Over the years, countless filmmakers have taken a long absence from the properties that they created before eventually getting the itch to return, and it doesn’t always go exactly to plan. Most people believed that James Cameron acting as producer and co-writer of Terminator: Dark Fate would mark a return to form, but it only ended up hammering the final nail into the T-800’s coffin.
Similarly, fans were overjoyed two decades ago when it was announced that George Lucas would be directing an all-new Star Wars trilogy, but once we suffered through The Phantom Menace‘s turgid tales of senate hearings and Midichlorians, a lot of the enthusiasm had worn off. There’s no denying that Lucas is full of great ideas, but despite being the creator of one of the world’s most beloved properties, he’s never been renowned as a top-tier writer or director.
After selling up to Disney for $4 billion in 2012, Lucas took a step back, but in recent years he’s become more involved in an advisory capacity to the next generation of Star Wars filmmakers, with some of the more outlandish rumors claiming his involvement has been much more substantial than that. The 76 year-old has become a regular fixture on the set of The Mandalorian, too, and we’re now hearing that he’s pushing for a much bigger role than just sitting on the sidelines.
According to our intel – which comes from the same sources that told us Ahsoka Tano would be appearing in the second season months before Rosario Dawson’s casting was announced – with Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni introducing more characters and settings that Lucas created, he wants to have more creative input on the show and help with the scripts and plot.
While lifelong fans Favreau and Filoni would no doubt be thrilled at the idea, they’re also getting on just fine without having to rely on Lucas’ extensive knowledge of Star Wars. After all, both The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker suffered from relying too heavily on his work for inspiration. Still, keeping him on their side should remain a priority and though it remains to be seen how much more involved in The Mandalorian he’ll be from here on out, it seems his influence will be found throughout the show for a while yet.
