Why did Disney originally cancel Star Wars: The Clone Wars after five successful seasons? The Clone Wars was George Lucas' opportunity to add further depth to the prequel era, and it also presented a perfect opportunity to correct many mistakes. Over the course of the show's five seasons, Lucas subtly reframed the narrative of Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side, retconned the role of the Trade Federation to add more nuance to their story, and resurrected Darth Maul.

According to former Disney CEO Bob Iger, in May 2011 he opened initial conversations with Lucas that would change the shape of Star Wars forever. It took Lucas several months to decide to return to the negotiating table, and after further negotiations Disney struck a deal to acquire Lucasfilm in October 2012. It didn't take long for the House of Mouse to make their mark on the Star Wars franchise, and in March 2013 they announced they were bringing Star Wars: The Clone Wars to an untimely end. But what was the reason for Disney's decision?

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Lucasfilm's official press release (via StarWars.com) was short on details, with the studio simply announcing they had "decided to pursue a new direction in animated programming." As such, they confirmed they felt the time had come to wind down the series, and they would no longer be producing new episodes for Cartoon Network. This last point is likely significant; it's reasonable to assume Disney wanted an immediate return on investment for the Lucasfilm purchase, and they weren't happy with producing shows for a competitor. Thus they cancelled Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and its successor series Star Wars Rebels aired on DisneyXD instead.

Star Wars Rebels crew

Interestingly, one voice actor - Daniel Logan, who voiced the part of Boba Fett in Star Wars: The Clone Wars - has suggested Disney may also have disagreed with the creative direction the show was taking. "I think it was getting a little too graphic," he said at London Comic Con 2018. "Boba was doing some really, really cool stuff. He started actually becoming a bounty hunter... At the time, it was just too graphic, I think, for what Disney was used to." As interesting as this comment may be, it has never been substantiated.

History has been kind to Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Completed episodes were released onto Netflix in March 2014 under the banner of "The Lost Missions," and a number of other episodes were adapted into other mediums. The show was finally revived for a seventh season on Disney+, which aired in February 2020. The story Disney abruptly truncated was finally completed after all and Star Wars: The Clone Wars was given a true ending, with the Siege of Mandalore and Order 66 revealed on the small screen at last.

More: What Happened To The Clone Army After The Clone Wars Ended