I’m no Star Wars acolyte (Do you see what I did there?) So, like most modern-day Star Wars fans, I presume, I LIKE the brand, but I don’t obsessively LOVE it. In this way, I pick and choose what I want to watch in the Star Wars universe.
That said, I feel like I’ve been watching less and less Star Wars over the years. Similar to Marvel, I’ve kind of been off the Star Wars hype train for a while now. If not for my children’s newfound love for The Simpsons, I’d probably drop my Disney+ subscription plan altogether since I don’t really use it for Marvel OR Star Wars anymore.
However, that doesn’t mean all hope is lost on me, since I do still enjoy Star Wars, and I would love to get back on board again. Here are four things that could make that a reality.
First Off, Andor Was Amazing. Can We Get Another Serious Take In The Star Wars Universe Not Concerning The Force?
Similar to George Lucas, I think Star Wars is for children (And no, I’m not trying to start a flame war. Lucas himself said that). Even so, just because the original intention of Star Wars was for kids, that doesn’t mean all of Star Wars has to be. Some of it should actually be catered toward adults.
Well, much like my recent article where I lamented that we’ll probably never get an R-rated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, I feel the same way about Star Wars. That said, even though I don’t think any Star Wars movie will boldly go where no Star Wars movie has ever gone before (That’s from Star Wars, right? I’m kidding!) with an R-rated movie, they’ve come close with Rogue One, and then its sister series, Andor.
Rogue One, which is my favorite Star Wars movie, and Andor are not intended for children. Instead, they’re meant for adults, and as such, they don’t contain the Force or Jedi knights. Instead, Rogue One and Andor focus on the toll that war can have on people.
I think we need another one of those. Not necessarily anything attached to Rogue One, but rather, another grown-up Star Wars story that doesn’t contain any mention of the Force or the Jedi. Starfighter (More on that later) looks cool when it comes to upcoming Star Wars projects, but when looking at the rest of the movies that haven’t been dropped yet, I’m not seeing much that screams, “This is for adults,” and I need them. Because, you know, I’m an adult.
I Used To Like The Mandalorian, So I Hope The New Movie Has Some Of The Old Spirit Of The Show
Now, I know I just said that I’m an adult, but I still love The Mandalorian. Or, at least, I used to. When it came to the first season, I loved it. It felt so unique from all of the other Star Wars stuff that I had become accustomed to over the years that I really had high hopes for the Star Wars universe. It was a fun show, and I looked forward to the second season…only to not be as impressed.
It seemed like, instead of being episodic like the first season, the second season followed a more narrative structure, with a definitive beginning, middle, and end, and it just felt like it was missing something that the first season encapsulated so well. Flash forward to the third season, and I couldn’t even finish it. It’s like, what happened? The show USED to be fun, and that season felt like such a slog.
I mean, I know I’m in the minority, but I kind of feel like The Book of Boba Fett felt a bit more interesting in that it stayed more consistent with its tone. Well, we’re getting a Mandalorian movie, titled The Mandalorian & Grogu, and even though I wasn’t excited when I first heard the news, I became excited when I watched the trailer. In fact, it actually put a smile on my face to see Din Djarin interacting with Grogu, and on a big screen.
That’s why this movie really has a lot at stake for me. Because if it stinks, then they’ve lost me on these characters forever, as I’m not going to even bother with a Season 4 if it ever gets made. And, honestly, I think Disney feels the same way. If this movie underperforms, it might spell the end for the entire series as there is no definite Season 4 at this time. But, no pressure!
In Fact, Give Me Less TV Shows, And More Movies
Maybe it’s just me, but I have come to hate Star Wars on a small screen. Now, a show like Andor, which typically had more intimate storytelling, mostly worked on a small screen, because they were trying to tell a smaller story. However, shows like Ahsoka, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the aforementioned The Mandalorian, and the now-cancelled The Acolyte haven’t resonated with me because (get this), I watched all of them on my phone.
Yeah, I know! That’s more of a me problem, right? But that’s just it. I don’t typically watch television, and when I do, I tend to watch it at the gym. Unlike a new movie, where I’ve been conditioned to go see them in a theater, when it comes to TV, I view things differently.
Usually, it’s fine since I typically watch shows that are smaller productions that work on a smaller scale. However, the Star Wars TV shows have tried to be big productions, similar to the movies, which just doesn’t work for me.
Star Wars just doesn’t feel right on a small screen. I will definitely be watching Star Wars: Starfighter on a big screen when it finally comes out, and, like Marvel, I think Disney needs to focus more on making movies rather than TV shows, which brings me to my last point.
Lastly, Stop Relying On The Tried And True Characters We’ve Known For Years. We’ve Seen Enough Of Them
What role is Ryan Gosling playing in Star Wars: Starfighter? I have no idea, but I’m glad that he’s not supposed to be a young Han Solo or a young Luke Skywalker, because, quite frankly, I’m tired of those characters.
Do I think people will always dislike the sequels? No. In fact, in a few years’ time, I think Star Wars fans will come to love them in the future. That said, it never sat right with me that the old characters from the original Star Wars trilogy made appearances in those films. Luke, Leia, Han, Chewy, Yoda, Lando, it was like a who’s who of familiar Star Wars characters, and I honestly don’t want to see any of them ever again in any future projects because I’ve had enough of them.
What I want is a Street Fighter III kind of disruption for all upcoming Star Wars projects. For those who don’t know, when Street Fighter III first came out, it was pretty much devoid of any of the characters from the mega-popular Street Fighter II, save for Ryu and Ken. Fans didn’t know what to make of it at first, but the three Street Fighter III titles (notably Third Strike) have now become the cornerstone of the series, with Third Strike often viewed as the best game in the entire franchise.
I want that for Star Wars, and to accomplish that, we need ALL NEW CHARACTERS, and to “let the past die,” to quote Kylo Ren. Only then will I get into Star Wars again.