When it comes to sleazy, clickbait titles, it doesn’t get better than what we cook up here at UTF.

Yesterday a rumour hit that Disney is looking to hook up with Netflix again for three live-action Star Wars shows, which got us thinking: what could they be about? If you were wondering the same thing then good, because we’ve got you covered.

#5 – JEDI: ORIGINS

One of the reasons why the Force is so great is because it’s mysterious. When George Lucas tried to explain it away with midi-whatever in The Phantom Menace pretty much everybody thought it was a terrible and stupid idea – and rightfully so. While curiosity tells me that a miniseries about how the Force was first discovered would be interesting (it would be), lots of people already have their pre-conceived notions about what it is and how it came about and a show would ruin that, especially if it sucked. Instead, why not a show about how the Jedi and Sith first started out instead?

Some may argue that not knowing how they started out adds to the appeal of the Jedi and the Sith, but this has actually been explored in the Expanded Universe already – which is no longer canon.

Many ancient and semi-legendary organizations have been proposed to be the forerunners of the Jedi Order, including the Order of Dai Bendu, the Followers of Palawa, and the Chatos Academy. Of all of the ancient Force traditions, though, the true origin of the Order was found on the lush planet Tython in the Deep Core. The galaxy’s best philosophers, priests, scientists, and warriors were brought to Tython circa 36,453 BBY by mysterious, pyramidal ships called Tho Yor to discuss their discoveries involving the enigmatic and mystical energy known as the Force. These people, known as Tythans, eventually came to identify as the Je’daii Order, a group of Force-sensitives determined to keep an internal balance between the light side, or Ashla and the dark side, called Bogan.

The Sith came about much later – around 6900 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) – but Disney can easily change all of that. As is often the case with expansive franchise histories, they get a little confusing to the average joe and if Lucasfilm were to strip back some of the fat then a re-invented Jedi discovery story would probably look very different. Perhaps it was two siblings or friends who discovered the ways of the Force, but each had differing opinions on how to wield it, leading to a split and the forming of the Jedi and the Sith. There’s so many possibilities for where to go that they could really do anything, and on Netflix there won’t be any restrictions on how far they can take the characters. Damn, now I really want this show.

#4 – A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A STORMTROOPER

Stormtroopers – the unsung heroes of the Original Trilogy. You gotta love ’em; they’re supposed to be serious, intimidating soldiers, but instead they appear fairly bumbling and not too great at their job. They’re an integral part of pop culture, so why not center a whole show around them – a comedy, even?

Robot Chicken has dabbled with this subject in the past and it’s always produced humourous results. What was it actually like to go out there every day on the front lines, shootin’ up those darned rebels? Did you sympathise with their cause or were you a total Empire junkie? These guys had friends, families – they weren’t just evil shills. That’s why a show like this could be so interesting, because it’s from the “villain’s” perspective.

While I naturally view something like this as a potential comedy, it could really be taken several different ways. A Band of Brothers-style war series, perhaps (which may actually be better). Admittedly, I’m not a fan of how so much content seems to revolve around the Episode III-IV gap and the movies’ timeframe but the fact is there is still loads of stuff left to explore with it. Star Wars at its core is good vs evil, but the expansion of the universe with Disney lends itself to adding a little more dimensions to the two sides, rather than simply “this is good and this is bad”. It’s dull and they can do way more with these movies and shows – especially on Netflix.

#3 – JEDI ACADEMY

“Dammit, what is it with this guy and Jedi?!”

Not every potential show has to be “edgy, dark and gritty”. This would be lighter fare, more in tone with what’s put on ABC and other major networks than the stuff Netflix produces. The basic premise would be a group of young adults going through Jedi Academy and the trials and tribulations associated with that. It may sound generic and dull but there is a heck of a lot you can do with it; imagine the tone of the Marvel movies with lightsabers. I mean, that basically spells out ‘hit’.

The Prequels established the canon that Jedi have to begin training as children, but that wouldn’t appeal to all of the older Star Wars fans since the kid actors would probably be annoying and people wouldn’t watch it out of principle (unless it was really, really good). Therefore, I propose having it take place way in the past. Sure, it means you can’t have any familiar faces pop up (maybe Yoda depending on the timeframe) but the benefits are even greater; a whole new time period could be explored, new characters could become fan-favourites and it’s an opportunity to show more of the universe.

#2 – EPISODE VI-EPISODE VII…?

Almost much everything Star Wars right now is Original Trilogy-related. Star Wars Rebels is set inbetween Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The ongoing main comics series from Marvel is set during the times of the OT featuring more of Luke Skywalker’s adventures. Star Wars: Rogue One is the first in the spin-off ‘Anthology’ series, which is about rebels stealing the plans to the Death Star (so it’s the same again). The one after that is a Han Solo prequel – again, the same setting. It’s strange how on one hand Disney seem very fixated on moving the franchise forward with The Force Awakens, yet at the same time they’re completely dependent on the Original Trilogy and the recognisability surrounding it.

I hope this era is done away with in a few years. Okay, I am cheating a little since the Stormtroopers show would have to be in that time period, but I want new stuff. We’ve seen all these other places and characters a million times. Obviously it’s cool to see them again, but let’s not be afraid to create new, exciting characters so we can love and cherish them too. Right now there’s a big, fat time period just waiting to be explored. Yes, I am talking about the thirty-year gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.

This is actually bigger than that other gap (nineteen years), meaning there’s eleven more years worth of content to explore – and our favourite characters are all there! Luke, Han, Leia, Land-

Okay, no I just said create new characters. Don’t get too caught up in nostalgia, kids!

