There was a moment at last week’s Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London where Dave Filoni stood with the spotlight shining behind him, arena lights dimmed to create a sliver of light, and Filoni’s instantly recognisable Stetsoned shadow looming over the arena. It was reminiscent of the Phantom Menace poster, where Darth Vader’s shadow is cast behind Anakin Skywalker. Knowing Filoni’s public persona, it may well have been a deliberate choice to play out this fantasy. But even as a coincidence, it’s a tellingly poetic reminder about Star Wars’ inability to let go of its past.
I have a curious relationship with Star Wars. I watch or play most of the stuff connected to it (or, in the common parlance, consume most of its content), but have never been in love with it. I don’t have any particular horse in the race. I don’t care that Lizzo and Jack Black are in the latest episode of The Mandalorian because I remember that the third movie ends with teddy bear puppets defeating the fascists and that the musicians are called ‘jizz wailers’. It’s always been a little silly. But it can still be silly and good. What’s more, it can be silly and good and important. But right now, it’s just a mess, and we deserve it.
Star Wars conventions have been around ever since there were Star Wars. But they used to be events for looking back, with fan-favourite clips being shown, some behind-the-scenes footage, and autographs with the stars. If there were any announcements, they would be special editions of existing things, which we did see over the weekend with discussion of the 40th anniversary cut of Return of the Jedi. We had interviews and behind-the-scenes clips too, including sequences that were storyboarded using action figures, but they were no longer the draw.
You can’t make money off the past. At least, not until you find a way to sell it into the future. Star Wars, in part thanks to the fact it’s owned by Disney, is fully in the capitalist vortex of churning out every possible spin-off it can, chasing that sweet, sweet dollar. The part of this problem not directly caused by Disney is caused by the fact Star Wars’ biggest creative leads were huge fans as kids, and are now recreating that, forever. Nothing new, just the stuff that blew their minds in the ‘80s.
The Mandalorian only exists because people thought Boba Fett’s helmet was cool. Granted, we got one great series out of it, and a few other good episodes sprinkled in, but now it’s running on fumes. It can’t just be a space western, it has to link to Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka and Boba Fett. Boba has his own spin off show too, with Ahsoka’s on the way, and now we know we’re getting a ‘MandoVerse’ movie. Why does The Mandalorian need its own universe? It’s already part of the Star Wars universe. I thought the whole point was that it was its own thing that could tell smaller stories.
This is where our own culpability comes into it. Culturally, we have shown ourselves to be good little piggies consuming content on demand. Though the superhero box office dominance is waning, we have supported the creation of spin-off after spin-off, universe after universe. About 476,923 new Star Wars projects were announced or discussed during the conference, and the vast majority were continuations, spin-offs, or old characters getting to ride again. Star Wars is failing to take advantage of the world’s potential in order to appease YouTubers with stained shirts who think it’s woke that Daisy Ridley’s abs give them complex emotions.
Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi was a bold, modern interpretation of Star Wars lore that set up new heroes with new stories and had some of the best, most layered acting the series has ever known. In the very next movie, it was all burned down so that the classic heroes could shine again. Rey went from being a nobody to being a Palpatine and then a Skywalker, only worth the viewer’s time because she has famous blood. They nepo-babied her. Now it turns out Rian Johnson’s planned trilogy is dead. Don’t worry though, Rey is getting a movie that will double down on her innate importance that only exists because of her last name.
Star Wars had a chance to be new again, to continue to blow the minds of fresh-faced fans once more. After Rogue One and The Last Jedi, it was in a place to bring in bold stories with exciting heroes. But it’s no longer interested in fresh-faced fans. It cares about middle aged dorks who remember being fresh-faced fans and now spend 20 percent of their annual earnings on Star Wars merch and desperately want their IP to remind them of the time they were fresh-faced fans. That’s who Star Wars is for now. It’s not good, but we deserve it.
I have a curious relationship with Star Wars. I watch or play most of the stuff connected to it (or, in the common parlance, consume most of its content), but have never been in love with it. I don’t have any particular horse in the race. I don’t care that Lizzo and Jack Black are in the latest episode of The Mandalorian because I remember that the third movie ends with teddy bear puppets defeating the fascists and that the musicians are called ‘jizz wailers’. It’s always been a little silly. But it can still be silly and good. What’s more, it can be silly and good and important. But right now, it’s just a mess, and we deserve it.
Star Wars conventions have been around ever since there were Star Wars. But they used to be events for looking back, with fan-favourite clips being shown, some behind-the-scenes footage, and autographs with the stars. If there were any announcements, they would be special editions of existing things, which we did see over the weekend with discussion of the 40th anniversary cut of Return of the Jedi. We had interviews and behind-the-scenes clips too, including sequences that were storyboarded using action figures, but they were no longer the draw.
You can’t make money off the past. At least, not until you find a way to sell it into the future. Star Wars, in part thanks to the fact it’s owned by Disney, is fully in the capitalist vortex of churning out every possible spin-off it can, chasing that sweet, sweet dollar. The part of this problem not directly caused by Disney is caused by the fact Star Wars’ biggest creative leads were huge fans as kids, and are now recreating that, forever. Nothing new, just the stuff that blew their minds in the ‘80s.
The Mandalorian only exists because people thought Boba Fett’s helmet was cool. Granted, we got one great series out of it, and a few other good episodes sprinkled in, but now it’s running on fumes. It can’t just be a space western, it has to link to Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka and Boba Fett. Boba has his own spin off show too, with Ahsoka’s on the way, and now we know we’re getting a ‘MandoVerse’ movie. Why does The Mandalorian need its own universe? It’s already part of the Star Wars universe. I thought the whole point was that it was its own thing that could tell smaller stories.
This is where our own culpability comes into it. Culturally, we have shown ourselves to be good little piggies consuming content on demand. Though the superhero box office dominance is waning, we have supported the creation of spin-off after spin-off, universe after universe. About 476,923 new Star Wars projects were announced or discussed during the conference, and the vast majority were continuations, spin-offs, or old characters getting to ride again. Star Wars is failing to take advantage of the world’s potential in order to appease YouTubers with stained shirts who think it’s woke that Daisy Ridley’s abs give them complex emotions.
Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi was a bold, modern interpretation of Star Wars lore that set up new heroes with new stories and had some of the best, most layered acting the series has ever known. In the very next movie, it was all burned down so that the classic heroes could shine again. Rey went from being a nobody to being a Palpatine and then a Skywalker, only worth the viewer’s time because she has famous blood. They nepo-babied her. Now it turns out Rian Johnson’s planned trilogy is dead. Don’t worry though, Rey is getting a movie that will double down on her innate importance that only exists because of her last name.
Star Wars had a chance to be new again, to continue to blow the minds of fresh-faced fans once more. After Rogue One and The Last Jedi, it was in a place to bring in bold stories with exciting heroes. But it’s no longer interested in fresh-faced fans. It cares about middle aged dorks who remember being fresh-faced fans and now spend 20 percent of their annual earnings on Star Wars merch and desperately want their IP to remind them of the time they were fresh-faced fans. That’s who Star Wars is for now. It’s not good, but we deserve it.
