The Lack of Star Wars Disney Sequel Trilogy Merchandise

[Winter]

Ever since Rise of Skywalker released at the end of 2019 I've noticed a lack of merchandising in regards to The Disney Sequel Trilogy. I've seen no toys, no images of any of the characters of cereal boxes, or any bit of major marketing campaign of any kind and as of yet Disney hasn't even mentioned any TDST future plans.

By contrast, Frozen II despite coming out a month earlier then ROS STILL has tons of merchandising being produced. We're talking toys, books, the characters appearing on SEVERAL Frozen Novelties like Ice Cream, Pop-sickles, Ice-cream cakes, appearing on cereal boxes and mugs and coffee cups. But with Star Wars, while The Mandalorian is being merchandised like there's no tomorrow TDST has barely been seen. In fact the only major merchandising in regards to TDST was the Lego Star Wars Holiday Special and that was barely focused on outside of a couple of posters and one trailer.

Combine that with the fact that there are rumors that Disney and Lucas Film are planning to ignore TDST moving forward and basically working to reboot TDST with most future projects focusing on events after the Prequels and the Original Trilogy while also working to re-incorporate several elements of Legends back into Star Wars it does feel like Disney has no real plans to do anything with TDST moving forward.

So, why has this happened. After all the films weren't badly received overall as the reception is more mixed then anything and all three films WERE major hits at the box office and while each film made less then the last all still made a LOT of money.

Let's take a quick look at the Prequel Trilogy and what followed. After the Prequels were released there was a LOT of Prequel merchandising after the Trilogy had wrapped up, no just the usually stuff that I've already mentioned but there was also games, comics, novels and a whole TV series long after the Prequels were released and, in fact, are STILL being made despite Disney's attempt to kill interest in the Prequel Era.

While TDST had a usual tie-ins for the films as they were being released between film release is a different story. The only notable series that was released between films that was set in the TDST era was Resistance which only lasted 2 seasons. Putting aside the question as to whether the series was cancelled or was only ever planned for 2 seasons the fact remains that this is the ONLY TDST tie-in that was NOT made purely as a tie-in to TDST and that's it.

And on a final note, after the Original Trilogy ended there was also a notable lack of Star Wars tie-ins and follow up to the Original Trilogy but there was STILL a LOT of merchandising and other things going on that kept the Original Trilogy in the pop-culture consciousness and a affectionate parody with Spaceballs that actually poked fun at how much merchandising surrounded Star Wars (which was a result of Lucas telling Brooks that he couldn't merchandise Spaceballs so Brooks made that whole Merchandising scene just to poke fun at Lucas (who apparently found the whole scene hilarious)).

TDST is, currently, the odd one out as of the 3 main Trilogies in the Skywalker Saga as its been given little to no attention after it's release.

So, why do you think TDST has gotten so little attention post ROS?

[clearspira]

I've said this before, but, it bears repeating: what child wants to play with a Rose Tico action figure? Or an Admiral Holdo? When you play with a toy, you visualise that toy being real, either interacting with your other toys or you imagine yourself as that character.

The Sequel characters have no scope for play because they are not deep or interesting as characters. Not even Rey seems to sell, imo because despite what adult feminists like to peddle, young girls are quite happy with their Luke or Han. Or their Iron Man for that matter. They don't need or want to "see themselves represented". That's adult talk interfering with play. All these little girls want is to play with a cool toy.

[Captain Crimson]

I'm worried it means they really will just rebrand the DSWST as Legends and declare it non-canon, which is unnecessary spite. The ST was never written to fit into the SWL timeline, it was written by looking to what they could graft to the silver screen from SWL that the old authors had already done better. There's a difference.

That's my fear. SWL is just going to become the dumping ground for what is deemed not canon from this point forward, including the DSWC at some point, and drive the marketing down even further. The only people buying SWL merchandise now are the older loyalist hold-out fans hoping that Disney still stop the corporate tyranny and let Del Rey and Marvel continue SWL, non-profit organizations bringing SWL books to children in hospitals and putting them in schools to drum up interest. Before the pandemic, that's how I'd spent my time with the TSF. It's an uphill battle, certainly, but there's still hope.

Just arbitrarily removing the events from one timeline and plopping them into another erases that hope and disenfranchises the DSWST fans as well as the SWL fans as we've already had that for 12 years now. People don't like hearing it, but the DSWST has its share of fans. This is a huge disservice to both SWL and DSWC. TBF, you could decanonize the ST into SWL if you were to, perhaps, give us what we've asked for, which is a new Legends novel, and just make it a brief dream sequence from someone there. That'd be kinda funny, but I think they'd just retcon without even giving us that Legends novel, so it's retcons without explanation even as they lie about us and attack us.

And this is precisely why merchandising is down. LF's inevitable self-sabotaging is alienating large swaths of the fandom and to compensate, they just flood the digital sphere in ways to deflect off themselves, knowing their toadies will run with it and make that the narrative. That we're bigots, toxic fans, that we just need to move on, and so forth.

