I should come right out and admit, I’m not too keen on Disney’s standalone films. Rogue One looks promising; but even with the team behind the “Lego Movie” attached to the Han Solo film, I’m still wary. Rumors also abound of a younger Yoda film or some sort of Obi-Wan Kenobi story. I cannot say either of those really get me too stoked. I will say what most Star Wars fans want to see is a Boba Fett film. I know, I know, that’s the easy choice and yes, more than likely, the bean counters and decision makers at Disney and Lucasfilm will pursue this avenue — and it makes sense for many reasons.
Let’s start with the obvious, which is that THIS is something fans have wanted for a long time. Ever since his untimely demise in Return of the Jedi and ultimately remedied, in the now defunct expanded universe stories, he was brought back. While the EU has now been erased by Disney, this is the best opportunity to bring the Mandalorian back. I do not, however, want to see an ‘Unforgiven’ sort of plot, where Boba suddenly comes out from the Sarlaac pit and changes his colors. No, I want to see a vengeful, and all consumed Fett emerge, barely alive to reclaim his title as the best bounty hunter in a galaxy far, far away.
In my mind, this solo Boba Fett film would take place after Return of the Jedi, but long before The Force Awakens. The film would serve first to establish that he’s alive, but then secondly, track his rise back to prominence. After witnessing how successful “Deadpool” was earlier this year, I could easily envision a Boba Fett film adhering to a similar plot the way that Wade Wilson worked up towards becoming the ultimate mercenary he was. Obviously, there’d be little humor and I would love to see someone like Shane Black work on this script and in my wildest dreams have Quentin Tarantino direct. Okay those last two are probably huge pipe dreams, but I think Disney and Lucasfilm need to prove that they can make individual and unique films outside of the ‘proper’ trilogies, AND create a different tone with each standalone flick. Much in the way the Marvel movies, while all superhero films, have all had their own unique flavor. The early talk of how Rogue One was going to show a grittier, war-side of Star Wars, enthralled me. In the same regard, a dirty, street level, crime infested and violent Star Wars film with Boba Fett as the lead just sings to me.
Now here’s where the other shoe drops. Netflix just announced an exclusive deal with Disney that all future Star Wars content will stream exclusively there. So, as everyone likely recalls, Lucas had stated previously, that he had ’50 finished scripts’ for a live action Star Wars show. That coupled with advances in CGI, graphics, VFX, and this new renaissance in TV for both excellent shows and newfound love of geek genre, make a follow-up Boba Fett series a lock. After establishing his return to prominence at the end of his film, the TV series could pick up a few months later and continue following him. Boba Fett would be the perfect lynchpin to anchor a live action TV series simply because, as a bounty hunter, he is literally all over the galaxy! The show could be on Coruscant or Tatooine, core worlds or rim worlds. You could have Hutts, remnants of Black Sun, a never ending supply of alien scum & villainy. It would give the writers such an open and expansive canvas to explore, enrich and intertwine what’s known, and what has yet, to come. The series could also explore the ongoing fallout from the fall of the Empire and what the New Republic is doing. If we presume this series takes place even twenty years before The Force Awakens then this allows for Boba, in all his travels, to allow for cameos of all manner of secondary and tertiary characters (similar to how Rebels has done).
Now, I’m not going to suggest casting or anything as fan speculation — those suggestions never go anywhere. I’m sure Daniel Logan is available, but I doubt he’s getting the phone call. Plus, much like Judge Dredd, Boba doesn’t take his helmet off often, so there’s really no need of a human face. Hopefully, though, Temeura Morrison is still available to voice dialogue. Hell, if Netflix wanted to go the cheap route, even making this an animated series would work. Bring in Dave Filoni and make it clear, this won’t be a show for kids. That’s my final request, following in the steps of ‘Daredevil’ and ‘Jessica Jones’ — this need to carry the ‘M’ for mature rating. A gritty, grimy, evocative, and adult orientated Star Wars series. I cannot see how this scenario could fail. Those of us who were young enough to enjoy the original trilogy in the theaters, then mildly enjoyed the prequels, and then gushed, at JJ Abram’s take on Episode VII have matured.
I think it’s only natural to have Star Wars evolve and give long-term-fans, something apart from that which, is been known. I guess it’s similar to how as a kid, I watched reruns of ‘Batman’ with Adam West, then enjoyed Keaton in Tim Burton’s “Batman,” but then had to grimace at the Clooney versions before getting the gritty, hardcore, Nolan & Bale “Dark Knights”. That’s what I’m proposing with this two tiered Boba Fett film/TV series, give Star Wars fans that darker side without involving a Sith.
The Cantina Cast
The wretched hive your Jedi Master warned you about!
*I’m a jack of many trades, but master of none; though I excel at drawing, writing and love photography. Aside from this blog I also review movies weekly in my column ‘Film Unfiltered’ for the Valley Breeze in Northern RI. You can find me on Facebook at teburke3, Twitter & Instagram: . MTFBWY, Tom
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