This article contains spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett episode 1.
The Book of Boba Fett subtly rewrites the end of The Mandalorian season 2. It's long been something of an open secret Lucasfilm wanted to find a way to use Boba Fett; their original plans for a movie starring the galaxy's most fearsome bounty hunter were shelved after the critical and financial failure of Solo: A Star Wars Story led to their canceling their anthology films. But Disney+ has afforded Lucasfilm another opportunity to bring Boba Fett back into action, with Temuera Morrison playing the role in The Mandalorian season 2.
The Mandalorian season 2's post-credits scene saw Boba Fett and Fennec Shand confront Jabba the Hutt's former Majordomo, Bib Fortuna, who had apparently taken over Jabba's empire after his master's death in Return of the Jedi. Presumably Bib Fortuna had occupied Jabba's throne for the last five years, but his reign proved short-lived when he was cut down by Boba. It seems Boba Fett has decided he no longer wishes to take orders as a bounty hunter; now he wants to reinvent himself as a crime lord, claiming Jabba's old empire for himself. The post-credits scene was clear setup for The Book of Boba Fett, although apparently even Disney didn't know about that post-credits scene. "Even Disney didn’t know we were going to drop it like that," director and co-showrunner Robert Rodriguez recalled. "I got to see the inner workings, and [Jon Favreau and writer-producer-director Dave Filoni] kept this a secret from everybody."
Ironically, for all The Mandalorian's post-credits scene may have served as clear setup for Boba Fett's new status quo in his own Disney+ series, The Book of Boba Fett has already reinterpreted the scene. The Mandalorian season 2 suggested this was a moment of triumph, and it felt as though he was being positioned as one of the key players in the galaxy. But The Book of Boba Fett episode 1 instead makes it clear Jabba the Hutt's empire declined under Bib Fortuna's leadership. No longer is it the case that the mayor of Mos Espa is in thrall to Jabba; now, the local politicians expect to be paid by Boba Fett for the privilege of turning a blind eye to his activities.
This may feel like a minor course correction, but it's actually a lot more true to the Tatooine seen in The Mandalorian season 1. In season 1, episode 5, Din Djarin headed to Tatooine because he believed he could be safe from bounty hunters in the desert world. The Bounty Hunters' Guild no longer kept a presence there, presumably meaning they got precious little employment out of Bib Fortuna. Mos Eisley had fallen into a general state of disrepair, with the spaceport run by a woman named Peli Motto who was clearly struggling to make ends meet. Bib Fortuna has clearly been unable to maintain Jabba's criminal empire and has done little more than managing its decline.
All this means Boba Fett is in for a shock. He does not seem to have realized the galaxy has changed in the five years since he was swallowed by the Sarlacc. He has not taken over an empire at its prime; rather, he has claimed one on the verge of collapse, and his task will be to rebuild it. The Book of Boba Fett may be continuing from The Mandalorian season 2's post-credits scene, but it is therefore telling a much more interesting story.
The Book of Boba Fett releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.