The Rise of Skywalker has ushered in an end to the Skywalker saga for now, but that doesn’t mean it’s over for good. The future of the Star Wars universe remains unknown at this time, as the producers at Disney struggle to find their footing again.
There’s plenty of options and tonnes of opportunities to explore, but it’s difficult to pick a clear path and stick to it. Here’s 10 directions that the Star Wars franchise could go in, now that another huge trilogy has been completed.
SEQUEL TRILOGY
There’s a possibility here that Disney could wait a little bit and then jump straight back into another sequel trilogy. There’s been talk that the company doesn’t want to forget about the new characters they’ve created for the last three films.
The fact is, Rey, Finn, Poe and even BB-8 are just as popular amongst the younger audience as Han, Leia, Luke and Chewie were during the initial Star Wars release. Financially it would make sense to carry on with these new characters; perhaps as they rebuild the galaxy.
LONG BREAK
Even fans of the franchise would admit there has been a lot of Star Wars recently. What could be incredibly beneficial to let audiences breathe is to take an extended break and re-visit this franchise a couple of years down the line.
There’s been announcements that this could be the case, but then there’s also lots more books, comics, games and even series on the way, so it doesn’t sound like much of a break; plus there’s multiple films still in development!
DISNEY PLUS FOCUS
Disney Plus is a very useful resource for the franchise, as it can continue to keep Star Wars in the public conversation without becoming a financial risk or forcing people to keep heading to the cinema. Fans can enjoy the galaxy far far away, from their couches!
Putting the focus on the Disney Plus series would be creatively beneficial as it allows storytellers to work in realms they may not have considered before. We’re loving the fact Obi-Wan Kenobi will be back on our screens and a Rogue One related series is definitely welcome.
ANIMATED RESURGENCE
The animation team at Lucasfilm is clearly very talented, having now produced three completely different series, all of which were critically praised and successful amongst different fan groups. The future could well be in more animation.
The Clone Wars revival is symbolic of the fact that Disney are willing to go down this path, however they are likely testing the waters to see how successful a project like this can be on their streaming service. Vast stories can be told in this unique medium.
RIAN JOHNSON TRILOGY
It’s fair to say that this movie franchise will be around in the next decade, but in what form we do not know. Rian Johnson has been a key part of the last trilogy, although the talented filmmaker has his fair share of critics.
Regardless, it’s difficult not to be excited about a trilogy from the incredible writer and director. There’s every chance that by giving Johnson free reign on this universe, we could actually receive something very special that may just rejuvenate this franchise.
OLD REPUBLIC
The world of the Old Republic has yet to be explored in any live action format. We’ve seen it in the ongoing MMORPG and of course the other games that have become so popular amongst Star Wars fans both new and old.
The extended universe explored this time period further, as has the recent Disney canon which has touched on it briefly in various mediums, including the comics. A film about this era may have been in the works already so we can only hope this is the next path they take.
SOLO FILMS
There have been a few spin-off or solo films already, ironically one based on the character with the same name. They weren’t overly successful which is why Lucasfilm may have shied away from the idea and turned to Disney Plus for spin-offs.
However, even if they are released on the streaming platform, there could be room here for genuinely compelling spin-off films if the right characters are chosen. Obi-Wan was a prime contender but there are plenty of leading women and men who could take on the challenge.
COMPLETELY NEW
One thing that hasn’t really been discussed so far on this list is actually taking on something completely new. There’s a lot of very familiar ground to tread so far, but aside from Rian Johnson’s work, there’s nothing groundbreaking and different.
Of course, by taking a few risks this whole universe can be reinvented, perhaps with a huge time jump or by going back even further to the days of an ancient civilisation. Either way, something we’ve never seen in even the comics or books could be fun.
LEGENDS RETURN
The Disney machine has overruled all the previous extended universe naming them Legends and replaced them with a new canon. While this is easier to follow, there are some absolute gems that are therefore forgotten about.
The team at the Lucasfilm Creative Group has done a good job of bringing back some of these elements, but maybe the next few years could focus on bringing back more of the Legends concepts and writing them into this new canon.
SITH REVIVAL
The Sith are never the main focus of these films. Sure there’s a couple of books that actually put all the attention on the Sith Order, but mostly the films are told from the perspective of the much more peaceful Jedi and the good side of the force.
We’d love to finally see a full film dedicated to telling the story of a Sith Lord. Maybe this could be a kind of sequel to the latest trilogy, as a dark side wielder tries to find a place in a balanced galaxy that doesn’t call for such evil.
