As of 2026, George Lucas has consistently expressed that while it was a "painful" and difficult emotional process to let go of his "child," he does not regret the decision to sell to Disney for $4.05 billion in 2012. In recent interviews, including those around the 2025/2026 opening of his Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, he has emphasized that he had "moved past" the franchise to focus on his life, his family, and his massive museum project. He famously compared the sale to a "divorce," acknowledging that Disney chose to take the story in a different direction than he would have (notably "discarding" his outlines for the sequel trilogy). While he has occasionally "grudgingly" admitted that some of his original ideas for the Force were misunderstood by the new creators, he maintains a pragmatic stance: "You give it up, you give it up." He remains one of Disney's largest individual shareholders and has occasionally visited the sets of newer productions like The Mandalorian, taking on a "grandfatherly" role of advisor rather than a regretful former owner.