Everything STAR WARS will be changing in 2015. With the release of STAR WARS: EPISODE VII and Disney bringing the creation of all of the additional cartoons, comic books, video games, and more in house, there is a streamlining of the Lucasfilm products that used to belong to the highest bidder. We have all gotten used to the difference between STAR WARS canon and the Expanded Universe. When STAR WARS: EPISODE VII was announced, the first thing we all wondered was which EU characters or novels would be used in the new films.
Back in 2000, Leland Chee became the curator of the Lucasfilm Holocron which cataloged and maintained the Expanded Universe of STAR WARS. Beginning now, a panel featuring Chee known as the Lucasfilm Story Group, will determine what is constituted STAR WARS canon from not just the feature films but also novels, comics, video games, cartoons, and everything else.
Why is this change happening?
“A primary goal” was to ensure that there was no hierarchy between the movies and spin-off material, but instead one cohesive canon across the entire franchise, adding that “more so than ever, the canon field will serve us internally simply for classification rather than setting hierarchy.”
What you can consider this is that Disney is not content to just have STAR WARS but they want a STAR WARS Cinematic Universe, much like what they are doing with Marvel. Instead of books, games, and more that are distinct from one another, streamlining the canon will allow for major cross-overs between every facet of the STAR WARS empire. Whether this means that all existing Expanded Universe material will be added to canon retroactively or if this means that a new canon begins now is unknown, but I would definitely think that the Disney Era of STAR WARS is going to be vastly more unified than what we have seen for the past four decades.
STAR WARS: EPISODE VII hits theaters on December 18, 2015.