Many fans believe that the idea alone of rebooting Star Wars is blasphemous. The franchise holds a special place in the hearts of millions and has done so for 43 years, ever since the release of the first film in the series, Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977).
But for many, the franchise may as well have been rebooted already because it’s been disappointing fans since the first film in the Prequel Trilogy was released in 1999. Even today, Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999) isn’t a widely loved film.

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By the time Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith (2005) had come out, fans weren’t impressed with George Lucas’ prequel trilogy. More recently, however, many fans have started to appreciate the films.
This is likely due to the critically acclaimed animated show Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 — 2020). The seven-season series takes place between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and its plethora of characters and storylines enrich the prequels.

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This newfound appreciation of the Prequel Trilogy also probably stems from the wide hatred of Disney and Lucasfilm’s Sequel Trilogy, whose last two installments divided the fanbase and for many, have seemingly damaged the franchise beyond repair.
By comparison, the prequels are indeed superior films to Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019); at least in their storytelling and direction.

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The Mando-Verse Has Been a Disaster
The sequels have certainly left their mark on the faraway galaxy, but they weren’t the first to disappoint. Nor were they the last. The Mandalorian (2019) breathed new life into the franchise, taking things back to basics and creating a whole new universe on Disney+.
But four years later, fans are feeling disenfranchised all over again. Follow-up shows The Book of Boba Fett (2021), Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), Ahsoka (2023), and The Mandalorian Season 3 have left fans with no hope for the future of the franchise, despite there being numerous projects in development, including three theatrical films, one of them being a Mando-Verse crossover with Dave Filoni as director.

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So why does the idea of rebooting the franchise seem like such an unspeakable thing to do? Hasn’t the franchise already betrayed the fans? Haven’t they already been as disappointed and as heartbroken as they possibly could? Isn’t it time for a completely new approach?
It’s very unlikely it will be rebooted, especially now that George Lucas’ protégé, Dave Filoni, has been promoted to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm, not to mention the fact that Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, whom many believe is responsible for running the franchise into the ground, clearly isn’t going anywhere in a hurry.

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Even Directors Think Star Wars Needs Rebooting
However, a few weeks ago, the idea of starting the faraway galaxy from scratch was put out there by director Matthew Vaughn, who has helmed films such as Layer Cake (2004), Kick-Ass (2010), X-Men: First Class (2011), and Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015).
In an interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Vaugh said:
“For me, doing a Star Wars movie is to play with the characters I love. If they said to me they’d reboot Star Wars and actually have Luke Skywalker, Solo and Vader and do your version of it. Everyone would say you’re an idiot to try, but that would excite me.”
He added, “Why are the [Star Wars] characters so hallowed that from 1977 you can’t re-do it for a new audience?” before adding, “Star Wars is the Skywalker family and that’s where I think they’ve gone wrong. They’ve forgot. They’ve done brilliantly in TV but it needs an epic new film. That’s what I would do [i.e. reboot Luke]. Everyone is going to go batsh*t crazy but let’s bring it on. If you want a new generation, make the movie for them. The old generation, hopefully, you make it well enough that they enjoy it.”
Needless to say, his comments didn’t go down well with many fans on X (formerly Twitter).

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Though there are no plans for Disney and Lucasfilm to reboot Star Wars, truth is that it could easily be rebooted without resetting the entire franchise. Star Trek (2009) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) both of which used time travel to perform an “in-narrative” reset, allowing for a new cast and new storylines without de-canonizing what came before.
The series Ahsoka, which premiered on Disney+ in August, had the perfect opportunity for a do-over. Fans were expecting the show to meddle with time travel and create a new reality in the same way the Marvel Cinematic Universe has opened the Multiverse.

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Ahsoka Could Still Lead to a Star Wars Reboot
Unfortunately, Ahsoka‘s time in the mystical dimension known as the World Between Worlds was short-lived and was far more concerned with pointless Easter eggs, cameos, and flashbacks than doing anything constructive with this galaxy-altering plot device.
While it’s never too late to revisit the World Between Worlds, especially seeing as Dave Filoni’s brain is full of wild ideas from star whales to space witches, if he was going to do it, he’d have done it already. That said, Filoni has no problem messing around with canon.
Given how disappointing Ahsoka was, though, many fans would prefer that Season 2 reveals it’s set in an entirely different universe, rather than resetting the current one.

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A Star Wars reboot needn’t interfere with the “prime” timeline, either; instead, it could focus on the non-canonical expanded universe now dubbed Legends. Or, as director Matthew Vaughn seemed to suggest, a reboot of the original 1977 film A New Hope that goes in a slightly different direction.
Whether a film, a new trilogy, or a television series, we believe there are more fans out there than the Internet would have you realize who would love to see a reboot. After all, just consider how many fans have already checked out of the franchise.

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Beloved Characters Have Already Been Recast
There’s one thing these fans wouldn’t be keen on, though, and that’s recasting beloved characters such as Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker, even if other actors have already played them in the likes of Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
With Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and the late Carrie Fisher having long become synonymous with these characters, it’s understandable that many fans are precious about them. This could partly be why Solo didn’t perform that well.

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However, there is an opportunity to recast Han, Luke, and Leia outside the world of television and film in the upcoming open-world video game from Ubisoft, Star Wars: Outlaws (2024), which is due for release sometime in 2024.
While the only character from the Original Trilogy confirmed to be appearing in the game so far is Jabba the Hutt, it remains a huge possibility that others, such as Boba Fett and perhaps even Luke and Leia, will show up.

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Outlaws Could Be Star Wars‘ Answer to Hogwarts Legacy
After all, the game takes place between Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983)., and though it follows the smuggler and scoundrel Kay Vess (Humberly González), the franchise is no stranger to having new characters cross paths with those of the legacy kind.
Han Solo will also appear in the game; however, given that it takes place after The Empire Strikes Back and before Return of the Jedi, unfortunately, he’ll be carbonized. That said, we may get some sort of flashback or flashforward mission in which the iconic smuggler is alive and well.

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We’ll just have to wait and see what the game brings. On the one hand, it would be refreshing to take a break from legacy characters; on the other, Outlaws might be the best place to recast Han, Luke, and Leia without alienating fans even more.
The game could even serve as a “soft reset” for the franchise following a number of disappointing entries in the same way the open-world game Hogwarts Legacy (2023) was for the Harry Potter franchise after the Fantastic Beasts trilogy. For now, Outlaws is considered canon with the franchise.

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Per Ubisoft, here’s the synopsis for Outlaws:
Experience the first-ever open-world Star Wars game, set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Explore distinct planets across the galaxy, both iconic and new. Risk it all as Kay Vess, a scoundrel seeking freedom and the means to start a new life, along with her companion Nix. Fight, steal, and outwit your way through the galaxy’s crime syndicates as you join the galaxy’s most wanted.
If you’re willing to take the risk, the galaxy is full of opportunity.
Check out the trailer for Outlaws below:
Check out the behind-the-scenes featurette unveiled at this year’s San Diego Comic Con and the official gameplay walkthrough below:
Outlaws will be released on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S sometime in 2024.
How would you feel about Han, Luke, and Leia being recast? Would you like to see a Star Wars reboot? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!