Credit: Lucasfilm“There has been an awakening, have you felt it?” The Star Wars galaxy has rippled with delight at the thought of a rumored What If..? series from Disney, but younglings and Padawan learners might not realize that the extended universe gave them precisely that concept, but Disney nixed it from the canon.
Fans who have been washed in the waters of the extended universe know that Disney essentially hit the factory reset button when acquiring the rights to the franchise and Lucasfilm practically a decade ago. That means everything outside of the core movies, like books, comic books, and video games, is outside the official Star Wars canon established by the House of Mouse.
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However, as talk of a potential Star Wars: What If..? spinoff grows, Disney might find themselves wishing they hadn’t axed off the entirety of the Star Wars Legends series. Especially since they’ve been taking bits and pieces of it back into the fold.
The Galaxy Asks “What If..?” in Star Wars Legends
Before Disney got its Mickey Mitts on the franchise, the closest thing to a sequel series in the galaxy far, far away was the Star Wars extended universe. Spearheaded by Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire trilogy, Star Wars Legends is essentially the franchise’s answer to Marvel’s What If..? series since Disney nixed it from the official canon in 2014.
Be that as it may, the Walt Disney Company has taken bits and pieces from the non-canon universe and incorporated them into the fold on multiple occasions. Events like the Republic getting a new Jedi Order, Boba Fett escaping the Sarlaac Pit, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s exile on Tatooine, nods to the Old Republic, and, of course, Thrawn pulling the strings in the shadows.
If Disney+ is genuinely getting a What If..? styled series, the studio will have to undo a lot of red tape and reinstate the storylines from Legends into the main canon. It doesn’t take a Jedi Master to realize that this is much easier said than done.
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That said, the Legends series is a gold mine of potential stories that countless Star Wars fans would flip their lids over if Disney adapted them. A true Heir to the Empire adaptation might be next to impossible, but seeing characters like Darth Bane, Darth Plagueis the Wise, and Mara Jade finally making an appearance would definitely increase subscribers.
Should Disney revisit Star Wars Legends for a potential series? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!