Without a theatrical release, Disney made Star Wars the top film franchise of 2023.

• Although Star Wars hasn't released a theatrical film in four years, it has been named the top film franchise of 2023 by Fandom.
• The success of Star Wars as the No.1 ranking implies that Disney's revitalization of the brand is effective.
• Disney's success with Star Wars can serve as a blueprint for other film franchises, such as Marvel and Warner Bros. Discovery's Harry Potter and DC Studios, who are in the process of restarting or evolving.

The Force remains strong with the Star Wars franchise.

Although Star Wars hasn't released a theatrical film in four years, it has been named the top film franchise of 2023 by Fandom, the largest platform for entertainment fans worldwide.

The top title for Star Wars has been strategically rebuilding the franchise by stalling its cinema presence in favor of long-form television content on its streaming platform Disney+, as well as alternative storytelling through video games, comic books, novels, virtual reality, and a short-lived hotel experience in Florida.

Comscore's senior media analyst, Paul Dergarabedian, stated that the Star Wars brand is unmatched in terms of goodwill, cultural impact, character mythology, and revenue generation across various sectors in the entertainment industry.

Fandom evaluates franchises using five criteria: the number of pages devoted to the franchise on its website, ratings from both critics and fans, the frequency of the franchise's representation in real-world events, its cultural significance to non-core fans, and the amount of new content produced to maintain interest.

The success of Star Wars' No.1 ranking indicates that Disney's revitalization of the brand, which suffered after the release of the sequel trilogy, is effective. Disney is ranked No. 2 on the list due to its animated films, and its Marvel and Avatar franchises are also included.

Disney's success with Star Wars can serve as a blueprint for other film franchises, including Marvel, Warner Bros. Discovery's Harry Potter, and DC Studios, as they navigate their own processes of restarting or evolving.

A short time ago, in your local movie theater

In 2015, Disney released "The Force Awakens," which instantly rekindled global interest in the Star Wars franchise. The film grossed over $2 billion worldwide and served as the foundation for expansive theme park developments at Disneyland and Disney World.

Disney's Star Wars trilogy lacked a clear plan, resulting in three disjointed films with numerous plot holes.

Each movie in the Star Wars franchise seems to be a complete contrast to the previous one. While "The Force Awakens" was criticized for being too similar to the original trilogy, "The Last Jedi" was criticized for doing the opposite. "The Rise of Skywalker" in 2019 undid major storylines from its predecessor and sidelined major characters. In an unexpected turn of events, Emperor Palpatine, who was killed by Darth Vader in 1983's "Return of the Jedi," returned somehow.

Disney released a film between each movie in the Star Wars sequel trilogy that referenced a significant plot point from previous Star Wars films. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which focused on the rebels who obtained the Death Star plans given to Princess Leia in the original Star Wars, was widely praised when it was released in 2018. However, two years later, Solo, which explored Han Solo's past, did not resonate with critics and many members of the fan community.

According to Peter Csathy, founder and chair of advisory firm Creative Media, Disney's strategy at the time was to release a new Star Wars film in theaters annually. However, each year, the box office returns decreased.

Disney decided to pause its theatrical Star Wars releases after "Solo" failed at the box office. However, the franchise was already successful with the launch of "The Mandalorian" TV spinoff in late 2019. The series demonstrated that Star Wars can blend nostalgia and innovation, and that the franchise could still thrive without being in theaters.

Csathy stated that The Mouse House shifted its strategy for the big screen to scarcity while enhancing the characters and storylines on TV. Additionally, it introduced the Star Wars universe to new generations through new viewing habits. This approach builds anticipation and excitement for upcoming main events at theaters.

Rebuilding an empire

Disney is not planning to release another Star Wars film in theaters until 2026. However, it is rebuilding goodwill among its existing fan base and attracting new fans through its televised Star Wars content.

The Star Wars live-action series, including "The Mandalorian," "The Book of Boba Fett," "Andor," "Kenobi," and "Ahsoka," have received positive reviews from both critics and fans.

These Star Wars stories, set in the past and featuring familiar characters or events, may not tie into future movies but give viewers a sense of continuity and excellence.

Disney released a final season in the "Clone Wars" saga featuring Ahsoka Tano and continued with a number of clone troopers in "The Bad Batch." Disney has also provided several ways for audiences to watch Star Wars stories through streaming.

Ahsoka and Count Dooku's backstories are explored in "Tales of the Jedi," while "Young Jedi Adventures" targets preschoolers and "Visions" features animated shorts of varying maturity levels and genres.

Disney is catering to its existing fanbase and extending olive branches to newcomers of all ages through its variety of entertainment options.

According to Stephanie Fried, chief marketing officer at Fandom, creators in these worlds must develop strategies to grow their audiences while staying true to the core fan base's preferences, without straying too far from what they love about it.

Disney has been gradually releasing these series over several years as a key to success.

Csathy emphasized the importance of giving franchise theatrical releases space to succeed. The rapid release schedule of recent years has resulted in diminishing returns, and there is now a growing recognition that anticipation is crucial for box office success. Additionally, it's worth noting that none of these shows are essential viewing for future Star Wars projects.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe faced a challenge with Disney because it introduced key characters in its streaming shows before they were featured in theatrical projects, necessitating fans to watch hours of TV content to comprehend the big screen events.

Viewers could tune into "Clone Wars" and "Ahsoka" without having to watch previous episodes.

The learning curve

Disney's revitalization of Star Wars has taught it valuable lessons that could be applied to Marvel, and Warner Bros. Discovery's DC and Harry Potter universes may benefit from these insights as they undergo their own rejuvenation processes.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been facing inconsistency and uncertainty since the release of "Avengers: Endgame." This has negatively impacted box office returns. "The Marvels" had the worst opening of any MCU film in November, causing industry and audience concerns about Disney's ability to salvage its superheroes.

Disney CEO Bob Iger has publicly criticized the studio, stating that Disney needs to be more selective about which Marvel superheroes receive sequel films and when to introduce new stories, particularly after Disney's streaming service was filled with 12 new shows in just three years.

Disney must decide whether to recast the role of Kang or change its plans for the MCU following the recent firing of Jonathan Majors, who was set to play the franchise's next big villain.

DC Studios, like its rival, seems to be moving in the right direction with James Gunn and Peter Safran as co-heads in late 2022.

The duo has devised a 10-year strategy to revitalize their franchises in TV and film, including innovative takes on Superman and Batman.

The Harry Potter franchise has been successful, and Warner Bros. has tapped J.K. Rowling to create a five-film series based on "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," a book about the creatures in the Harry Potter universe.

Despite the success of the first film, which grossed over $800 million worldwide, the rest of the franchise experienced declining returns and received negative critical reviews.

The fourth and fifth installments of the series will be released by Warner Bros., though specifics are scarce. Additionally, the company plans to remake the Harry Potter novels into a 10-season television series for its streaming platform Max, which is expected to launch in 2025 or 2026.

In 2026, two Star Wars films are scheduled to be released, one in May and one in December, seven years after the last Star Wars movie was shown in theaters.