Star Wars is a long-running multimedia franchise that has seen a surge in popularity since the release of the prequel trilogy in 1999. From films and TV series to video games and comic books, Star Wars is a gold-mine of marketable content with seemingly never-ending storylines and characters to explore. Thanks to the unique universe and the characters found within, Star Wars has gained a massive fanbase, many of whom would defend anything about the franchise to the bitter end. Over the past decade, the amount of Star Wars content being released has more than doubled, and we have Disney to thank for this.

Since Disney purchased Lucasfilm, they have gained access to all Star Wars content, past, present, and future. The saga turned from a simple six films to a total of 12 films, including two spin-offs, with more on the way. While many fans are all abuzz about the progressive overload of Star Wars content, MCU actor Mark Ruffalo, who plays Bruce Banner AKA The Hulk, recently came out with a number of criticisms towards Star Wars. The question is: are Ruffalo’s Star Wars criticisms valid? Let’s break down what he said and, more importantly, whether there’s any truth to it.

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“Same Version of Star Wars”

     Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

When comparing the MCU to Star Wars, Ruffalo defended the MCU, stating that all the content within the superhero franchise are unique in its own way. Ruffalo has gone on to criticize Star Wars’ new content as rehashing the same stuff over and over without any real originality, saying “You get the same version of Star Wars each time,” as if Disney is trying to recreate the original trilogy. While this may seem harsh, particularly to those hardcore Star Wars sequel fans, many fans may agree with what Ruffalo is saying. The main criticism of the sequel trilogy was that all Disney was doing, as outlined by Den of Geek, was using the nostalgia of the original Star Wars trilogy to make audiences happy. While it makes sense to keep a formula that works, there is a nuanced difference between using the same formula and re-using content over and over simply because it’s popular.

Differences Between the MCU and Star Wars

     Marvel Studios

The MCU and Star Wars are the main source of new content and revenue for Disney. With Disney regularly releasing MCU and Star Wars projects, many have begun to place the two franchises in the same category. However, Ruffalo’s remarks include speaking about the clear differences between the MCU and Star Wars. While Star Wars has a long history of legends, lore, and constantly changing canon, the MCU is jam-packed with original content from comic books created by the late Stan Lee. One massive difference between the two is that Star Wars takes place in the same galaxy with many of the same characters. While The Mandalorian did introduce us to a number of new characters and storylines, the setting was virtually the same as seen in many previous Star Wars films. On the other hand, the MCU has had so many varying characters and locations that the dynamic feels like it’s ever-changing, as is the storyline.

Are Mark Ruffalo’s Criticisms Valid?

     Lucasfilm Ltd.

While Ruffalo’s words may seem harsh to Star Wars fans, the reality is that he is not entirely wrong. There is some truth and validity to what he’s saying: when it comes to Star Wars, Disney has been reusing what has worked in the past. One of the main reasons for this may be because the production team at Disney may be scared of losing Star Wars’ massive fanbase due to a bad choice made by the studio. After tepid reception towards its catalog of movies in the Galaxy Far, Far Away Disney has since chosen to play it safe for the most part with Star Wars. That being said, they have somewhat branched out and away from the Skywalker saga in The Mandalorian and The Bad Batch, focusing less on the Skywalker family and more on other characters and events that took place with the Skywalker Saga. Of course, that being said, Disney would benefit from taking large steps towards new and exciting content. Per Screen Rant, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy expressed the studio’s need to do so. In order for Star Wars to keep up with the MCU, Disney is going to have to take the plunge and bring some new and original content to the Star Wars universe.