There is no way they paid four billion without taking total control. If I had to speculate on the killing-off of characters, it would be more toward the actors of the OT being 70 years old or at least crowding it. They’re bringing back The Emperor, so I would think that would largely dispel the royalties argument. I don’t follow every branch of the Star Wars tree, so there may be some I don’t know.
I 100% agree! I thought the idea of them killing characters to prevent paying Lucas more money seemed like complete B.S. However, I’ve seen this comment posted on multiple sites.