5 Sci-Fi Franchises That Are Officially Better Than Star Wars
This is an opinion/listicle piece arguing that certain sci-fi franchises surpass Star Wars in storytelling ambition, thematic depth or technical innovation, even if they lack its cultural reach. The author frames the comparison around areas where Star Wars has reportedly stagnated since Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, such as visual innovation and tonal consistency, and highlights franchises that have either maintained quality across fewer entries or pushed filmmaking technology forward.
Two franchises are detailed in the excerpt: Blade Runner, praised for combining noir storytelling with philosophical depth across the original 1982 film and Denis Villeneuve's 2017 sequel, Blade Runner 2049, with an upcoming series, Blade Runner 2099, starring Hunter Schafer; and James Cameron's Avatar, begun in 2009, noted for pioneering motion-capture and CGI technology and weaving environmental and colonialism themes into its world-building. The article notes shared talent connects several of these franchises to Star Wars' creative lineage, though the full list of five extends beyond what's included here.
- Article argues some sci-fi franchises beat Star Wars in depth and innovation.
- Blade Runner praised for consistent quality and philosophical storytelling.
- Avatar cited for pioneering CGI and motion-capture technology.
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Blade Runner and Avatar are two long-running science fiction franchises often held up as creative rivals to Star Wars. Blade Runner began with Ridley Scott's 1982 film, a moody detective story set in a near-future Los Angeles, and continued with Denis Villeneuve's 2017 sequel Blade Runner 2049; a new instalment, the television series Blade Runner 2099 starring Hunter Schafer, is on the way. Avatar, created by James Cameron, launched in 2009 and is known for its use of motion-capture and computer-generated imagery, alongside a story that touches on environmental destruction and colonialism.
The comparison to Star Wars stems from an opinion piece arguing that some science fiction franchises have aged better or pushed the genre further than Lucasfilm's series, particularly since Disney bought the studio. The argument centres on things like visual innovation and consistency of tone, rather than box office success or wider cultural reach, where Star Wars remains dominant. Several of the people involved in these other franchises have also worked on Star Wars films, linking the various projects together.
This kind of ranking is a matter of opinion rather than fact, and is intended to prompt discussion among science fiction fans rather than settle any definitive question about quality.