The Star Wars prequels occupy a fascinating place in pop culture. When The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith first arrived, reactions from longtime fans were, let's just say, spirited. Jar Jar Binks became a punching bag, midichlorians sparked endless debates, and plenty of viewers who grew up with Luke Skywalker and Han Solo weren't shy about voicing their disappointment. As it turns out, George Lucas apparently saw some of that coming.
During a panel at Spacecon 2026 (via Popverse), (somehow) Emperor Palpatine actor Ian McDiarmid returned and recalled the filmmaker's mindset. According to the actor, Lucas understood that the generation raised on the original SW trilogy might be difficult to win over. McDiarmid explained:
