Whedon-ism and the J.J. Abrams Star Wars Sequel

I don’t think we’ve fully grokked all the implications of Disney’s purchase of the Star Wars franchise. For instance, Marvel is now taking over the comic-book properties from Dark Horse.

And for another, J.J. Abrams seems to be bringing a very Disney sensibility to the sequels. (By “Disney sensibility” I don’t mean in terms of aesthetics or morals; I’m referring to the way in which Disney seems to conceive of the re-use of characters in franchise sequels.) Courtesy of Galley Friend B.D., there’s a very smart take over here on the conflict between what audiences want and what they need (the creator’s dilemma made famous by Joss Whedon):

What the audience wants is to see Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo again. The problem is, that’s impossible. Those characters are gone. They are a creation of celluloid well over thirty years ago. Without conducting the requisite thought experiments, though, the audience – and J.J. Abrams – will continue to “want” to see their heroes again, right up until the moment that they do. At which point, I think, a rather horrible collision between wants and needs will take place, right up there on the big screen.

What the audience needs, above all, is to not have their abiding affection for the original trilogy tampered with.