Lucasfilm is saying farewell to one of the defining features of Disney-era Star Wars.
Fans of Disney’s Star Wars saga have shared mixed opinions on the direction of the franchise. While some appreciate the fresh characters, diverse representation, and high production values of films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), others feel that Disney’s approach leans too heavily on nostalgia and fails to recapture the spirit of George Lucas’s original trilogy (to the extent that some have even manifested his return to the franchise).
Mixed Reception of Disney+ Shows
While the first season of The Mandalorian was met with widespread praise, subsequent seasons of the show have seen diminishing enthusiasm. Other Disney+ series, including Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett, have similarly faced mixed reviews, with many viewers expressing disappointment. One of the most controversial projects has been The Acolyte, which, despite its potential, was met with harsh criticism, much of it fueled by racism and misogyny.
A key point of contention for many fans is the franchise’s growing reliance on The Volume—a 270-degree wall of LED screens used to create immersive environments on set. Though hailed as innovative, some argue that this technology has diminished the visual quality of recent Star Wars shows, giving them a “cheap” look and reducing their sense of scale. Critics have pointed out that The Volume feels more like a crutch than a creative tool, with some feeling that it eliminates the need for real sets and locations.
Ahsoka Season 2: Moving Away from The Volume
In a shift that may please critics of The Volume, Lucasfilm is taking a different approach for Ahsoka Season 2.
Production will relocate from Los Angeles to the UK, and, unlike the first season, it won’t rely entirely on The Volume. This move follows in the footsteps of Andor, which filmed with absolutely zero use of The Volume. The critically acclaimed show embraced practical sets and on-location shooting, and many fans and critics praised its grounded, immersive approach.
While the decision to move away from The Volume in Ahsoka doesn’t necessarily signal the end of the technology’s use in Star Wars productions, it does suggest a shift in how Lucasfilm plans to approach future projects. For many, The Volume has become a symbol of the quick-and-easy approach they feel has undermined the franchise’s legacy, so moving back to traditional filming methods is seen as a positive sign.
Future Star Wars Projects
This shift in filming approach could have significant implications for future Star Wars projects. Lucasfilm is already working on a film featuring Rey, the first Star Wars movie since Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker (2019), and Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, a prequel set 25,000 years before The Phantom Menace (1999). Whether or not these films will continue the trend of embracing practical sets or return to The Volume remains to be seen.
For now, fans can look forward to Ahsoka Season 2, knowing that it will take a different path from its predecessor and that traditional filmmaking techniques will play a more prominent role. Whether this signals a broader shift in the Star Wars universe or is simply a one-time change remains to be seen, but for many, it is a welcome sign of change.
How do you feel about Ahsoka potentially ditching The Volume?
