PREDICTING THE FUTURE ofStar Warsis as convoluted as looking for
the dagger that leads to the Wayfinder that points to the Sith stomping
ground of Exegol. But if you go to theStar Warsrumour mill, there is one
idea about where theStar Warsmovie franchise is heading that remains
pervasive. This is unconfirmed by Disney/Lucasfilm, so take it with
a grain of sand (sorry, Anakin — we know it’s coarse, rough and irritating),
but on 4 January, reliable news siteMaking Star Warsreported that new
movies will be set 400 years before the Skywalker saga in a time period
known as the High Republic ( believed to be the timeframe of Benioff and
Weiss’s project).
These movies — apparently not a trilogy, but an inter-connected
series of single stories in the MCU vein — would focus on a group of
Jedi who set out to explore uncharted nether regions of the galaxy,
taking on various nemeses, from ancient evils to Sith Gods. This notion
is also being linked to a comic book announced atStar WarsCelebration
in Chicago, going under the working title ‘Project Luminous’, with
further news this would evolve into a video game that would precede
the film.
Whether the High Republic fi lms — sadly this doesn’t relate to Jedi
Masters Kit Fisto and Ki-Adi Mundi as stoner buddies — come to pass
or are just fan fi ction, it does suggest some things Star Wars should
consider to ensure a vital future. Firstly, establishing a time frame
centuries away from Luke, Han and Aunt Beru seems fruitful, creating
characters and relationships that don’t have the baggage of dealing with
icons — old and new fans could all experience it together. At the point
in Star Wars lore that features the High Republic (the phrase has been
namedropped in comic books The Rise Of Kylo Ren and Dooku: Jedi Lost),
the Sith are in hiding living by the Rule Of Two — master and apprentice.
This sets up lots of diff erent opportunities for new types of villains who
don’t wear black capes. Going deep into the past or far into the future is
one way to change the game.
But there are other seeds in Disney-era Star Wars that could provide
pointers. Future Star Wars could also piggyback on some of the lessons
learned from The Mandalorian — provided the takeaway isn’t Baby Lobot,
Baby Sy Snootles, Baby AT-ATs etc. The Mandalorian proves not everything
in Star Wars has to be an epic battle between good and evil. The Jon