Expanded Universe Not Part Of STAR WARS Canon For New Set Of Films

It seems like Simon Kinberg’s sole purpose for being at WonderCon was to tick off the loyal fan bases of the properties he’s working on. Earlier, he angered fans of the Fantastic Four, now its the Star Wars fandom’s turn.

It was long a big question as to whether or not the Expanded Universe–the continuing adventures of Luke, Han, Leia and the rest of the gang in books, comics and other media–would be in the official canon for the new trilogy coming form Disney. Well, apparently Kinberg gave us an answer, and if you have faithfully bought every Star Wars novel over the last 30 years, you might not want to read this:

You know, it’s not off-limits, and it’s certainly inspiring — I’m working on an animated show for [Lucasfilm] as well, Star Wars: Rebels, that will take inspiration from everywhere, but — I know for the movies, the canon is the canon, and the canon is the six films that exist.

That was his answer to a direct question posed to him by IGN at WonderCon as to whether or not the Expanded Universe will play a role in the future of the Star Wars film franchise. It does appear that Kinberg contradicts himself in the quote, but it seems to end with him saying that only the films will be drawn on by himself, J.J. Abrams and all others involved with the new Star Wars films–not the Expanded Universe.

If this is true, it is bound to cause a controversy amongst fans, especially those who bought heavily into the Star Wars novels and comics as an official continuation of the story. Lucasfilms and the various publishers made millions, if not billions of dollars off of these fans. Who can blame them if they get upset now that they are saying they books didn’t count after all?

Granted, it might be nigh impossible to hold Abrams and Kinberg 100 % beholden to decades of ephemera, especially if they have never been exposed to it. And the books and comics will still exist for fans enjoyment, even if they are no longer canon. Also it’s not like Episodes I-III didn’t invalidate chunks of the Expanded Universe. But it will still rub many fans who have fallen in love with Mara Jade and Jacen Solo the wrong way, all because nobody was willing or able to make the stories those characters appeared in work into continuity.