With Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm, George Lucas’s 35 year tenure at the helm of the Star Wars franchise came to an end. Although Lucas will remain as a ‘creative consultant’ – he’s already turned in treatments for the three Star Wars sequels currently planned to arrive in 2015 and on – his direct involvement with his science fantasy universe is now over.

The announcement has already been met with equal parts optimism and cynicism, with some arguing that Lucas’ sale of his company is a further example of his late-career hunger for profits, while others have suggested that he might be about to use his sizeable fortune to build a retirement Death Star.

It’s arguable that Lucas brought some of this cynicism on himself. Much of the fan goodwill towards the filmmaker ebbed away as the special editions and disappointing sequels rolled out, and some of his contradictory statements in interviews haven’t helped his case, either. Back in 2008, Lucas told Total Film that “I’ve left pretty explicit instructions for there not to be any more features.” Evidently, Lucas has since changed his mind.

Putting all such negativity aside, though, it’s worth remembering just how much influence and change Lucas has brought to filmmaking and modern culture in general. Aside from the direct impact of the Star Wars movies themselves, Lucas has made lasting contributions to videogames, special effects and numerous other filmmaking disciplines.