The past decade ofStar Warshas been a lot: interesting, thrilling, exhausting, disappointing. You pick a descriptor, and it could probably apply at any point after The Force Awakensrevitalized the franchise, the two spinoff movies did what they could, and The Last JediThe Rise of Skywalkerin the cleanest, most charitable way? How about compromised? Rise of Skywalkerreleased in theaters on December 20, 2019, and back then, all eyes were on it. This was a movie in an unenviable position: beyond the mission of wrapping the Disney-branded Skywalker Saga, it had to contend with handling Carrie Fishers passing in between movies, plus discussions of how returning director J.J. Abrams and co-writer Chris Terrio would build on the path set by AwakensandLast.And by hitting during Christmas season, it made itself the final last in a year that featured the equally momentous Avengers: Endgameand theGame of Thronesfinale. So yeah, there was a lot of pressure on Riseto deliver the goods and end in a way that satisfied everyone. And after all the buildup, it did not do really do that. Like, at all. No doubt people like the film or find it enjoyable, but theres no denying that it feels like something happened during production, and the end result is a film that leaves a weird taste in your mouth. After leaving the theater and hopping online, there was overwhelmingly a collective feeling of what the hell was that? that made it even more incendiary to talk about than Last Jedi. That part may have been unavoidable, but the rest can be owed strictly to the movie as is, from its weird moments of fan service to pulled punches and open knowledge that it was born after original director Colin Trevorrow left the project. Whatever high points the film is said to have, they exist in a movie that apparently came in so hot, the entire catalyst for its events had to be put in Fortnite pre-release, but not the movie itself. Image: Lucasfilm If Last Jedis shadow has loomed over Star Warsfor seven years and counting, Rise of Skywalker is a monster that pulled the entire franchise into its mouth and has yet to either digest it or just give up and spit it out. While it made money, it didnt take long to suspect Disney may have been embarrassed by the reactions to it. (Case in point: the films comic adaptation is finally coming out in February after it was announced back in 2020.) Any goodwill initially earned with Force Awakens basically eroded in real time once Rise revealed that Palpatine returned somehow, or later on when Chewbacca gets killed. And if that didnt do it, the Rey is Palpatines granddaughter reveal mightve been the first kiss of death for the film, and the final one for Skywalker Saga. The film ultimately posits that Rey being a Palpatine doesnt matter since shes chosen her own name and family. But in adopting the Skywalker surname, she just trades one legacy name for another in what could hilariously read as a story of a woman pulling off the most elaborate identity theft scheme in the universe.Is Disney bad at this, owningStar Wars? That questions been hovering around for years, and sparked up once again in the wake of The Acolytescancelation. The results are inconclusive: on one hand,Andoris some really good-ass television, and other media like the High Republic and various video games have been pretty consistently good. At the same time, Disney just cant seem to get any kind of firm handle on the movie and TV front: there hasnt been a new theatrical movie sinceRisecame out, and every new announcement for one (or three) films that aretooooootallyhappening feels like an ongoing joke. Likewise, its a crap shoot as to how a shows going to turn out, what cameos itll inevitably feature, and what kind of future itll have. Audiences seem to like the currently airingStar Wars: Skeleton Crew,but the jurys still out on if itll go as far as the creators hope, or if its wings will be cut out from under it and not get to fulfill its promise, a problem that goes well beyond this franchise. There is some light at the end of the tunnel; namely Dave Filonis Mandalorian & Grogu movie in 2026 and a second season ofAhsoka, plus the second (and sadly final) season ofAndorin April. Will audiences be willing to stick their neck out again and see where this is all going? Its easy to say yes and point to Marvel, which many have felt has had its strongest year since Avengers: Endgame. But the MCU has yet to have a movie thats openly broken the enterprise quite likeRise of Skywalkerdid, and its about to pull some interesting new tricks out of its sleeve. IfStar Warsis going to be back at that same level well, itll take some work, and more importantly, consistency and conviction. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.