Do you remember where you were when you first heard Disney was buying Star Wars? Do you remember the memes? That video of Darth Vader breaking into song to announce he was Luke's father to (brilliantly) parody the movies to come?
Star Wars has never been the same since then -- but that was the whole point.
Over the past decade, Lucasfilm has produced more Star Wars stories than many ever dreamed possible in such a short amount of time. This feat may never have been achievable if Disney never bought the company that keeps a galaxy far, far away alive.
Disney officially announced it had bought Disney in October 2012, though George Lucas was approached to discuss the possibility before that. The deal was estimated to cost Disney about $4 billion at the time.
Lucas, believing it was time to pass the baton and let other filmmakers play in the universe he created, is now in retirement. But Star Wars is still thriving with no signs of slowing down.
At the time, Disney CEO Bob Iger shared the company's plan to release a new Star Wars movie "every two to three years," though that hasn't quite come to fruition. However, Star Wars TV has possibly become even more extensive than originally predicted thanks to the 2019 launch of Disney+. Disney has also taken advantage of its already-existing publishing branch to continue telling Star Wars stories through books.
There are reportedly a handful of Star Wars movies in the works, though, and Disney+ Star Wars shows are coming faster and faster every year. It's a big galaxy, and there's much still to explore.
Disney will continue making Star Wars movies, TV shows, and other media for decades to come. The company may have paid billions to acquire it, but the return on investment has earned them much more than that -- and will continue to do so for as long as Star Wars exists.