Disney+ is the home of a space opera that was a major theatrical hit and boasts one of the best casts on the streaming service. Disney+’s movie roster is stacked with exciting releases of all genres. That said, it is true that the streamer is usually thought of as the home of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Recently, that statement became even more charged by a new arrival.
After all, with Spider-Man: No Way Home swinging onto Disney+ this month, the MCU’s best movies are all on the streamer. While the Marvel Studios franchise is thought of first as a superhero property, most, if not all, of the Marvel movies use sci-fi elements. Time travel, the Quantum Realm, the multiverse, and more concepts are all heavy sci-fi devices. On top of that, heroes like Captain America, Captain Marvel, the Hulk, and many more only got their powers through bona fide sci-fi events.
That is all to say that the sci-fi genre is very much alive in the biggest franchise on Disney+. However, the streaming service is not only known for the MCU, with its second-biggest franchise undoubtedly being Star Wars. From the minds of creators like George Lucas, J. J. Abrams, Dave Filoni, and many more, Disney+’s TV show and movie lineup boasts quite a few Star Wars releases.
Although it is a controversial movie, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker features one of the best casts available in any Disney+ movie or show. There are actors from all over the franchise, including the original trilogy and more. Additionally, new characters are played by everything from movie stars to actors who led beloved multi-season series.
Star Wars’ Latest Movie Has A Phenomenal Cast Despite Controversial Story Decisions
The Rise of Skywalker achieved over $1 billion at the box office, making it a major financial success. However, the movie had the job of concluding the Star Wars trilogy in a satisfying manner after its predecessor, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, proved itself polarizing with shocking decisions. Sadly, it did not quite get there with critics, as Episode IX landed at a low 51% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Even though it has a stellar audience score, at 86%, the controversial Star Wars movie was heavily criticized for story decisions like bringing back Emperor Palpatine out of the blue and switching up Rey’s backstory to make her his granddaughter. Even with those clear issues, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will forever be remembered as one of the entries in the franchise with the best cast.
All three main actors from the original Star Wars trilogy return, with Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker now a Force Ghost, Harrison Ford’s Han Solo appearing as a memory that helps Kylo Ren go back to his good Ben Solo persona, and Carrie Fisher’s Leia showing up through archival footage. Sequel trilogy stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, and John Boyega join them. Additionally, the space opera also features Ian McDiarmid’s return as Palpatine, The Americans star Keri Russell, and names like Billy Dee Williams, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, and more.
Disney’s Star Wars Franchise Is Ready To Move Past Rise Of Skywalker
John Boyega as Finn, Daisy Ridley as Rey, Oscar Isaac as Poe, and Anthony Daniels as C-3PO in The Rise of SkywalkerJonathan Olley/©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/©Lucasfilm/Courtesy Everett Collection
There are elements to enjoy in The Rise of Skywalker, but the film was so controversial in the end that the Star Wars franchise has not released a single movie since 2019. That finally ends next month, when The Mandalorian & Grogu fly into theaters on May 22. After three seasons of one of the best Disney+ series, Pedro Pascal’s bounty hunter and his alien companion are the perfect bet to revitalize Star Wars in theaters.
The built-up love of the show and the fact that there has not been a Star Wars movie in seven years could help The Mandalorian & Grogu turn around the sentiment towards the sci-fi franchise’s theatrical offerings. With actors like The Bear star Jeremy Allen White and Alien’s Sigourney Weaver, the 2026 movie continues Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’s cast trend.
Release Date
December 18, 2019
Runtime
142 minutes