It seems like over time George Lucas began to see Star Wars as mostly “his thing”. Or at least, in later interviews, this whole “director of the week” approach seemed to be replaced by “Star Wars is my thing and I want to micromanage everything”. But then that also went out the window after selling to Disney.
Do you think a consistent vision is always necessary for a successful franchise? Personally, I don’t. Sometimes creative freedom and different perspectives can lead to unexpected and positive results. However, too much control can stifle innovation.