A Luke Skywalker TV series on Disney+ can help to fix many of the Star Wars sequel trilogy problems and flesh out the untold story of one of Star Wars' most popular characters. Luke Skywalker's exploits beyond the original trilogy's final film were well originally documented in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, where he had many adventures, challenges, and relationships that would further his story well past what was seen in the movies. However, when Disney purchased Lucasfilm, the studio re-labeled the Star Wars Expanded Universe into Star Wars Legends, making it separate from the new and ongoing narrative in the Star Wars universe post-Return of the Jedi.

In the Star Wars Legends saga, Luke encountered The Emperor again while dabbling in the dark side, started a New Jedi Order, met and married Mara Jade, had a son (Ben Skywalker), and eventually became a Grand Master Jedi. However, in the Disney canon sequel trilogy, specifically Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Luke was instead portrayed as having secluded himself on the islands of Ahch-To, after his student, Ben Solo, abandoned his Jedi training turned against Luke. Although Rey approached Luke Skywalker with a request to be trained, he refused to do so and the sequel trilogy eventually saw his death as he moved on to the Netherworld of the Force.

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Luke's portrayal and death in The Last Jedi sharply divided audiences, as many felt it was a betrayal of the Luke that had been built over decades of storytelling in Star Wars Legends. In 2021, Luke Skywalker's saga was continued just after the events of Return of the Jedi in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, finally showing a hint of the Jedi Master's journey after the film in this new Star Wars narrative, which was much more in line with what fans had hoped to see, rather than what they got in The Last Jedi. His further adventures and long journey to Ahch-To were hinted and teased throughout the rest of the sequel trilogy, which could now be paid off in a Luke Skywalker series, that can help right the ship for the bigger story and character issues that plagued the character, giving fans a better understanding of his journey, fleshing out his story, and shining some light on what he did during the years following Return of the Jedi.

Luke Skywalker's Full Story Hasn't Been Told In Canon Yet

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Luke’s journey has been explored in the Star Wars Legends novels, comics, and games, but the new Star Wars canon that was established when Disney bought Lucasfilm still hasn't explored the full potential of the character. There are decades worth of story to be mined from for Luke's journey to The Last Jedi, and plenty if space for more material that could be created to fill in those gaps, many of which have already been hinted at. In Star Wars - The Rise of Skywalker it was revealed that Luke had teamed up with Lando Calrissian in the time after ROTJ (part of which is covered in the new book, Shadow of the Sith) and that is just one adventure amongst many potential stories that could be told. The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett have teased Luke's journey in training new Jedi and the time between that and The Last Jedi is a relatively blank slate of story in the new Star Wars canon, much of which can be pulled from Legends or created anew.

Luke’s Journey Rebuilding The Jedi Can Fix Sequel Trilogy Errors

luke skywalker series fix sequel trilogy

With the sequel trilogy altering the established Skywalker legacy, a Luke Skywalker TV show could help set the record straight to bring Luke's story more in line with the version that is known in the Star Wars Legends timeline. While some audiences liked the subversion of Luke's character in The Last Jedi, others felt it didn't measure up to who Luke really was, particularly as portrayed over a long period in the Legends mythology. A Luke Skywalker series could dive deeper into who Luke became in the time leading up to The Last Jedi to explain the apparent changes in the character, as opposed to the Star Wars sequel trilogy which glossed over the character's larger journey. A Luke Skywalker Disney+ TV series could also help to straighten out some of the inconsistencies that appeared throughout the sequel trilogy owing to different creative voices clashing from film-to-film without a strong idea of where the trilogy was heading.

Star Wars Could Never Get Rid Of Luke Skywalker's Popularity

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Luke Skywalker will always be a popular character as he acted as the first main hero of the Star Wars mythology right from his introduction, and his legacy has outlasted both the prequel and sequel trilogies. Interest in who Luke Skywalker is and what he did will always be important to viewers of the Star Wars franchise as he was a solid part of the initial story as Star Wars followed Luke's journey to become a Jedi. Exploring the character of Luke Skywalker in the time between the original Star Wars trilogy and the sequel trilogy has been proven to have potential through the success of  The Mandalorian and the fact that his cameo in The Book of Boba Fett proved one of the most exciting moments in the series. Seeing the rest of Luke Skywalker's story told in the new Star Wars canon is an inevitability that Lucasfilm won't be able to avoid forever, no matter how hard they try to pivot.

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Cast A New Actor For Young Luke, But Have Mark Hamill Play Old Luke

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars The Last Jedi and The Book of Boba Fett

Mark Hamill has continued to appear as young Luke in new Star Wars series through the use of excessive CGI, but it is time for a new actor to take on the role of young Luke Skywalker. However, it is important that any and all appearances of the older Luke should be played by Mark Hamill himself. One way to do strike this balance would be to have Mark Hamill narrate Luke Skywalker's story or to guide it in some way that bridges both actors portraying the character, allowing Hamill to continue to be a part of Luke's journey, while also welcoming in a new actor to take the lead in the years yet to be covered (The Winter Soldier's Sebastian Stan has been a frequent fan cast). This would be a respectful path forward that could honor Hamill's unquestionable link to Luke, while also passing the torch to someone that can embody his legacy for future projects involving the character without resorting to CGI which can at times be unsettling.

A Non-Linear Story Is Needed For Luke Skywalker’s Complete Story

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Instead of trying to tell an episodic story, Luke’s story would be best told as an epic journey that recalls his childhood on Tatooine and jumps forward and backward to help weave the tale, leaving some mystery even as it answers questions, slowly revealing the course of his life, rather than unrolling it in one fell swoop. Having Hamill appear as a Force ghost or as an older Luke on Ahch-To, perhaps writing a journal of his adventures (similar to Bilbo Baggins recounting his time in The Hobbit), and then flashing back to the time period he covers is a great way to tell an immersive, sprawling, and compelling story. This style of narration would be revelatory, mysterious, and exciting, adding to Luke Skywalker's new canon mythos, while honoring and folding in aspects from Star Wars Legends, fixing mistakes from the sequel trilogy, and rounding out one of the most beloved characters in all of Star Wars.

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