Every day we inch closer to Star Wars Celebration 2023, and even though Disney is trying to keep all of the good news under wraps, the amazing creative teams behind the franchise are still dropping breadcrumbs for desperate fans. Director Taika Waititi, for example, has announced a few things that his Star Wars entry will NOT be including. The news comes just before the inevitable Celebration announcements about the possible live-action movies being released in 2023. And fans are still debating worthy inclusions to a list of characters that should be reintroduced in live action fare, like The Mandalorian and the film projects Taika Waititi and Damon Lindelof have in the works, and the list has some truly baffling additions.
Taika Waititi may appear in his upcoming film, which might star a character introduced in the sequel trilogy
Director Taika Waititi is spearheading one of the few remaining blockbuster Star Wars entries. A rumor that the director himself would appear in the film had fans rolling their eyes, but nothing has been confirmed beyond Waititi’s assertion that the movie isn’t about “people in the mountains playing flutes.” The film must have some promise; it beat out Kevin Feige’s nameless blockbuster and Kathleen Kennedy’s fan favorite proposal for a Rouge Squadron movie. Taika Waititi has proven himself time and again as an incredibly talented director and a comedic genius, with eight films under his belt and his lowest Rotten Tomatoes aggregated score a 56%, the director is easily one of the best directors in the MCU, Thor: Love and Thunder’s reception notwithstanding. His tenure as a director on projects like The Mandalorian prove that he has the chops to contribute to the Star Wars universe, and his much- beloved character IG-11 proves that he can insert himself into a galaxy far far away in a manner that doesn’t upset the delicate sensibilities of Star Wars fans.
‘Star Wars’ fans sure are picky about characters considering they have no standards
Star Wars fans have been debating the characters they most want (and don’t want) to see in upcoming entries to the series for years. Whether they be long lost favorites from the Legends entries, or reprises of animated characters for live action fare, many characters have come up in the long running debate over their worthiness for inclusion. The list of contenders Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker (who did get a triumphant return) and Mace Windu, who is championed by Samuel L Jackson himself.
Perhaps the most unusual entrant into the discussion is the Tatooine junk dealer, Watto. Never fear, the fandom as a whole came together in a show of sanity to shoot down the idea of a Watto cameo in The Mandalorian, but now we cant stop thinking about it. The Toydarian was already looking worse for wear during his appearance in The Attack of the Clones, and most fans surmised that the aging alien was probably already dead. The full argument against the character is pretty impressive, with some fans dredging up past allegations of Watto’s characterization being anti-Semitic. The overall sentiment, one with which we cant help but agree, is that it’s better to let sleeping Toydarians lie.
A few more details about Damon Lindelof’s upcoming ‘Star Wars’ project
Star Wars execs withheld any release announcements for 2023 last year, and after a year of silence, many expect Lucasfilm to break its silence with an announcement of the company’s 2025 lineup. With news earlier this month that Kevin Feige’s untitled Star Wars film was shelved alongside Patty Jenkin’s Rouge Squadron, it leaves only two projects left on the table: Taika Waititi’s aforementioned definitely-not-about-people playing-flutes entry, and another developed by Lost and Watchmen writer Damon Lindelof.
The film has director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attached, and reportedly has a person of color in the lead role. If there’s anything we know about Star Wars, it’s that the fandom has a particularly loud minority known for bullying people of color out of franchises, and this projected film has been rumored to follow the events of Rise of Skywalker, as well as feature characters we’re familiar with. If the studio decided to try and redeem itself by giving Finn another go, we’re here for it, though John Boyega has openly stated he has no interest in returning to a fandom that burned him.
Published: Mar 13, 2023 10:00 pm