With the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Lucasfilm has successfully launched the line of Star Wars anthology films that could very well take the place of the saga installments down the road. Rogue One's critical and commercial reception illustrated that it is possible to craft quality, meaningful adventures in a galaxy far, far away outside of the main series that connect with a general audience. The outstanding performance by Rogue One at the box office bodes well for the second spinoff, Phil Lord and Chris Miller's tale of a young Han Solo, due in 2018.
Lucasfilm is also hard at work on a third standalone film for release in 2020, but there have so far been no official details about the mystery project. However, the rumor mill recently found some evidence pointing to a movie revolving around famed bounty hunter Boba Fett. Fans might recall that Chronicle and Fantastic Four director Josh Trank was lined up to helm a Boba Fett film (even preparing a sizzle reel for Celebration 2015) before he stepped down. Even with Han Solo sliding into its place, Lucasfilm maintains that Boba Fett remains a "high priority" for them. Some fans would rather the story group dedicate an anthology film to something completely new as opposed to returning to the well again, but there's a lot of potential here for another great Star Wars movie. Here's why we feel Boba Fett deserves his own spinoff.
Just like Darth Vader, the business reasons behind Boba Fett are more than sound. Despite his very, very brief appearances in the original trilogy, the bounty hunter is one of the most popular Star Wars characters and has become a merchandising force in his own right. Building an entire marketing campaign for a blockbuster movie around Boba Fett could lead to massive amounts of revenue generated. But there are also numerous storytelling merits to consider. For starters, Fett is one of the established Star Wars characters who would truly benefit from being the main character in a spinoff. His meatiest role in the classic trilogy is in The Empire Strikes Back, where he speaks four lines of dialogue and is on-screen for a grand total of six minutes. There's obviously some fleshing out to do there, more so than a youthful Han Solo. It would be nice to see Boba Fett live up to his reputation on-screen, showcasing why he's the most feared mercenary in the galaxy. Even if he just has a supporting role in Han Solo, chances are he'd do more than just stand around.
One of the main objectives of the anthology films is to expand the Star Wars universe and enhance what viewers are already familiar with. In Rogue One, moviegoers got to see a different side of the Rebellion; one that was far more desperate to gain an advantage and would do anything (no matter how morally dubious) to support their cause. Boba Fett would be an easy gateway into exploring bounty hunter culture in the galaxy. Empire Strikes Back introduced a number of guns for hire, including Bossk and IG-88. Peeling back these layers and examining the relationships and rivalries between the various mercenaries could make for some fun character dynamics as they all try to one-up each other in pursuit of a target. Boba Fett is certainly notorious, as even Darth Vader is aware of his exploits. Might viewers get an opportunity to see what brought about the famous "No disintegrations" order? Some things are better left alone, but that's a tantalizing nugget to ignore. If Rogue One was based on a line from the text crawl, Boba Fett could certainly base its narrative off of two words.
Something else the spinoffs are working towards is changing the idea of what a Star Wars movie can be. With the numbered episodes having more of a space opera feel, the standalones strive for different tones and genres. Rogue One, of course, was a war drama, while Han Solo is being positioned as a heist/Western (Han's first smuggling job, perhaps?). One well-known movie genre that would be a strong fit for the Star Wars franchise is action, and Boba Fett would be the perfect vehicle for an all-out action movie akin to something along the lines of John Wick. This isn't to say Boba should have a space dog that gets killed in the opening minutes, but that approach and style could work very well. John Wick was praised for its intricate world-building, which is an attribute that would be required to make Boba Fett as strong as it could be. Additionally, the Keanu Reeves vehicle featured numerous set pieces that stood out, and placing Fett at the center of the Star Wars equivalent of the Red Circle shootout could be the next memorable moment in the series. A skilled action helmsman (or woman) would love to play in that kind of sandbox.
If Lucasfilm is to base their Star Wars spinoffs on concepts and characters that first gained popularity in the original trilogy era (at least initially), then Boba Fett sounds like the right way to go. There's an untapped corner of the larger universe waiting to be tackled, and if executed properly, it could truly complement the previous films in ways that make certain scenes and moments more impactful (which Rogue One did to great effect). Newcomers to Star Wars might be curious why a bit character like Boba Fett is so revered amongst fans, so Lucasfilm will most likely jump at the opportunity to show why the bounty hunter is not one to be trifled with by making him the star of his own show (or part of a mercenary ensemble). Many are clamoring for Ewan McGregor to headline an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie, but it appears Boba Fett is higher up on the to-do list, and by all accounts, the Mandalorian deserves his shot at the big time.
