Skeleton Crew, the latest live-action Star Wars series on Disney+, has achieved a dubious milestone by failing to chart on any major streaming ratings measurement platform. This puts the show at the bottom of the franchise’s already struggling offerings, earning the unenviable title of the lowest-performing Star Wars project to date.
The series, starring Jude Law and targeting a younger audience with a mix of Stranger Things vibes and Star Wars lore, has been met with overwhelming apathy rather than excitement or outrage.
The Niesen top 10 streaming charts for December 2-8, 2024 – Nielsen
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Nielsen recently released its top 10 streaming charts for the week of Skeleton Crew’s two-episode premiere and the results for Star Wars reflect those previously shown by outlets like Luminate.
Skeleton Crew was a non entity. It failed to chart in any way.
To put Skeleton Crew’s performance in perspective, consider the benchmarks set by other Disney+ series and the competition on Nielsen’s streaming originals list. The lowest spot on Nielsen’s latest chart belongs to The Great British Baking Show, with 382 million minutes viewed. Since Skeleton Crew failed to make the list, its total viewership was below that figure. With two episodes released, this means the series averaged under 191 million minutes per episode—a troubling statistic for a Star Wars property.
(L-R): Osha Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg) and the Stranger in Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, season one, exclusively on Disney+. ©.
For comparison, The Acolyte debuted with its first two episodes, earning 488 million minutes viewed, an average of 244 million minutes per episode. Even Andor, which premiered with three episodes, managed 624 million minutes, averaging 208 million per episode. Both of these shows outperformed Skeleton Crew significantly, despite The Acolyte facing lukewarm fan reception and Andor being touted as a slower-paced, niche offering within the Star Wars universe.
Both of those shows are also considered major failures.
If The Acolyte and Andor are failures, what then does that make Skeleton Crew?
The ship goes to lightspeed on Star Wars Skeleton Crew – YouTube, Star Wars
This marks a new low for Star Wars under Disney’s stewardship. While previous entries generated polarized responses or modest viewership, Skeleton Crew seems to have been met with outright disinterest. When a franchise built on engaging audiences and dominating pop culture fails to outperform a baking show, the questions surrounding its future become unavoidable.
Adding to the mystery, Samba TV, a service that often reports on streaming viewership, has remained silent about the show’s performance. This follows a pattern in which poor-performing Disney+ series often go unmentioned, raising questions about how the platform measures and markets its content. It should also be noted that Disney is apparently an investor in Samba TV…
The lackluster performance of Skeleton Crew is more than just a single series failure—it’s emblematic of a larger problem within the Star Wars franchise. Under Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership at Lucasfilm, a brand once celebrated for its ability to unite generations of fans has seemingly lost its magic.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: Kathleen Kennedy attends the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 attends the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)
Once a cultural phenomenon that could sell out theaters and dominate merchandise shelves, Star Wars now struggles to inspire even a fraction of its former enthusiasm. The franchise hasn’t had a theatrical release since 2019, and Hasbro, the company that owns the Star Wars toy license, is standing on the brink of financial ruin.
The issues that plague modern Star Wars are the same that plague modern Disney as a whole:
Unimaginative storytelling, creators obsessed with self inserts, no respect for source material, and an embrace of divisive identity politics as the driving force behind the story and marketing of new projects.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 23: Kathleen Kennedy, President, Lucasfilm attends the launch event for Lucasfilm’s new Star Wars series The Acolyte at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
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But unlike the larger Disney company, which seems at least somewhat willing once in a while to explore options outside of identity politics and found some success with Inside Out 2, Moana 2, and Deadpool & Wolverine over at Marvel, Star Wars under Kennedy’s leadership seems utterly rooted in political messaging and won’t deviate, literally to save its life.
Even Skeleton Crew delves into the muddy waters of identity politics and divisive non-traditional relationships with same-sex parents, evil white men, and girlboss characters who are good at everything.