Aside from upcoming books attempting to bridge the gap between films, we have absolutely no idea what went down. The general consenseus for a long time was that the rebels destroyed the Empire completely and founded a New Republic, however that’s been completely shot down by the new canon. There is no galactic government, the Empire has become the First Order and they’re still fighting the rebellion. Oh, and Luke Skywalker is a missing hermit. Yay!

How did it all end up like this? Well, we know there was some sort of ‘Battle of Jakku’ (the desert planet in the trailer) because it’ll be in the next Star Wars: Battlefront. There’s also twenty of those little books coming out to bridge the gap called Journey to The Force Awakens…

And here’s the synopsis for the first book, Star Wars: Shattered Empire, giving a little tease as to what life in the galaxy was like post-Return of the Jedi.

In December, a new chapter in the Star Wars saga will begin when Star Wars: The Force Awakens — the seventh Star Wars film and the first to take place after Return of the Jedi — arrives in theaters. As the excitement for the new film builds, Lucasfilm and its partners will explore the aftermath of Return of the Jedi in a series of canonical projects debuting in September, and Marvel Comics leads the way with Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto’s Star Wars: Journey to The Force Awakens: Shattered Empire #1 (JUL150767)!

Emperor Palpatine’s twenty-year reign of terror came to an abrupt and fiery end in the skies above the forest moon of Endor. A decisive victory for the Rebel Alliance, to be sure, but even with the loss of its leadership, the Empire’s Moffs and regional governors retained their hold on important systems from the Core to the Outer Rim, thanks to the might of the Imperial Starfleet. Now, with a power vacuum atop the Empire, those Moffs will jockey for position and control, and the heroes of the Rebel Alliance will soon discover that a wounded and fractious Empire may be more dangerous than any threat they faced before!

Greg Rucka, the acclaimed writer of Wolverine and Cyclops, reteams with his collaborator on The Punisher, Marco Checchetto, for a Star Wars tale that will reveal the untold story of the aftermath of the Battle of Endor and the political machinations that ensued. The Rebellion’s desperate struggle to liberate the galaxy from the Empire’s tyranny will face new challenges, and Rucka and Checchetto will bring their incisive storytelling to a story that no Star Wars fan will want to miss.

A new addition to the Star Wars canon, Star Wars: Journey to The Force Awakens: Shattered Empire will take readers into uncharted territory and set the groundwork for the new Star Wars film. Put your Empire Strikes Back soundtrack in the stereo and cue up “The Imperial March” when you read Rucka and Checchetto’s Star Wars: Journey to The Force Awakens: Shattered Empire #1 (JUL150767) this September!

Here are some more of the announced titles so far…

• Star Wars: Aftermath (novel)
• Star Wars: Journey to the Force Awakens (Marvel)
• A Marvel prequel about C-3PO
• Star Wars: Ships of the Galaxy
  
• Moving Target (Princess Leia)
• The Weapon of a Jedi (Luke Skywalker)
• Lost Stars
• Smuggler’s Run (Han Solo)

Evidently Lucasfilm has a lot of the period mapped out already, but it’s still a great shame to only explore it in print. I’m sure these will all be very good but there’s a wealth of material that would make a good Netflix show – how could there not be with thirty frickin’ years to cover?

#1 – BOBA FETT

Finally, #1 – what I think to be the most likely to happen.

Boba Fett is one of those absolute fan-favourite characters. He wasn’t even that special in the Original Trilogy and had a somewhat lame death, however the character has endured and inspired countless pieces of artwork, fan-fiction, fan-films and devotion. Why? Well, I would say it’s more to do with the idea of the character than how he’s been presented. Lucasfilm has listened to our cries of affection, and he’s gonna be the subject of one of those Anthology movies – or, at least he was.

Josh Trank was originally slated to direct the 2018 spin-off but he strangely dropped out, just when a bunch of damaging allegations came out against him and his work ethics. When Phil Lord and Chris Miller were announced to direct the Han Solo movie many assumed that was what he had been working on, however those in the know insisted it was definitely a Boba Fett prequel. Even before then there had been rumblings that things weren’t going too well in the script department for that one, so why not make it into a Netflix series instead? That way the cinematic feel can be kept and they can really go all-out with the content and make it as dark as possible. It can be a miniseries focusing on Boba’s missions during the time of the Empire – and how he got affiliated with them in the first place – or it could be set after Return of the Jedi, exploring Boba trying to find his place in the world again. Perhaps he’s hired for one last job. There really is so much you can do with the character in a television format and I really believe Netflix is the right home for him rather than the big screen.

For me, the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t truly feel like a universe until Daredevil. The movies and shows have been going on for seven years now but up until then every product was very similar in tone and style – it was the distinctive ‘Marvel’ tone. That all changed with Matt Murdock and co. It was dark as hell, featuring a head getting caved in by a car door by the fourth episode, and all the while you’re remembering that this is set in the same world as Thor and his merry men. To have a functioning and authentic cinematic universe then you need to showcase all different walks of life because that’s how it is in the real world. Boba Fett can do for Star Wars what Daredevil did for Marvel, and due to the success of that show I wouldn’t be surprised if this was already on the cards. Star Wars needs to go dark, and this show is the perfect way to do that.

___________________________

The original report stated that Disney were only looking at three shows to develop with the streaming service, so which three would you like to see show up – or are they three completely different shows altogether? With something like Star Wars then the possibilities really are limitless. Sound off!