Recently, Lucasfilm confirmed that the next Star Wars spinoff is an Obi-Wan Kenobi film, with Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot) currently in talks to direct. The news isn't entirely surprising, seeing as rumors have swirled about a solo outing for the Jedi general since the anthologies were first announced, something prequel actor Ewan McGregor still lobbied for. Disney is also considering solo outings for Yoda, Jabba the Hutt, and Boba Fett.Despite Lucasfilm's stated interest in moving beyond legacy characters in future anthologies, every currently proposed film relates to established Star Wars personalities. Similarly, Rogue One introduced a number of new characters but hovered inches away from Episode IV: A New Hope as the first Death Star figured prominently and the film included roles for Grand Moff Tarkin, Mon Mothma, and Darth Vader. The studio still clings to their iconic figures, even though they have an entire galaxy of fresh, rising characters to explore.Why is Lucasfilm so unwilling to venture beyond their classic personalities?
The Established Formula Works
The enjoyable but safe Star Wars: The Force Awakens established that the formula still works, as a cool $2 billion box office take attests. Initial reports from the Rogue One set, however, suggested Gareth Edwards' film differentiated from previous films and was, in essence, a war movie with a Star Wars twist. Before things got too far afield, though, Lucasfilm hesitated, instead reshooting several key scenes to make the film feel even more connected.
Their trend of careful filmmaking continued when the studio kicked Phil Lord and Chris Miller off the Han Solo movie. Supposedly, their efforts were too much of a radical departure from the style and tone writer Lawrence Kasdan and studio head Kathleen Kennedy had envisioned. As a result, they brought in Ron Howard to recut and finish the film. Howard is an Academy Award-winning director, but he's also a filmmaker with an established style that fits well within the folds of Lucasfilm. With the picture back on course, he's already teased several links to the mainstays of the franchise, including the Empire (understandable, given Solo's purported naval background) and perhaps even the Death Star. Again.
Their desire to avoid making waves is somewhat understandable - after all, Star Wars fans are a finicky bunch. Play it too safe and a chunk of the fanbase grumbles about a lack of originality. Wander too far from the established lore or tone and another subset will berate the film as not Star Wars enough. Considering the massive amount of capital invested into each film, as well as the need to market them to worldwide audiences, some measure of caution makes sense. Even with Rogue One's enormous success, any misstep along the way could result in a serious setback to the anthology efforts.
Nevertheless, Rogue One and The Force Awakens both proved characters unrelated to Han, Leia, Luke, and Chewy could carry an in-world film. Coupled with the vast amount of Legends (or Expanded Universe) material to selectively canonize and the growing reach of shows like The Clone Wars and Rebels, the audience certainly exists. So, what's keeping Lucasfilm from exploring the non-legacy possibilities?
The Rewards of Familiar Faces
Clearly, the Mouse House has been investigating the possibilities of turning key characters into anthology movies for some time. The company has likely invested a good deal of time and resources into these potential properties already. If so, moving ahead with the spinoffs is understandable. General audiences know and love characters like Obi-Wan, Han, Yoda, and are curious about mysterious periphery players like Jabba and Boba Fett. Sticking a œStar Wars Story subtitle behind them clears the path to solid returns but doesn't lead fans into any fresh territory.
The Force Awakens and Rogue One's strong showings more than confirmed that anything related to the franchise is far from a cinematic risk. Still, lesser-known characters are always trickier than established ones. Han and Darth Vader are instantly recognizable. Despite hundreds of thousands if not millions of fans, recent creations like Sana Starros or Rebels player Bendu would require more extensive promotion to familiarize to general filmgoers.
Nevertheless, Disney holds in-house proof that successful, œoff-brand movies do work. Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel, though generally unrelated to the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe (until Avengers: Infinity War anyway) scored a major coup at the box office and pushed the MCU in a cosmic direction. Sure, Marvel required some build up before they felt comfortable unleashing GOTG on moviegoers, but the "lovable a-holes" still fit well into Marvel's tapestry with minimal trouble.
Unlike the MCU, the Star Wars anthologies are supposed to be unrelated to the trilogies, making it easier for them to branch out. Lucasfilm already found success with two sets of new characters, thanks to some help from a few well-known faces and places, as Rey, Finn, Jyn Erso, and Cassian Andorian, among others, took off. Their success should open the door for new and lesser-known heroes to lead the charge after the sequel trilogy completes its run.
Leaving the Shadows of the Empire
If Rogue One and The Force Awakens were the toes in the water, the temperature is perfect for jumping into more obscure characters. Even if the studio is reluctant to leave their comfort zone of known properties, they can start with smaller leaps into their ever-expanding clutch of recent fan favorites like Ahsoka Tano, Cad Bane, Doctor Aphra, Grand Admiral Thrawn, and Saw Gerrera who already saw action in the first anthology for material.
As the third trilogy hits its apex (or nadir, depending on how close it is to Empire Strikes Back), the time is right for Disney to edge into eras before and after both the prequel-original trilogy cycles perhaps even the Old Republic days. The breadth of fandom, including neophytes to Star Wars, should provide more than enough box office clout to keep the franchise rolling along.
If the stories sparkle, the directors brim with vision and talent, and Lucasfilm maintains a clear direction for the overall saga, the anthology films could run indefinitely. They would also be the perfect place to launch brand new characters and further construct the far-away galaxy.
The shadow of Anakin Skywalker still looms over the galaxy far, far away. Even though just about anything Star Wars is guaranteed to succeed, Disney's relative wariness is frustrating if understandable. Obviously, the Mouse House is willing to expand their universe but prefers to put their less-familiar characters through the paces on shows like Rebels or in supplemental materials which cost less and leave more room for exploration.
Lucasfilm needs to escape the Skywalker saga in order to find more breathing room. Films based upon Han Solo, Boba Fett, and Yoda can theoretically step away from the trilogies but remain tangentially associated with the main clan. Working within establish characters might save some time and money in promotions, yet it constrains their stories within already well-explored narrative circles. For Star Wars to flourish for decades to come, though, Disney must use their creative and financial muscle to construct tales true to the past but also focused clearly on expanding and traversing realms less-traveled.