But Kennedy and her staff of so-called creatives, the people who have a photo of Luke Skywalker on the wall at Lucasfilm with a red X through his face, are either oblivious to their failures or stubbornly unwilling to make any kind of change.
A photo of Luke Skywalker seen on the wall of Lucasfilm headquarters with a Red X through his face – YouTube, Tooney Town TV
Their choices on shows like Obi Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, and The Acolyte have incensed fans, leading to passionate backlash.
But Skeleton Crew tells a far different story with these ratings. Because there’s no backlash anymore. There’s no rage. There’s simply…nothing.
Fans aren’t just critical anymore—they’re indifferent. The days of heated debates over The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker have given way to a collective shrug. Apathy has replaced anger, which may be the greatest threat to any entertainment brand.
As the saying goes, “The opposite of love isn’t hate; it’s indifference.” For Star Wars, this could signal a much deeper issue than simply a string of underperforming projects.
Neel on Star Wars Skeleton Crew – YouTube, Star Wars
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The ongoing decline demonstrated by the Skeleton Crew ratings raises a pressing question: Has Kathleen Kennedy taken what was arguably the most evergreen entertainment property on earth and tarnished it beyond repair? Star Wars, a brand once synonymous with blockbuster storytelling and devoted fan engagement, now seems unable to capture the imagination of audiences.
High-profile misses like The Acolyte point to a franchise that has not only lost its way but may also be losing relevance. And the Skeleton Crew ratings are a sign of major rot within Lucasfilm.
Critics argue that under Kennedy’s stewardship, Star Wars has pivoted away from the timeless appeal of its original trilogy, leaning into divisive storytelling and questionable creative decisions. From the polarizing sequel trilogy to the scattershot performance of several Disney+ series, fans have seen diminishing returns in quality, coherence, and passion.
Cassian Andor in the trailer for Andor Season 1 – YouTube, Star Wars
So that begs the question:
Is Star Wars a Dead Brand?
At this point I legitimately believe so. One could argue it died long ago, and I’m sure I’ll get the usual “It died when Disney bought it” comments, and that’s a fine opinion to have. But I argue that there was still passion from the fanbase through The Last Jedi and even as recent as The Acolyte. You don’t fight and rage for something you don’t care about. A brand isn’t fully dead until no one cares anymore, until it’s forgotten and vanishes from the pop culture conversation entirely. The Skeleton Crew ratings point to a pop culture universe where no one cares.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 23: (L-R) Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment, Kathleen Kennedy, President, Lucasfilm, Leslye Headland and Asad Ayaz, Chief Brand Officer, The Walt Disney Company and President, Marketing, The Walt Disney Studios and Disney attend the launch event for Lucasfilm’s new Star Wars series The Acolyte at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
The critical failure of Skeleton Crew could serve as a nail in the coffin of Star Wars. With the series failing to generate meaningful buzz or charting data, it’s clear to anyone with eyes and a brain that the galaxy far, far away is no longer a cultural touchstone. Star Wars is no longer a relevant brand, or has it been reduced to a hollow shell of its former self?
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: (L-R) Daisy Ridley, Kathleen Kennedy and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attend the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 attends the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)
Kathleen Kennedy’s future at Lucasfilm is likely to remain a point of contention, yet she continues to persist nonetheless. Rumors surround Kennedy’s contract, with many wondering if Disney is even capable of firing her. No one who works at any level in any industry could fail to the extent of Kathleen Kennedy and keep their job.
No one… except apparently Kathleen Kennedy.
Still, the overarching concern for Disney is whether Star Wars can ever recapture the hearts and minds of its once-loyal audience. And since this is an opinion article, I can honestly say no, I don’t think it can. Fans no longer seem to care, and without fan passion, Star Wars may fade into the background of pop culture. That’s a grim fate for what was once considered the crown jewel of Hollywood storytelling.
Is Star Wars dead? Would firing Kennedy even help at this point? Are you surprised by the Skeleton Crew ratings? Sound off in the comment section and let us know your thoughts!
