Cognition Dissemination: Star Wars Gets a Marvel Cinematic Universe Equivalent
The Disney-owned Lucasfilm has been seeking to establish the Star Wars equivalent to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years, and they haven’t been subtle about it. Their original plan was to largely continue the franchise in a way similar, though not identical, to the way it progressed under creator George Lucas. Episodes were coming every two years instead of every three, with supplemental films in between. There are two reasons why this failed. The quality of the sequel trilogy was one, with The Rise of Skywalker ending in such an unsatisfactory way that it brought down the previous two films (and arguably some before them) with it. The plan for live-action supplementary material seemed fine with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but Solo: A Star Wars Story brought those plans to a halt too.
The movies outside Solo still performed well regardless of their critical reception, which left Disney hastily planning some way to keep the money train rolling even if it couldn’t be done immediately through more movies. They kept a watchful eye on how Marvel was drifting from one hit to another in the late 2010s (as in, before Phase 4).
This is where The Mandalorian came in, when Lucasfilm realized it was easier to build a small-but-connected universe in a quick fashion through a series of TV shows rather than films after the well for the latter had been temporarily poisoned. The cool space cowboy adventure in Star Wars trappings became an instant hit thanks to its quality and through being the first big show to launch alongside Disney Plus. The combination of those qualities, the appeal of new mascot Grogu (initially referred to as “Baby Yoda”), and his progressing relationship with Din Djarin made the show immediately popular.
The grand plan for this new miniature universe — the Mandoverse, I’m calling it — started coming to fruition through announcements made at the Disney Investor Day 2020 press conference. But early hitches arose. It was confirmed that Ahsoka was getting her own show shortly after her appearance in The Mandalorian’s second season. Rangers of the New Republic was also revealed, one clearly meant to focus on Gina Carano’s character Cara Dune, though no one from Lucasfilm ever confirmed that themselves thanks to desperation to avoid a minefield. The show was put on indefinite hold, and is likely now canned, after Carano’s behavior. The Book of Boba Fett was incidentally the first one to arrive, one announced as a surprise at the end of The Mandalorian’s second season instead of at the conference. The season doubled as a testing ground for this universe, but that was fine when the quality was maintained within it.
Whether the quality will be maintained outside it remains an open question. The Book of Boba Fett’s waded into mediocrity too often, proof of how difficult it is to build a story around a character who went out like a chump in Return of the Jedi. Its most memorable moments didn’t even involve the titular character himself.
The current hopes outside The Mandalorian lie in Ahsoka to show how good a plan this will be, due to start sometime in August. The first teaser shows its potential, and emphasizes how it will play into the overall Mandoverse tale and continue from the tease at the end of animated series Star Wars Rebels. Thrawn, reprised by Lars Mikkelsen, is being built up as a Thanos-like figure who will play the biggest part in connecting the shows, following mentions of him in the last two The Mandalorian seasons. It’s reportedly director Dave Filoni’s magnum opus, which will set expectations nice and high for the first live-action work he’s spearheading.
There’s also Skeleton Crew, a tale that will occur along the same timeline that will involve a force-sensitive adult (Jude Law) travelling with a group of young people. Very little is known about the show outside the basic concept, the timeline, and some directors on board, and no previews have been provided. Promotions should start around the time Ahsoka airs or finishes, assuming the show is still planned to begin this year.
One among the key movies announced during the Star Wars Celebration (since we’re celebrating this franchise once a month now) was for a Mandoverse film that will wrap up the saga, an ostensible equivalent to Avengers: Endgame. Filoni will also direct this, though no indication was given regarding when it will arrive. This all depends on how many more seasons they have planned for The Mandalorian (which could go up to season 4), and if they’re planning further ones for Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew. Maybe they’ll even write another Book of Boba Fett if the mood strikes them. Rangers of the New Republic could also be revived, with the focus shifted to another character.
The plans for this are cynical, and it’s possible we could get too much Star Wars in Disney’s attempt to keep the cashflow perpetually rolling. But this will be fine if — IF — quality can be maintained. I’d prefer for it to be a little above The Mandalorian’s third season and especially The Book of Boba Fett from here. If this proves to be massively successful, Disney will want to apply similar plans to new mini sagas, perhaps through a more thorough exploration of the galaxy during the High Republic era.
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Geoff
News Editor | Geoff is some nerd who writes for a blog and thinks he's knowledgeable. He write a lot about video games, but is capable of writing about other subjects, too. Twitter
