In the aftermath of The Clone Wars' cancellation, it seems that the team behind the series will not be a team for much longer. While the status of Season 6 story arcs is still unknown, reports indicate that Lucasfilm employees responsible for bringing the show to life are being reassigned or let go.
In addition, a number of people close to the situation have told me that there are no clean resolutions to the story arcs of fan-favorite characters like Ahsoka Tano and Asajj Ventress in the unaired Season 6 material. It's also been suggested to me that, while last week's statement on StarWars.com teased future "bonus content," it's far from certain that fans will ever see that content.
One source familiar with developments at Lucasfilm told me that the changes at Lucasfilm Animation go beyond The Clone Wars team. This individual described a dramatic downsizing of the entire division and said that Disney planned to place future Star Wars TV projects in the hands of its existing television operation. While the source did not name names, it appears likely that veterans of the animation division and The Clone Wars in particular may be leaving the company.
Despite this dramatic and disturbing development, fans should still make their voices heard. If you want Disney to keep producing high-quality Star Wars content like The Clone Wars, let them know. While corporate decision-making is not always responsive to fans' urging, it definitely doesn't hurt to try. We encourage our readers to write letters to Disney CEO Bob Iger at the following address:
Bob Iger Disney Studios 500 S Buena Vista St Burbank, CA 91521
Let Mr. Iger know how you feel about The Clone Wars ending. Just be sure to keep your message civil and mature.
While The Clone Wars will not get a sixth season, it's possible that fan input can sway Disney one way or the other as far as the promised "bonus content" goes. If the animation team is about to be broken up, and fans can affect what happens to those people and their work, now is the time to speak up.
UPDATE: I have spoken to another source close to Lucasfilm Animation who confirmed to me that the division will be proceeding with layoffs. This person stressed that fans should still expect to see the promised story arcs from The Clone Wars' canned sixth season, but reiterated that this and other changes at Lucasfilm were part of a reorientation of the company toward Episode VII and Sequel-related work.
TFN will continue to provide updates on this story as it develops.