The Future of Star Wars
The Do’s and Do Not’s for the next phase of the Sci-fi tentpole
Following the cinematic end of the Skywalker Saga with 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars has continued in the form of Disney Plus limited live action streaming shows. Some of these shows have been received well (The Mandalorian, Andor) and some have been received rather poorly (Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett). We have also saw the franchise continue in other modes, such as video games and animated shows, which have received glowing reviews. With Dave Filoni now talking the creative handles going forward, it is clear we are soon to enter a new era of Star Wars, literally, as High Republic teases have been spread throughout recent content. This article will explore the do’s and dont’s that Filoni must consider in order to carry on this classic franchise, by examining both the good and bad of other blueprints and the man himself.
Looking to the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Do — Examine and retool the blueprint
To establish a successful universe of media, Filoni should not only look to Lucas and his immense worldbuilding in his 6 movies, but also at another Disney owned property, that being the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What started out as individual movies has culminated in a globally recognised, unstoppable juggernaut in the world of cinema. The ability to balance single heroes and somehow connect the universe and make it feel fleshed out is something which the new phase of Star Wars would benefit from, as we move away from the linear trilogies of yesteryear.
Don’t — Oversaturate and diversify too far the ways to follow the story
This was not an issue at first, but following the introduction of Disney Plus, Marvel has a really bad habit of spreading themselves thin producing content to consume. Characters who are introduced on shows are appearing in movies with no explanation, and it is hard for people to keep up across every avenue of media. My personal example of this was the Marvels film, which had little to no hype prior to release. The 3 main characters were a previously maligned character and actor, the star of a panned Disney Plus original show, and secondary character at best from another show. It may create FOMO, but some people are now put off by the ways Marvel makes you try and keep up with what’s going on with the MCU. Star Wars must make sure if they are to look at both shows and movies, that they are simple to follow and an obvious endgame is highlighted and a timeline is maintained.
DC Comics, in the past and now
Do — Look to create a barrier between universal stories and elseworld ideas
Following the wet fart ending that the DCEU suffered, James Gunn has now took hold over the future of live action DC Comics content, and has already looked to establish clear boundaries between his universe and other projects already underway. Through his open communication with fans on Twitter (or X now, I guess), he has explained that there is two different tracks for any upcoming media. Firstly, you have his universe, which appears to be interconnected like the MCU. Secondly, you have the “elseworlds” aspect, meaning it can tell original stories without worrying how to relate it back to the central narrative, something which the MCU has struggled to do for years. Creating the distinction means you have the best of both worlds (literally), so Filoni can tell anthology tales whilst simultaneously moving forward with a connected story.
Don’t — Try to do too much too fast
It is fair to say that the DCEU was a mixed bag in terms of both quality and success. The highs were fairly high and promising, and the lows were fairly abysmal and disappointing. The issues with the DCEU stemmed from their eagerness to compete with Marvel, despite a 5 year headstart for their competitor. When the Superman flick Man of Steel had entered the scene in 2013, Marvel had already had their Avengers success and were on a steady incline in popularity and acclaim. Rather than taking the 5 years and multiple solo movies to let us experience the world and the characters in it, it was the third film (The Justice League) which was the team up everybody wanted but didn’t ask for at that point. The fact you introduced two of your main characters for a team up in the second movie of your universe, and hinted at 3 more important heroes through video form in the same movie, is not good to set the stakes for the eventual coming together. Disney should learn their lesson and make sure any major events that occur in this High Republic era are not rushed and too undercooked.
Filoni himself
Do — Look to animation and focusing on new perspectives in your universe
Through his extensive work in the Star Wars universe so far, it is easy to see why Mr Filoni is being given the creative control for the next era of Star Wars — his knowledge of the world is immense, he has show his capabilities as a writer and show-runner in his recent work, and he has created some of the most engaging pieces of Star Wars media throughout his collaboration. After completing the animated Star Wars shows and having watched all the live action material, Filoni is the master of looking at a galaxy far, far away through different eyes. This can be showcased through his extensive development of the clones in both The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch animated works. Whilst George Lucas imagined originally that the clones were conscious during Order 66, Filoni reworked this to be programming and created great conflicts amongst the ranks. Clones have become some of the key characters in recent years, and the work Filoni has done to elevate these quite literal like for like replicas and giving them a great purpose to showcase the horrors of war cannot be overlooked. Hopefully, Filoni continues this trend for the High Republic, and rather than simply looking at lightsabers and force wielders, we can see more grounded stories in the universe, à la Rogue One.
Don’t — Rely on nostalgia and niche references in your works.
If I did have one criticism for Dave Filoni, it is that sometimes he appears too attached to his original characters and previous work for his own good. I think my most obvious display of this was Ahsoka. A character he created for his Clone Wars show, she grew from a feeble apprentice of Anakin to a fleshed out, strong female role model during the course of the show. When the Ahsoka show was released, we knew there were going to be references to the Clone Wars show, which was fine because this was where she was from, and to watch the Ahsoka live action series should require some knowledge of her past. However, the inclusion of heavy references to Filoni’s other hit show, Rebels, was very confusing for casual viewers. Whilst many watched Clone Wars, Rebels was not as beloved, and the fact that most of the important pieces of the show, including the villain and the drive of the show, was from a lesser watched programme, meant that it was offputting to people who had not been able to view previous content. If we are to continue with this method, the animated Star Wars shows should not have a huge bearing of the destiny of the main set of movies, as it means fans will be left confused and agitated.
