Part 11/14:
The Cultural and Business Consequences
This decline isn't just about box office figures; it’s about cultural relevance. Icons like Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker have embedded themselves in popular culture; their recognition is widespread, even among non-fans. Conversely, new characters are often forgotten shortly after their debut, illustrating a failure to create lasting legends.
Ironically, box office successes like The Force Awakens do little to mask the undercurrent of dissatisfaction. Overall, the studios’ obsession with quantity—rapidly producing content that is both visually expensive and narratively hollow—has led to CGI that looks worse than decade-old shows, and scripts that are the result of test audiences rather than genuine storytelling.