George Lucas created Star Wars and defined what makes the episodic films so special, but now the franchise is honoring his legacy by moving beyond his vision. Most of the Disney Star Wars movies took the opposite approach by going out of their way to mimic Lucas' style, especially in regard to the original trilogy. Even the Star Wars TV shows largely focused on either recapturing the magic of Lucas' style or building off of his projects. There's nothing wrong with honoring Lucas' canon and having it form the foundation of Star Wars, but if the franchise is to continue growing then it must evolve beyond simply recreating his vision.
Thankfully, Star Wars is all set to do just that over the next few years. A few Disney Star Wars projects have already demonstrated how to tell new stories through a fresh style, notably through Andor's gritty storytelling that doesn't rely on fan service. Star Wars: Visions took it a step further by giving different animation studios the freedom to tell their own unique Star Wars stories that weren't constrained by established continuity. Finally, the slate of upcoming Star Wars movies suggests that the franchise will strike a balance between honoring Lucas' vision and moving forward into a new era.
Star Wars Movies Are Breaking Free From George Lucas' Star Wars 
The Star Wars movies are finally breaking free from Lucas to reach their full potential. Disney began with the Star Wars sequel trilogy, directly continuing Lucas' saga and adhering to the style and structure of the original trilogy. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story had a little more freedom with plot and tone, but they were still confined to the aesthetic and timeline of Lucas' movies. The upcoming Star Wars movies, on the other hand, will be set at various points in the Star Wars timeline, giving their writers and directors a chance to add something unique to the canon.
James Mangold's Dawn of the Jedi movie will be set 25,000 years in the past and explore the origins of the Jedi Order. This means that the story will be far removed from the prequel and original trilogies and have no connection to the Skywalker saga. The plot is more likely to build off elements introduced in Star Wars: The Last Jedi than anything from Lucas' movies, so Mangold should embrace the chance to bring his unique directing style to a film that will define an entire era. The movie would also honor Lucas' original plans, as he once considered a Star Wars movie about the first Jedi.
Rey's New Jedi Order movie won't be set as far in the future, but it will still push forward quite a bit. Lucas was always hesitant about more Star Wars movies set after Return of the Jedi, only writing his sequel trilogy outline when Disney was set to acquire the franchise. Since the New Jedi Order movie will pick up 15 years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the movies are going even farther in the timeline than Lucas ever would have on the big screen. The sequel trilogy may have repeated much of the original trilogy's story, but Rey's New Jedi Order movie can create something entirely new.
