It’s time to talk about something Star Wars has been avoiding for some time: recasting its original trilogy characters. There have long been calls for the likes of Luke Skywalker to be portrayed by new actors (Sebastian Stan, anyone?) but it has, by and large, been something that the franchise hasn’t needed to properly confront – until now.
Pfff, nah. What’s holding the IP back is that the goddamn story is a mess.
The entire thing needs a reboot using the original 3 as an anchor. The prequels are meme garbage; I watched them in theaters (or more accurately, the first one because I gave up after that). I will die on this hill, don’t bother arguing with me. The sequels got JJ Abramsed into lens flare oblivion because that goober can’t tell a coherent story to save his life.
There was some good EU content but there was also the Yuuzhan Vong invasion so maybe we calm it down a bit. By all means keep the Rogue and Wraith squadron stuff, maybe Corran Horn’s storyline. We need not speak of Kyp whatshisname. Mara Jade was amazing and should exist.
One story thread that needs resolution and examination is the nature of the light and dark sides of the forcee. As is they’re basically Buddhism with the serial numbers filed off and respectfully, NAH. Let’s explore the unifying force ideas; make the nature of someone’s character about intentions and actions and not just emotions. We need to make peace with the idea that SW is a space fantasy, not a hard sci-fi show and just learn to be ok with that.
tldr; We need a single, competent vision behind the story and we need to make some potentially polarizing decisions instead of trying to please everyone and ending up pleasing nobody.
I think it would be a horrible idea to butcher the canon again and reboot the whole series.
I think the TV shows are doing fine and (would) work pretty well without the original cast. I’d probably like if they just cut the ties with the original films and just let the upcoming movies play in a future (or past) where the original cast is not necessary for (but pls leave The Old Republic alone).
I mean we do it all the time in comics, anime, and other mediums. There’s no reason Star Wars has to be a special snowflake. And let’s be honest … Lucas has good ideas but has always been bad at story. The originals only worked because his ex-wife edited it into something halfway coherent.
But yeah, it might be worth letting the mainline series fade into the past.
Have you been watching Ahsoka? I personally feel they are at least trying to take the story in the direction you’re talking about. Sabine has next to no force powers, but is taken on as an apprentice by a former Jedi, there’s another former Jedi who is framed as a sith but still holds attachments to his former life (didn’t go full Darth Vader).