Credit: LucasfilmAnthology movies for the Star Wars universe remain to be one of the saddest aspects of the franchise when it could have reshaped the way fans looked at George Lucas’s franchise.
One of the most beautiful things about Star Wars was that it had stories sprinkled into other projects with hints of big events that had already happened. Books and comics would help tell these stories, but some of them were left for the Prequel Trilogy to explore, such as the Clone Wars, which was mentioned back in Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977).
When Disney acquired Lucasfilm there were talks of future movies being made for the franchise, but the focus really wasn’t on the Sequel Trilogy. Much of the conversation focused on spinoffs dedicated to exploring certain characters. This was where fans began to get excited at the idea of an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie, a Boba Fett movie, and even a Yoda movie. All of these were rumored at one point, and while none of them were turned into big-screen hits, Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) destroyed the idea before it could even go somewhere.
Solo Was Blamed For the Wrong Reasons
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Solo didn’t ruin Star Wars for fans like some might believe. If anything, it was released at the absolute worst time. Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (2018) was released six months prior, and fans weren’t ready for the movie due to their frustrations with Disney, hated the movie because of The Last Jedi and didn’t really care to give the movie a chance.
What sucks is that the movie actually provided the chance for Solo to have a sequel and establish Boba Fett’s story, while also leading to a new spinoff dedicated to Maul and Qi’ra and the Crimson Dawn. These stories would be amazing to tell, but Kathleen Kennedy has made it clear that she wants nothing to do with stories that involve recasting older actors, believing that a movie like Solo was a failure when it actually wasn’t.
Rogue One Proves Anthology Movies Are Needed
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Rogue One managed to tell a story that no one expected Lucasfilm to tell. It’s simply about how the Rebellion got the Death Star plans, which, of course, had its own story in books, but Rogue One took it to a whole new level by adding more depth to the Rebels and adding some compelling characters to work alongside Jyn Erso.
The movie is praised as one of the best Star Wars movies under Disney and for good reason. It shows that Disney needs to tell more stories like this because they work, and there are plenty of small details where a movie could explain what happened and add so much context around what happened. It’s something that Star Wars has managed to get very good at doing, with fans appreciating the Prequel Trilogy a lot now after seeing what really went down during the Clone Wars.
Where Star Wars Can Go
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Star Wars can tell several different stories, but one of the best parts about the franchise is that there are so many unique and fascinating characters. Timothy Olyphant’s Cobb Vanth is a great example. Tied to the legendary Boba Fett for wearing his armor after getting from Jawas, Vanth worked with Din Djarin after becoming the sheriff of a local town. This adventure led them to kill a Krayt Dragon and while the Tuskens were celebrating the victory, Vanth honored his word and gave Din the Mandalorian armor.
This story led to Boba Fett and Din Djarin becoming friends after they faced each other, and it’s one of many examples of how some characters deserve to have more stories told. It’s hard to believe that Cobb Vanth needs a movie, but some Jedi and definitely some bounty hunters could have a story worth being told on the big screen. Fans would love to see a Cad Bane movie and get to explore another side of the criminal underworld.
When it comes to Jedi, fans have been wanting to see a Yoda movie or even one with Quinlan Vos as it appears that the Jedi survived Order 66, leaving his fate a mystery for Star Wars fans. There are plenty of stories that could be told, and it wouldn’t take Disney that much effort to figure out which ones should be made.
Why Anthology Movies Make Sense After Sequel Trilogy
No one wants to see Lucasfilm make the same mistakes from the Sequel Trilogy again. One way to avoid that is to tell fewer stories without a proper vision. Since anthology movies don’t need sequels, they work quite well on focusing on what is needed for the story being told. Right now, Lucasfilm is working on three movies, two of which fit the idea of what an anthology movie should be. James Mangold’s movie about the origins of the force will explore something fans haven’t seen, but if it stays as a self-contained story, then it would fit the role that Anthology movies serve. Daisy Ridley’s Rey movie could also do the same thing as it will explore the rebirth of the Jedi Order in a time of peace, which would be amazing, but it’s hard to say where the story will go.
In the end, Star Wars thrives when it comes to telling stories that are more character-driven, and anthology movies focus a lot more on characters because they won’t be about saving the galaxy from the Sith. The options for what type of movies Star Wars can make are endless, and it would be great to see them add more movies to the Star Wars universe like this.
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