Lucasfilm Says ‘Star Wars’ Movies Won’t Involve the Expanded Universe

Star Wars Expanded Universe News
Hera in 'Star Wars Rebels' (Photo © Lucasfilm Animation)

Star Wars fans who’ve been wondering if the new films will incorporate any elements (characters, storylines, etc.) from the ‘Expanded Universe’ now have their official answer. Lucasfilm released a statement saying that the Expanded Universe is not a part of the new film series and the Star Wars universe is officially made up of just the six films, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and the upcoming Star Wars Rebels animated series. From now on, all content from the Expanded Universe will be presented under the newly created banner “Legends.”

The official announcement in part reads:

“For over 35 years, the Expanded Universe has enriched the Star Wars experience for fans seeking to continue the adventure beyond what is seen on the screen. When he created Star Wars, George Lucas built a universe that sparked the imagination, and inspired others to create. He opened up that universe to be a creative space for other people to tell their own tales. This became the Expanded Universe, or EU, of comics, novels, videogames, and more.

While Lucasfilm always strived to keep the stories created for the EU consistent with our film and television content as well as internally consistent, Lucas always made it clear that he was not beholden to the EU. He set the films he created as the canon. This includes the six Star Wars episodes, and the many hours of content he developed and produced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. These stories are the immovable objects of Star Wars history, the characters, and events to which all other tales must align.

Now, with an exciting future filled with new cinematic installments of Star Wars, all aspects of Star Wars storytelling moving forward will be connected. Under Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy’s direction, the company for the first time ever has formed a story group to oversee and coordinate all Star Wars creative development.”

Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said, “We have an unprecedented slate of new Star Wars entertainment on the horizon. We’re set to bring Star Wars back to the big screen, and continue the adventure through games, books, comics, and new formats that are just emerging. This future of interconnected storytelling will allow fans to explore this galaxy in deeper ways than ever before.”