I don't know if DSW will even be around by century's end, because while they are cultivating new fans out of children or older disgruntled fans, that won't hold when the next reboot hits the airwaves, and canon is being stripped down for parts. You will see each TV show out now becoming its own separate canon, the NEU can't hold under the strain, and the next reboot could just be the death knell. They don't like canon, they don't like continuity, and they will tell you that. Just ask Mr. Martin.

Decanonizing just leads to upset fans, and if LF can't understand that after 2014, what's the point?

Ms. Kennedy has learned nothing. 2012 management: "Oversaturate the market with movies!" 2020 management: "Oversaturate the market with TV shows!"

[Madner Kami]

It's simple: Merch from Force Awakens simply did not sell, like at all. Companies refused to buy into the brand afterwards for very good, financial reasons. The movies may have made more than they cost by shere momentan from the fandom, but they fell flat on their faces regardless. Sequel Star Wars is like a hot potato, noone is going to touch it.

[Captain Crimson]

It really comes down to three factors.

1) Burning bridges with the EU fans and refusing to let their business partners continue Legends.
2) The fact much of the toys were probably these cheap, foreign-made knock-offs, just junk.
3) Economic hardships coupled with fan indifference is probably cutting into the profit margins a bit.

So when you have kids seeing their parents being upset, and the toys aren't very good, why would they care?

EDIT: Revised to add a third reason.

[Zargon]

So, first off the Original Trilogy was from a long ago time before time when movie merchandise DID NOT EXIST. The idea that anyone would buy "dumb stuff from a movie" had not yet been born. Even Disney did not sell much merchandise...nothing like it is today.

And the Star Wars merchandise landscape has changed in the last 50 years or so...from non existent...to big explosion that died out fast....to slow, slow, slow, slow, slow, slow trickle burn for a long long long time...then a slight flare up....then burn back down to near nothing. And that is where it still is....a small flicker of flame.

You get three types of broad movie merchandise:

1.Usable stuff. Lunch boxes, tee shirts, cups, backpacks, hats and on and on. It's a simple item...something you will use daily...that just happens to have Star Wars on it. It has always sold about 'average'. It has the big draw of if you need a gift...and the person is a Star Wars fan...you can easily find a "Star Wars" gift for them like a coffee mug.

2.Collectables. The display figures, pictures, Christmas decorations, ans so on. Something to put on a shelf, mantle or wall and look at. Always a low seller. A few people do buy the whole 'line' to have a complete collection....but most only buy what they like. And not all that many people buy this sort of stuff. And it's very niche. It's also not commonly available in many stores, more so brick and mortar ones...and the aunt who is a non Star Wars fan will not randomly find such stuff online ever.

3.Imagination stuff. Toys to play with, books to read, and anything that will fuel an imagination. Kids love to play out the movies and then make their own stories. People love to imagine a place and story set in a book. Always a bit popular as it does engage your mind and a lot of people like that.

So to make good money, you want to hit all three. Take one of the most popular characters of all time...and a minor one at that: Boba Fett. Tee shirts and coffee mugs for both kids and adults, check. A collectable Boba Fett figure, check. A Boba Fett toy and novel, check.

But, er, pick any new minor character....Rose? General Hux? Admiral Hodo? Well....not many bother with a cup or tee shirt of them. Nearly no collector would waste their money, except to have a complete set. And they are not much fun to imagine or play with.

I mean a person would much more want to read the novel Got: the power droid(the boxes with legs that go 'goink') who works 9 to 5 at SpacePort then Hodo: "oh they are shooting at us from twenty feet away...lets walk to the right so they "can't" see us and hide!"..."I'm the most awesome rebel leader 4ever!"

Sure Star Wars sold a bit Social Justice Junk. Some little girls got all excited and bought a Rae doll to hang on the wall and, er, celebrate the end of all bad things...or something. But that does not really make for a fan base that buys things.....tons of Rae toys, cups and books just sit on a shelf until they get marked down in the discount bin.

And on top of that....you have the poor economy of the last couple years AND on top of that you have the PANDEMIC. So Star Wars merchandise is at an all time low. Not only are few people willing buying extra things....but MASSIVE amounts of people are in HORRIBLE financial spots where they can't even afford rent or food. So a $100 Star Wars decoration....no matter how cool....is out of the question.

[Captain Crimson]

And despite all that, they won't let Del Rey and Marvel actually make new Legends despite clear demand, that has proven to sell better than most DSW works. There were only two that sold higher than Marvel #108, so we're dedicated, we'll walk through snow for new SWL, we are the built-in pandemic fanbase to help them through these rough times, it's good for business, and they still can't do that.

Ah, but that means royalties, of course. And as we see now from Mr. Foster, Mr. Stackpole, and many others coming forward, Disney really, really, REALLY hates paying those.

To kids, it's just another SF IP now, nothing special, the older fans are who they want as customers. And they can't stop burning bridges with us at all turns. That has proven to be a financial misstep at this point. I won't say disaster since Disney is still raking in money, just not as much as they could be. So self-sabotaging. It's hilarious, too, because I have the impression they felt they could outdo Mr. Lucas who, let's be honest, never really cared much for American corporatism. It's arrogance, and look how well that panned out for them.

As for myself, speaking of SW toys, I still have a lot of Kenner's stuff. The two SD toys, the X-wing, the AT-AT walker, and the Tantive IV. Such a shame they went under...