Meanwhile, the Disney sequels took an expanded universe, one which a lot of fans liked chock full of characters that they loved like Mara Jade, that many of them had grown up with, and proceeded to tank it.
The problem there is that 98% of the EU was hot liquid shit, and pretty much needed to be burned down to the fucking ground if Disney ever wanted to salvage anything out of the franchise. And considering they did things like making Thrawn canon in the new continuity, and they were seemingly painting Kylo as an alternative version of Jacen, it seemed like the few worthwhile things that WERE part of the EU were being salvaged out anyway.
That being said, the real problem with the new movies seems to be that no one at Disney seems to have had ANY real plan for the films. Unlike the Marvel movies, which are integrated into each other and have overarching plots planned years in advance (and which have a single person in charge guiding the ship and making important decisions), it seems the Star Wars films are pretty much being left to the devices of each individual director to plot out and handle, which in turn makes it a jumbled mess at best and a collection of terrible decisions at worst.
Disney basically needs someone to fill the Lucas role - just preferably someone with better ideas than Lucas had, and who is open to criticism when they push stupid or insane ideas. Instead, we have situations like Rian Johnson saying he was told literally nothing about plot even when he asked, and was just told to make up whatever he felt like as he went.
Disney didn't need to 'salvage' anything. The franchise was well loved already. If anything it's gone downhill drastically. But they could have easily done something with the Old Republic (it's founding? The founding of the Jedi?) or something far in the future. The Vong would have worked perfectly for the movies as a villain as well. There was just so much they could have done if they didn't decide to take the stupid pills en-masse. ---
I am the gentle hand who heals, the happy smile who shields, and the foot that will kick your ***! - White Mage