No Star Wars Comedy for You!  Come Back One Year!  Next!

For most of us, humorous spins on The Star War are a vital part of our overall enjoyment of the 40 year old franchise. To George Lucas's credit, he had seemed to be pretty open to widespread parody and comedy, much of it officially sanctioned. We at Banthaskull are particularly fond of Family Guy's Star Wars trilogy, and our forum community has a history of looking at our beloved hobby through a comedic lens.

However, according to an article from Indiewire.com, Star Wars may be losing its sense of humor, thanks to a change of heart from Disney. Indiewire quotes an unnamed insider on Kathleen Kennedy's position: "She said ‘Star Wars’ and comedy do not co-exist — it’s a drama."

According to the article, some humorous (and completed) projects have been shelved, and some random bits like a Disney Park skit of Vader and Maul having a breakdance competition have been halted. While some vehicles, such as the popular Lego Star Wars entires, have continued, it may seem that the days of officially licensed Star Wars humor could be in our rear view mirror.

Now, it's certainly plausible that Disney has determined that many of the existing comedy projects they inherited with the acquisition simply aren't very good, and aren't worthy enough to see the light of day. Or perhaps, as the article suggests, Disney hasn't been approached by the likes of Seth MacFarlane with a new project in mind.

But if the anti-humor sentiment is true, is it because Disney is trying to steer the Star Wars universe down a darker path? The Force Awakens featured a son murdering his own father, who also happened to be a beloved, legendary character. We already know that the devastating loss of Carrie Fisher means it's almost a guarantee that Leia will die at some point. Speculation about the long term future of the Jedi Order is..."gray". Rogue One's entire band of heroes died one by one in a slow moving gut-punch we all saw coming, but the sad climax was cut short by a crowd-pleasing murderous rampage by our favorite Dark Lord. Now we get news that the rumored whimsical tone of the Han Solo film cost the directors their jobs, in favor of someone who would potentially bring a more staid approach to the project.

Alternatively, perhaps Disney, which has owned the rights to Star Wars for less than five years, simply lacks confidence that the property can safely withstand comedic assaults on the sensibilities of its characters and themes, and is taking a heavy-handed approach to protecting that property.

Whatever the circumstances, the Indiewire article's references to Kennedy's attitudes, if authentic, could point to a fundamental shift in how the vast Star Wars universe is portrayed across various media and platforms. Instead of being a whimsical sci-fi fantasy open to poking fun of itself, is Star Wars becoming a darker saga that is in danger of taking itself too seriously?

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