When Disney acquired Lucasfilm last year, the following announcement of Star Wars VII shocked fans worldwide. Likewise, the long-awaited reveal of Kingdom Hearts III at E3 2013, albeit not quite as unexpected, was a huge payoff to fans who had waited years for the next main entry in the series. But the news gets better: in the next Kingdom Hearts, the two Disney franchises might merge.
In an interview conducted between Finaland and Kingdom Hearts series creator Tetsuya Nomura, the latter hinted about the development team’s interest in the new licenses picked up by Disney––especially Star Wars.
Finaland & FFDream: With the acquisition of Marvel and LucasArts by Disney, could you imagine adding some kind of stuff from these licenses in the game?
Tetsuya Nomura: (laughs) Of course it would be great if we could add those licenses as well. But there are lots of rules and restrictions by Disney so we can’t actually put everything people want, so it’s a quite difficult decision but we’re gonna prepare some surprises for you so, just wait for the information.… We’ve been talking about Star Wars itself since it became Disney’s content recently. When I heard the news I was like “Wow! Wow!”
Considering the Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts II such as the Underdrome, Port Royal, and Space Paranoids, the inclusion of a Star Wars-based world might not be too radical for the series. After all, with over seven years since Kingdom Hearts II and seven games out in total, the new franchise could be just what Kingdom Hearts III needs to stand out.
No word yet on in-game Marvel representation, but as The Avengers became Disney’s highest-grossing film of all time last year, keep those fingers crossed for a playable Hulk!
