Do you want a Yoda movie? Tough, because we're probably getting a Star Wars Story centered on the sage Muppet Jedi Master whether you like it or not.Lucasfilm has been incredibly coy about its plans post-Episode IX (a mixture of wanting to make the final part of the sequel trilogy feel like an event and needing to regroup after the previous standalones all met with director problems) but that doesn't mean the future isn't seriously on Kathleen Kennedy and co's mind. It's recently been revealed that the long-awaited Obi-Wan solo film is finally making its first steps towards development, with Billy Elliot's Stephan Daldry in talks to direct, and within that breaking report it was said the company is still seriously looking at doing similar standalones for Boba Fett and Yoda.Now the first two make some sense. Being one of the biggest periods of unexplored pre-original trilogy history, fans have been clamoring for a Kenobi film detailing the exiled master's time on Tatooine since the anthology enterprise was first mooted, something that's only been emboldened by Ewan McGregor's repeated interest (and his absence from Celebration and D-23). And Boba is the ultimate fan favourite, so much so a bounty hunter movie featuring him almost had a sizzle reel released before director Josh Trank flamed off the project.But Yoda? Who seriously wants that?Now we should immediately state that a Yoda film (along with Boba) was one of the very first solo movies mooted after Disney's Star Wars acquisition, so there's a possibility that - in the spirit of the internet's love of repeating a single rumor to the point it gets taken as fact - this is actually a five-year-old story being requoted. However, it would be odd for a trade (THR broke the story) to make such a key statement in such a way so it's fair to take as believable. In an intriguing quirk, if true it would mean the first four standalones are likely to be those initially suggested - in terms of verifiable rumors, the only movies we've got wind about are Han Solo, Boba, Yoda and a Death Star plans stealing adventure (released as Rogue One).Back when Yoda was first mooted, we could brush it off as an easy target for a studio in flux and fans not clear on the future. Now, though, two movies down and with three impending, it feels more tangible. And only a worse idea.
It Will Destroy Yoda As A Character
We could build to this point but it's frankly the core of the argument so let's get it out up front: Yoda is mysterious. Where does he come from? How did he I become so stoic? What species is he? Nobody knows (in fact, Lucas even said he never planned to reveal the latter). When we first meet him in Empire it was as a cooky frog creature and even once his "great warrior" nature is revealed his past remains untold - he trained Jedi for 800, that's it. The prequels definitely showed more of him, but they still had him enter as the same noble Jedi and leader of the Order, unequivocally the most powerful Force user around (definitely with the highest registered midi-chlorian count besides Anakin).
The only hint at any greater history came vicariously through Yaddle, a female member of his species present on the Jedi Council in The Phantom Menace - and she was swiftly removed in the later two prequels. That may have been a simple effects budget choice (Yoda became CGI in Attack of the Clones, a complex move that would be trickier with double the characters) but it also seemed a move to return to his mysterious past.
And, you know what, that only helps his character. He's not just the mage and mentor rolled into one - that's Obi-Wan - he's the mage and mentor's mage and mentor (cubed now we're in the sequels with Rey and Luke). Yoda is the closest to a physical embodiment of the Force you can get without moving into literalism.
Make no mistake either, that is his core appeal. Any movie centered on him inherently risks undermining that, and when we're dealing with a multi-media brand, that's character damaging.
Is There Anything Interesting About A Yoda Movie Beyond Brand Management?
Ask yourself this: what would a Yoda movie be? Timeline-wise, there are two prime options: an origin story set at some point in the hundreds of years prior to The Phantom Menace; or an exile film. You could also have a Clone Wars-era movie, but that feels unlikely given how mined it is by TV and the unlikelihood of Lucasfilm directly going into the prequel era, so we'll discount it.
The latter of these is incredibly similar to the accepted Obi-Wan concept and frankly not that interesting - Yoda on Dagobah offers little unless you vastly break his solitary existence as is currently canon. It can delve into the Force in a more mystical way, but that doesn't require a whole tentpole release to do so, especially as it seems like The Last Jedi will be delving into long-standing lore (and Clone Wars and Rebels have already done a lot of their own legwork).
The former at least provides a clear story opportunity - becoming Merlin is a proven narrative - but then we come up against the mystery issue. Obviously the other spinoffs face something similar - all are filling gaps present since the 1980s nobody's been that fussed by - but as already established this is where Yoda: A Star Wars Story's core idea is the most unpalatable. It's not helped that, whereas there feels like there actually is more to Han Solo than we first got - a lot of his dialogue alludes to unseen adventures - we've seen a pre-OT Yoda; while there's room for more, even something ambiguous isn't required. The prequels had him doubtful, they had him become the creature we knew in the original, they had him as an action hero.
Oh, and that action point brings us to the question of realization. Fans were less than enthusiastic when the puppet was replaced by CGI in Episode II, especially as it was ostensibly so Yoda could become an acrobat who used his trademark cane just for show. While we're now a generation beyond the prequels where Lucas' maligned films are being reevaluated, the debates centered on how to bring the character to light are going to be intense and whatever decision's made will rub many up the wrong way. And let's not kid ourselves, it'll most likely be CGI given the film's inevitable propensity for putting our hero in conflict; there's no way it would come in under a $100 million budget, necessitating some epic scale.
This is one of the unspoken quirks of the Anthology films - they may try and be boutique Star Wars, but they carry on their shoulders the weight of a marketable icon. Yoda's a great character but through three movies where he was bolstered to essential participant it's hard to really suggest he needs more prominence. We certainly wouldn't be surprized if he made a ghostly appearance in Episodes VIII or IX, but that's enough brand management to justify merchandise and related bottom lines.
It's Ultimately Another Safe Story Choice
The biggest push for a Yoda film is that - assuming it's an origin story of some sort - it will finally take the standalone series outside of the original trilogy era. Rogue One was pushed right up against A New Hope, Han Solo will span the time between the first two trilogies and it's reasonable to expect Obi-Wan and Boba Fett will occupy a similar area. Putting Yoda pre-Menace makes it set at least twenty-odd years prior to the others and well apart from the world we know - not quite KOTOR but definitely deep in the Old Republic.
Although if that's the real goal, why do we need Yoda at all? Surely his presence undermines stepping away from the world we know by being centered on a character we're so familiar with? Obviously living for 900 years he will have had a major impact on the Jedi, yet it's hard to say such a film wouldn't be stronger steering into the fresh character. His presence only hampers doing something new. Of course, you could have a bit part from Yoda, which may clear things up; Rogue One basically nullified the need for a Darth Vader movie by conveying everything of inter-trilogy importance in the span of two scenes.
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We're sure that despite all these hurdles, Lucasfilm could make a good Yoda film. They've proven themselves an adept studio in the Disney era thus far and attract a level of talent that surely could crack this. But it's just not necessary as Star Wars stands.
The Expanded Universe existed for decades telling stories about every corner of the galaxy, fleshing out everyone from Palpatine to Ice Cream Maker Guy (look him up), yet comparably little time was put into elaborating Yoda; even the prequels had him semi-constant. George Lucas understood he stood stronger as a mystery and wasn't the best character to front his own story. The lesson is one as simple as the Master himself extols: Lucasfilm, there is not try - just do not.
