Screenwriter Michael Waldron teases new story details for Kevin Feige's Star Wars movie, including the possibility of its loose franchise ties. The new film from the Marvel Studios head was announced in late 2019 as one of multiple new Star Wars projects in the works at Disney and Lucasfilm, which also includes a new trilogy from The Last Jedi's Rian Johnson and solo film from Taika Waititi. While the former has reportedly been shelved due to creative differences between the filmmaker and studio, Lucasfilm is trudging ahead with Waititi's and Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron, which is currently slated for a December 2023 release.
Feige's Star Wars movie would initially be developed in quiet for months until some progress was confirmed with Waldron signing on to pen the script in early 2021. After initially making a name for himself with Rick and Morty, Waldron has risen to stardom in recent years as the creator of Disney+'s Loki season 1 and the record-breaking Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which ultimately led to his inking a lucrative overall deal at Disney that included Star Wars. With his Marvel Cinematic Universe projects now complete, Waldron is sharing exciting new updates regarding his journey to a galaxy far, far away.
While speaking with Variety for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, writer Michael Waldron offered new details for Kevin Feige's Star Wars movie. The screenwriter confirmed that he is now working on the film "in earnest" and teased that the story may be disconnected from what's come before in the franchise. See what Waldron shared below:
"We're finally into it in earnest. I mean, I'm writing away. It's a lot of fun. I'm enjoying having the freedom on that to do something that's not necessarily a sequel or anything. It maybe has a little bit less of a — it just doesn't have a bunch of TV shows and movies that you're servicing on top of it, the way I did with 'Doctor Strange.' So it's nice. It feels like a different exercise."
Waldron's update for Feige's Star Wars movie comes a few days after the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer confirmed that he was busy penning the script for the project. Though his new comments may not indicate a timeline of when audiences can expect the Star Wars film from the mastermind behind the MCU, his confirmation that he is hard at work writing it does point towards major progress finally being made on the film. Additionally, with Lucasfilm having set release dates for two untitled Star Wars films in 2025 and 2027, Waldron's work on Feige's film seemingly indicates it could make its way to theaters in the former slot.
The most interesting takeaway from Waldron's tease for Feige's Star Wars movie is that it doesn't "necessarily" sit as a sequel or continuation of anything already established in the long-running franchise. Given Disney+'s Star Wars shows are currently bridging the gap between the original and sequel trilogies, it would make sense that Feige's film would seek to explore an area not already heavily covered, possibly delving further into the past during the High Republic or Old Republic eras. While audiences await further details on the film, they can catch up with Feige and Waldron's latest collaboration with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness now in theaters.
Source: Variety