May the Fourth be with you, sweet sweet nerds. Today (May 4) is Star Wars Day. Stemming from the franchise catchphrase “May the force be with you”, May 4 has since become a celebration of all things Star Wars.
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Star Wars began as humble, science-fiction epic by George Lucas in 1977. A New Hope was quickly followed by two sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and The Return Of The Jedi, in 1980 and 1983. The films quickly become engrained in the cultural zeitgeist. A prequel trilogy introduced the franchise to a new generation in the 1990s and early 2000s. This eventually led to the purchase of Lucasarts Film by Disney in 2012. There has since been a sequel trilogy, multiple animated and live-action spinoffs, and a theme park at DisneyWorld. With possibly the exception of Marvel, also owned by Disney, there are few pop cultural monoliths as well known as Star Wars.
Disney Celebrates Star Wars Day By Highlighting Extensive Catalog
Intercut with dialogue highlighting the core tenant of the franchise (freedom from tyranny), the video shared by the Disney+ social media accounts highlights just how far the franchise has come since 1977. From small screen to animated, the franchise has become more than George Lucas likely ever imagined. The video contains footage from just about every Star Wars property currently on Disney+, including:
- The original trilogy
- The prequels
- The Rise of Skywalker sequel trilogy
- Solo
- Rogue One
- Andor
- The Mandalorian
- Visions
- The Bad Batch
- Rebels
- The Clone Wars
In addition to the video, Disney+ has released two new shows to mark May 4. The first is Volume 2 of Star Wars: Visions, a collection of animated shorts from well-known animation studios and directors. The other is Young Jedi Adventures, a new series set before the prequels that is aimed at young children. There will be more properties coming to dominate Disney+ for the rest of 2023, with the release of Ahsoka and The Skeleton Crew. Star Wars is a property that has brought joy to millions of people. Happy May 4th, if you so observe, and may the force be with you.
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