Star Warsis arguably the oldest and most revered multimedia entertainment franchise in mainstream popular culture. It also has the good fortune of having a loyal legion of fans to its name. Perhaps only the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) can match the galaxy far, far away in its universal, global appeal.Star Warshas 11 movies to its name, including three sets of trilogies over the span of several decades. There have also been severalStar Warstelevision shows, both animated and live-action. This includes a couple of ongoing television shows inThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fett.
The franchise is not set to rest on its laurels just yet, however. The upcomingObi-Wan Kenobitelevision show is set to stream on Disney+ in May of 2022. Beyond that, there is an upcomingAhsokatelevision show coming to Disney+, spinning off of that character’s initial appearance inThe Mandalorian.
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One thing remains a relative constant inStar Warsmultimedia projects: Lucasfilm plays fairly conservatively when it comes to George Lucas’s fictional universe. The films take place within a couple of generations of each other, despite the fact that the events take place, “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.” The movies and the television shows also tend torevolve around the Skywalkers or their outer circles. It might be time forStar Warsto finally do something bold. What could be bolder for this relatively timid franchise to reject the past and take a deep dive into the future?
Trade The Dark Side and Light Side for Shades of Gray
The beauty of 2016’sRogue Onefilm was that it embraced nuance. In a fictional universe that was unapologetically black and white when it came to morality, it was refreshing for fans to view a film that disabused its audience of all notions of moral absolutism.
TakingStar Warsinto the future generations or even centuriesbeyond the events ofRogue Onewould be a brilliant move on the part of Lucasfilm. Perhaps remnants of the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance would persist, but the creative teams could introduce even deeper shades of gray into everyone’s favorite fictional galaxy.
Other Notable Families Besides The Skywalkers
Please do not misunderstand the premise of this section: the Skywalkers are one of the most beloved fictional families in mainstream popular culture, and rightly so. However, in three separate trilogies, this family has received all of theStar Warsgalaxy’s attention.
With Luke Skywalker having gone the way of the dinosaur in the most recent trilogy, it is time tomove on from the Skywalker family. Lucasfilm could introduce viewers to a family of warriors, or a family of freed slaves, or multiple families vying for power in the shadow of the collapse of the Galactic Empire. The possibilities are truly endless, all it would take is a little initiative and imagination.
There are Other Exciting Planets Besides Tatooine
EveryStar Warstrilogy has been rooted on Tatooine’s bleak desert surface. Anakin Skywalker was born there. Luke Skywalker was raised there, as was Rey. Additionally, Mando spends a significant amount of time on Tatooine, and the entirety ofThe Book of Boba Fett’s first season took place there.
However, theStar Warsgalaxy is filled to the brim with other intriguing places. There are the wooded forests ofEndor, home to the Ewoks, where much ofReturn of the Jeditook place. Then there is the frozen tundra of Hoth, where the Galactic Empire dealt the Rebel Alliance a crushing blow inThe Empire Strikes Back. There is also the fiery, hellish landscape of Mustafar, where Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin had their first fateful lightsaber duel.
Each of these planets is more deserving than the next to be thoroughly explored in futureStar Warsprojects. Catapulting into the future of the galaxy is a great and relatively seamless way to do this.
Introduce New Entities Beyond the Remnants of the Imperials and the Rebels
In the 1970s, whenStar Warstook the world by storm, theRebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire were revelations. After all, they are loosely based off of the Allies and the Nazis, and World War Two was only one generation in the rearview at the time.
However, as the 21st century matures, nuance and critical thought are taking the place of the rose-tinted glasses that divided the world into good Allies and evil Nazis. Life is more complicated than absolutist philosophy would dictate. For example, the Allies dethroned the Nazis, but committed various crimes against defenseless civilians during the course of the war nonetheless (two nuclear bombs dropped on civilian populations in Japan are just the most prominent example). The point remains that power vacuums are boons for starry-eyed altruists and cruel opportunists alike, andStar Warsshould take this notion and run with it into the future.
By injecting more nuance, introducing new characters, exploring new planets, introducing new factions, and propelling these ingredients into the future of the fictional galaxy, Star Wars can become something fresh and less predictable.
