Nostalgia is one of the most valuable currencies when it comes to modern day blockbuster filmmaking, but as of yet, George Lucas’ Star Wars prequels have yet to be reappraised through rose-tinted glasses. The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith all combine to form a cohesive three-movie story, which is much more than can be said for the Sequel Trilogy, but each individual installment has more than its fair share of problems.
The expansion of the mythology almost sank Episode I completely, due to Lucas’ heavy-handed exposition and general shortcomings as a writer, although he’s been quick to blame the fans for failing to grasp what he was aiming for. Attack of the Clones, meanwhile, is serviceable if hardly spectacular by Star Wars standards, leaving Revenge of the Sith to stand head and shoulders above its immediate predecessors as a rip-roaring action epic that does some serious heavy lifting when it comes to tying up loose plot threads.
We’re now hearing from our sources – the same ones who told us Hayden Christensen would be returning for Obi-Wan Kenobi long before it was confirmed – that Lucasfilm are considering exploring and bringing back some unresolved storylines from the prequels in future projects, in order to further embed Episodes I, II and III into the expanded universe, which has largely used the Original Trilogy as its main narrative springboard in recent years.
Further specifics remain unclear for now, but there are plenty of open-ended subplots to choose from, ranging from the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise and Kamino’s removal from the Jedi Archives to a closer look at the Chosen One prophecy or even Anakin’s true parentage, although not all of them would necessarily be good ideas in practice.