the development of new characters and new stories. The sequel trilogy made Disney billions of dollars. Why would the want to retcon the only movie trilogy under their belt? 

But for the sake of argument, let's say they entertained the thought. Retconning a plot points, characters, and lore is a risky move for any business in the entertainment world. There are two main reasons to retcon any story: 1) you as a creator have an idea to expand the larger narrative but need to contradict an established plot point to implement it or 2) you as a business are attempting to salvage the image of your brand by responding to harsh backlash from your consumers because it is effecting your bottom line. 

Both can have disastrous consequences. If a creator retcons parts of their story a few times for the sake of larger world building and does it well then there isn't much of an issue. But this is hard to do and if a creator retcons their stories too often or too poorly then the story looses all of its credibility with the audience. The audience becomes less invested in the overall narrative because emotional or suspenseful moments lose all of their effect because their is no longer an risk for the characters. This is the major problem with the current trend in Hollywood to bring beloved characters back from the dead; those characters sacrifices no longer amount to anything meaningful. 

On the other hand, if a business gives into the outcry of a disgruntled consumer base by giving said consumers exactly what they want then that business sets a precedent that communicates to its audience they will do whatever the consumers want; that business now relinquishes creative control of its product to meet the demands of an ever diverse and constantly changing consumer. Consequently, the initial retcon will inevitably lead to additional retcons and ultimately dilute the story, the characters, and the larger world in which it is set. Too much fanservice will kill all creativity and innovation. 

Now, I'm not a Disney apologist. I prefer the Star Wars Legends story to the Disney canon and I have a big beef with Disney for their pathetic attempt at a Star Wars trilogy. Lack of reverence for established lore or existing plot points, altering beloved characters for the sake of a disoriented plot to the point that the audience can no longer recognize said character (ahem, Luke Skywalker) , and the creation of flat, uninteresting new characters are but a few of my criticisms.

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Disney Should Avoid the Sequel Trilogy Altogether

However, I believe what is in the best interest for Star Wars and for it's loyal fanbase is for Disney to ignore the sequel trilogy all together. There are plenty of other storylines and eras for Disney to explore. Even if the recently announced movie centered around Rey establishing a New Jedi Order actually comes to fruition, it should reference the Sequel Trilogy as little as possible.  Retconning the entire sequel trilogy by erasing it from the Star Wars timeline is going to cause more problems than solutions. Introducing time travel into any story is just opening a can of worms, just ask the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Messing with the time line ins Star Wars will jeopardize the significance of all major Star Wars events. Confusing would arise as to what is the official story, what are the true characteristics of these characters, etc. Not to mention, the lesson Ezra learns in the World Between Worlds would be completely obsolete and his character development would now suffer as a result. 

So far, Disney has wisely done thus far has kept the Veil of the Force plot point confined to the events of Star Wars: Rebels (although it appears Ahsoka is making use of the World Between Worlds) and has focused on filling in perspectives from open-ended plot points instead. Were Obi-Wan and Yoda really the only Jedi to survive Order 66? How did the Empire go from Clone Troopers to Storm Troopers? How did the Rebels get their hands on the plans for the first Death Star? These story lines may not interest all fans (personally, I'd rather have a Darth Bane or Darth Revan movie) but Disney is at least for now not actively rewriting the major events of the Original Trilogy. 

Yes, Emperor Palpatine's return from the dead did just that, but that's exactly my point! Until Disney establishes a more credible explanation for the Emperor's revival than "somehow Palpatine returned" they should refrain from screwing up the significance of what came before it.  Until then all we are left with is knowing Luke's efforts on the Second Death Star were ultimately futile. There's no guarantee that Disney could ever restore the significance of Luke's journey but outright retconning the events of sequel trilogy is not the answer.