Star Wars’ next movie will be the franchise’s most important release in years, and it must avoid the sequel trilogy’s mistakes. While there are multiple Star Wars movie projects in different stages of development, including but not limited to Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie and a Damon Lindelof-written Star Wars film, it is still unclear what the next Star Wars movie will be. Still, no matter which project releases first, it will be crucial for the future of Star Wars on the big screen.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the end of the Skywalker saga, remains the most recent Star Wars movie. Since 2019, Star Wars has shifted its efforts toward the Disney+ series, with The Mandalorian becoming an instant hit and proving that live-action Star Wars shows could work. When it comes to theatrical releases, here are five ways the next Star Wars installment can avoid the Star Wars sequels’ mistakes.
An Overarching Plan Would Help The Next Star Wars Movie
While the idea that the Star Wars sequels only had problems because they lacked an overarching plan for the trilogy is not necessarily true - even George Lucas' reputation for planning is overstated - a solid “road map” would help the next Star Wars movie. Some of Star Wars’ most iconic moments, including Darth Vader revealing himself as Luke Skywalker’s father or Luke learning that Leia is his sister, were Star Wars retcons that only came to be at the time of their respective films. However, where those examples worked, the sequel trilogy struggled with the lack of a consistent plan.
Rey's story is perhaps the biggest example of how a lack of a plan affected the sequel trilogy. Star Wars: The Force Awakens set up several theories regarding Rey’s parents; Star Wars: The Last Jedi revealed that Daisy Ridley's Rey was not the daughter of any important character, and then StarWars: The Rise of Skywalker retconned Rey as Palpatine’s granddaughter. Each of the Star Wars sequel trilogy films told a completely different story about Rey, leaving the character as a puzzle by the end of Episode IX. The next Star Wars movie should know where its characters are heading, especially if it is meant to be the beginning of a new trilogy.
The Next Star Wars Movie Has To Embrace The Entire Saga (Even The Prequels)
One of the biggest problems with the sequel trilogy, especially Star Wars: The Force Awakens, was how it completely ignored the prequels. While it cannot be denied that the perception of the prequels up until that point was not nearly as positive as it is now, the Star Wars prequels’ worldbuilding changed the saga forever. Terms like “Sith”, “padawan”, and “clones” had become as essential to the Star Wars universe as “Jedi” or “Empire”, a change that The Force Awakens failed to acknowledge. In fact, The Force Awakens tried to kill off the Sith by mentioning them as a threat from the past.
The next Star Wars movie does not have to be another Jedi vs. Sith story, yet it should embrace the entire Star Wars saga. That includes not only the original trilogy and the new Star Wars canon but also the prequels and even Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Perhaps the best example of how to embrace the entire Star Wars universe comes from the Star Wars TV shows, including but not limited to Star Wars Rebels, The Mandalorian, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Those shows managed to combine the tone and aesthetic of the first two Star Wars trilogies in a way that the sequels could not, something the next Star Wars film should replicate.
The Next Star Wars Movie Needs To Realize Jedi & Sith Lore Are Essential
In addition to embracing the entire Star Wars saga, including the prequels, the next Star Wars movie cannot forget that Jedi and Sith lore are essential to the franchise. While the focus of the original trilogy was more on the rebels vs. Empire conflict, with Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader being the only two Force-sensitive warriors for the most part, Star Wars has since grown much bigger than space dogfights. That is also something the sequel trilogy failed to realize as it skipped over a potential new Jedi Order and followed only two Force-sensitive characters for most of the films – Rey and Adam Driver's Kylo Ren.
Star Wars is a space high-fantasy saga as much as it is a space opera, a change that started with the prequels and continued through the animated series, novels, games, and comics. This means Star Wars can be much more entertaining when it brings the space wizards and their legendary enemies. The Disney Star Wars canon has added a lot to the Jedi and Sith lore, which is why the next Star Wars film should embrace it. Even if the next Star Wars saga takes place years or decades after Episode IX, limiting the story to one or two Force-sensitive characters like the Star Wars sequels would be a mistake.
The Star Wars Galaxy’s Background Has To Be Important
Return of the Jedi sees Luke redeeming Darth Vader followed by celebrations across the entire galaxy – from Endor to Naboo. However, by the beginning of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the galaxy was back at war. The New Republic, the galaxy's government in The Force Awakens, was destroyed midway through the film; Leia was leading a Rebel Alliance-like group known as Resistance; and an Empire-like organization known as First Order had taken over the galaxy. It was almost as if Return of the Jedi’s ending didn’t matter, which became an even bigger problem considering The Force Awakens did not explain why the galaxy was like that.
It was up to novels and comics to explain what happened after Return of the Jedi, what exactly the New Republic really was, and how the First Order came to be - a process that's still ongoing. The Star Wars galaxy’s background was always important to the films, as it reveals who is fighting who and for what. The next Star Wars film should not have to spend its entire first act with worldbuilding, yet it cannot leave it all for additional material to explain it. This doesn't mean the next Star Wars film should initiate Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, with long scenes about commercial blockades, but there's clearly a balance between that approach and the sequels.
The Next Star Wars Movies Shouldn't Just Copy The Original Trilogy
A lot of the sequel trilogy’s mistakes originated from the films trying to feel similar to the original trilogy. While that worked for Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ marketing, it limited how inventive The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker could be. The result was a Star Wars trilogy that did not know what it wanted to be. The next Star Wars movie has the perfect opportunity to avoid that problem by starting something new – something that doesn’t rely on Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader. Essentially, the next Star Wars movie can and should be a new beginning for the saga and not just a legacy sequel to the original trilogy.
The Mandalorian has proved that Star Wars can create new iconic characters such as the Mandalorian and “Baby Yoda” Grogu. Despite taking place close to Return of the Jedi and referencing characters from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, The Mandalorian tried something new within the Star Wars franchise, and it worked. That is what the next Star Wars movie should aim at, especially if it takes place after The Rise of Skywalker. Star Wars should not just recycle concepts and story beats from the original trilogy, but instead use the rich Star Wars canon to craft a new, unique cinematic journey.