Confirmed: ‘Star Wars’ Ditching “Legacy Characters,” Starting Over

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Harrison Ford as Han Solo

Credit: Lucasfilm

Director Taika Waititi is shaking up the Star Wars universe by abandoning the Skywalker saga in his upcoming film, which fans are happy about.

Billy Dee Williams as Lando (left) and Harrison Ford as Han Solo (right)
Credit: Lucasfilm

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Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and R2-D2 are the face of Star Wars.

Without the witty banter of C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), it’s clear that the galaxy far, far away wouldn’t have lasted much longer than the Original Trilogy.

Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian
Credit: Lucasfilm

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With the addition of new characters like deadly bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), every Star Wars fan still hopes to catch a glimpse of their favorite classic character, mainly leading to the inclusion of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian season two and The Book of Boba Fett.

luke skywalker with grogu in backpack book of boba fett
Credit: Lucasfilm

With Lucasfilm President recently revealing that they’re actively creating a new Star Wars saga, Taika Waiti shared with Total Film that his upcoming, untitled Star Wars movie won’t be featuring any familiar faces:

“I think for the Star Wars universe to expand, it has to expand … otherwise it feels like it’s a very small story”

Waititi’s full quote reads:

“Look, I think for the Star Wars universe to expand, it has to expand. I don’t think that I’m any use in the Star Wars universe making a film where everyone’s like, ‘Oh great, well that’s the blueprints to the Millennium Falcon, ah that’s Chewbacca’s grandmother.’ That all stands alone, that’s great, though I would like to take something new and create some new characters and just expand the world, otherwise it feels like it’s a very small story.”

Chris Hemsworth Taika Waititi
Credit: Marvel Studios

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Star Wars has to expand beyond comfortable characters and stories, and, in a surprise of events, fans seem pretty pleased:

Finally someone not scared to take risks and get creative.

Another fan writes:

This guy gets it. You have an entire galaxy full of possibilities and some millions of years of lore, and most live action stuff takes place in the same 30 year period, visiting the same 2-3 planets over and over. Star Wars truly has become the most unimaginative thing ever.

Related: Bryce Dallas Howard Reportedly Returning to ‘The Mandalorian’ Ahead Fan Movement

Nonetheless, not every fan is ready to say goodbye to the Skywalker family in the next movie from Lucasfilm:

Star Wars is the Skywalker Saga. Expand your universe, but don’t use the Star Wars title in your story. It’s just not the same, sorry. Just my opinion.

While some fans are concerned that Takia Waititi could turn the work of George Lucas into a Thor: Ragnarok (2017) fest, it’s clear that the Jojo Rabbit (2019) has the best intentions for the legacy of Lucas after his landmark work on The Mandalorian season one with showrunner Jon Favreau and executive producer Dave Filoni.

While there’s little news surrounding the specifications of Waititi’s solo Star Wars film or when the movie will hit theaters, Lucasfilm has reportedly put the project at the top of its list for their next feature film.

(l-r) luke skywalker, chewbacca, han solo, and c-3po in the empire strikes back
Credit: Lucasfilm

The world of George Lucas is expanding beyond Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Darth Vader (James Earl Jones), Jedi Master Yoda (Frank Oz), Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein), Darth Maul (Ray Parker), Anakin Skywalker, Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch/Temura Morrison), Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), Grogu (AKA “Baby Yoda”), Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff)Koska Reeves (Sasha Banks), Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), and Moff Gideon’s (Giancarlo Esposito) the Millennium Falcon, the Death Star, and The Clone Wars.

Within the Star Wars franchise, Lucasfilm is moving past Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) or the controversial Rian Johnson Star Wars film The Last Jedi (2018) as we dive into the Old Republic or explore new realities of the Star Wars universe with each new TV show or the upcoming Star Wars game like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2 or Star Wars Eclipse.

Do you want Star Wars to expand its universe? Comment below!

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