George Lucasjust proved he’s so much bigger than Star Wars. It is, perhaps, the fate of every great creator to become associated with their masterpieces; but Lucas has moved beyond that.
The creator ofStar Warsmade his first appearance at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, in a much-anticipated panel where he discussed the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. What’s more, the reception to Lucas' panel - with crowds chanting Lucas' name as they eagerly awaited its beginning - proved he’s so much bigger thanStar Wars.
George Lucas' Panel Broke An SDCC Record - & It Wasn’t Even About Star Wars
There’s always been so much more to George Lucas than justStar Wars; he invested some of the money from the first movie’s success in a Manhattan gallery that displayed original comic-strip art, showing his love for popular mediums. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, due to open in 2026, feels like the ultimate fulfillment of that vision.
Thatwas the subject ofLucas' first SDCC panel, notStar Wars; in fact, he barely mentioned the franchise during the entire panel, which instead focused entirely on the philosophy of art. “This is a temple to the people’s art,” Lucas insisted after a video unveiling plans for the museum.
The museum includes props, movie posters, comic book art, and so much more.Star Warsfans will no doubt be thrilled to see props ofLuke’s Landspeeder fromA New Hope, Anakin’s Starfighter fromThe Phantom Menace, and the Speeder Bikes fromReturn of the Jedi.
Here’s the remarkable thing, though: more than 6,000 people attended Lucas' Hall H panel. According toTHR, that’sthe largest ever Sunday panel in SDCC history. Marquee presentations usually take place on Saturday, but this kind of reception was absolutely unprecedented.
George Lucas drew that crowd. NotStar Wars, which was barely mentioned.
The Creator Of Star Wars Just Proved He’s More Than Just His Creation
George Lucas is retired now, having sold Lucasfilm to Disney back in 2012. There’s a certain irony to this; the celebrated filmmaker initially planned to retire all the way back in 1977, failing to predict the success of the firstStar Warsmovie and briefly hospitalized during production due to stress-related health issues.
Now, though,Lucas is defining his legacy, and that is found in the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Speaking at SDCC, Lucas insisted that these are popular mythologies with the potential to draw people together, and that’s clearly what he hopes to achieve. This is intended to be a place of connection, celebrating an aspect of art often overlooked:
“[Art is] more about a connection, an emotional connection, with the work. Not with the cost or the celebrity did it. It’s the emotional connection. No one can tell you it’s not art. If you have the emotional connection, then it’s art.”
Lucas shared the stage with Queen Latifah, Doug Chiang, and Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro insisted that such popular art was looked down on after the advent of photography, but that it remains crucial in cultural terms. “Comic books were the first ones to punch Nazis,” he observed, and later noted that “myth belongs to all of us.”
Those were stirring words, especially given del Toro was seated next to George Lucas - a man who insisted on his continued ownership of theStar Warsmythology for so many years. But now, 13 years after he sold Lucasfilm to Disney, Lucas appears to have come to understand even his own art in a new way.
This isGeorge Lucas' legacy, and it’s so much bigger - and better - thanStar Wars.
