Boba Fett is one of the most enduring and popular characters in the entirety of the Star Wars canon. There was a time that he was set to headline a spinoff of his own, but the loss of the director and the failure of Solo: A Star Wars Story seemingly put the kibosh on that possibility. The project was effectively shelved, along with several other Lucasfilm ideas.
However, when The Mandalorian was announced, fans immediately latched on to the similarities with the fan-favorite bounty hunter. While it seemed clear that the aforementioned character wouldn’t be the lead, this particular series still seems like the perfect place for him to pop up.
Now, acclaimed director and the show’s creator, Jon Favreau has weighed in on the chances. During an interview with Good Morning America, he clarified:
Boba Fett is not one of the all-new original characters…There’s a 30-year stretch of story time that hasn’t been explored at all, except in the extended universe.
While this is certainly disappointing to hear, especially for fans who had their hopes set on this being Boba Fett’s return, there is a certain logic to it. For Star Wars to truly move forward it needs to shed the weight of the so-called “legacy” characters. As eager as some are to see old favorites take part in new adventures, there are just as many looking for new heroes to step in to save that galaxy far, far away.
The news wasn’t all bad, either, as Favreau let the morning show in on his philosophy regarding the series, explaining:
Well, first of all, you have to treat it like you’re making a movie for the big screen. The fact of the matter is that, if you look at Lion King, for example, we were very cognizant that, as many people are seeing it in the theaters, there are gonna be more people seeing it at home. And everybody has these beautiful 16 by 9 flatscreen TVs and you wanna create beautiful imagery that takes advantage of what people have. The Mandalorian, whether you watch it on your TV or if you saw it projected, it should feel just as much like Star Wars as any of the features.
So, even if The Mandalorian doesn’t feature the return of Boba Fett, it’s clear the team behind the project are taking it very seriously. They want to make something that fans, old and new, alike, will enjoy, and we can’t wait to see what they’ve come up with.