In the forty years of its existence, Star Wars has built up a universe that's immersive, distinct, and beautiful, while still being relatable. With the acquisition of Lucasfilms by Disney, Star Wars has not only re-emerged in all its sci-fi glory, but has also adapted its world view to fit the order of the day, especially in the upcoming episode.
In the new teaser trailer for Episode 8, we meet Luke Skywalker 30 years after the events of Episode 6. While Leia was still leading the Resistance against the New Order, Luke has grown bitter, and declares that the Jedi Order must end. This is more than a simple revoking of an ideology that runs through the canon, and shows signs of newer thinking by the writers that compose the massive universe of Star Wars.
When first released in 1977, Star Wars was a cultural phenomenon. There was a distinctive good side, the Rebels, and a distinctive bad side, the Empire. There was a Jedi order, one that is believed to be all good and powerful. This could easily be compared to the Cold War that the United States and Russia was engaged in. Luke is the American citizen who believes in the ideals of his country (The Jedi Order), and he believes that he should follow the ideology of the country he serves (The Light side will succeed this time). There is optimism, there is hope, and there is firm belief that the system will not fail him as long as he does his job right.
Fast forward to forty years later, at a time when the United States is no longer the knight in shining armour. Something went wrong, questionable choices were made, and the American citizen now sees themselves in a system which isn't all good, and often makes decisions that are not for the people. Luke too sees this, in the failed Jedi order, a group of elite warriors who involve themselves in affairs of the Galaxy with no one to stop them. Luke sees that there are fundamental flaws in the Jedi ideology, and that heroism will only create a cycle of boom and bust, and hence it is better to have no heroes at all than have heroes who cause more damage pursuing their idea of good.
This is how Star Wars is adapting itself to modern society's idea of what good and bad is, in a world where the enemy is not easily defined, and where the right choice and the morally right choice do not match up. Star Wars' attempt to shift the ideology from there, being true good and definite bad heroes, to people who do not believe in such a system showcases how Disney is making sure Star Wars is never irreverent to the world in which it exists.
May the force be with you, with caveats?
