You may have heard about the backlash against the Star Wars sequels. Fans and critics alike expressed disappointment about these three films.
Some criticism focused on the story, others on the characters. What if changes were made to these films to improve them?
Read more below to find out about 5 alternative directions for the Star Wars sequels.
Contents
1. Refocus the Characters
One alternative direction for the sequels refocus the villains and heroes. In this scenario, the villains would be respectable and the other heroes would stand out more.
General Hux has been a target of complaint for appearing as a “stereotypical, loudmouthed Nazi-like buffoon” in the first movie. Audiences did not see him as a true threat the way Darth Vader announced his presence. Supreme Leader Snoke was also not as credible since he died so offhandedly.
Further, Palpatine would not be brought back here. Let the Emperor stay dead in the reactor shaft. Instead, a new, more dangerous villain could arise, perhaps a collective Sith similar to what occurred at the end of The Rise of Skywalker.
Maybe Darth Binks could have arisen as the final villain of the trilogy. Jar Jar Binks as a possible Sith Lord gained attention, so this is an intriguing angle. Yet, given the original dislike for this character, it could also backslide into a not respectable or believable villain.
It may be a better bet to follow The Thrawn Trilogy books’ lead and bring in Grand Admiral Thrawn as the top villain. He has credibility with Star Wars fans.
On the hero side, Finn could have played a larger role. The premise of a defected stormtrooper warrants a character that takes center stage, not set to the margins. Perhaps his relationship with Rose could have taken off more.
Poe Dameron could have been decentered the way this character was intended. In the original script, Poe died in the TIE Fighter crash on Jakku. Not having this character would open space for Finn and Rey to develop more and get rid of a strange plot device. Moreover, we could move beyond a Han Solo-like character that flies an X-Wing.
2. The Jedi Come Back
In The Last Jedi, audiences got a sense of Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy where a new generation of Jedi were supposed to come of age. In the sequels, these plans faltered after Luke confronted Ben Solo about his dark side leanings.
In an alternative direction, Luke could have been more successful in training new Jedis. We could stretch the timeline out and allow time for younglings to progress, even if we have the same turn from Ben Solo to Kylo Ren.
The story of a new generation of Jedi could draw on The Jedi Academy Trilogy books for characters and action. We could delve deeper into what happened at the academy and explore beyond it.
In this version, Leia could emerge as the Chosen One, as George Lucas intended. She could have completed her training with Luke and still undertaken political and military roles. Audiences could have seen a Jedi leading the New Republic with other Jedi dispersing across the galaxy.
3. Major Plot Changes
In a sweeping alternative to the sequels, we could have bigger plot twists, wrapped around the main characters Rey and Finn.
Rey would develop a new Jedi Code that merges and balances anger, love, and a range of emotions, contrary to what the Jedi teach. Rey has a journey where she learns this approach and sweeps into action against Kylo Ren and his Knights.
Finn would lead a revolution against the First Order that is backed by other defected stormtroopers and droids in a way that the Duel of the Fates script intended. This would be a compelling war that draws on unexpected heroes.
Both ideas register back to planned ideas for the third film that may have warded off fan and critic complaints.
4. The Force and the Whills
The next alternative would have drawn on George Lucas’s intentions to dive deeper into the Force. Instead of pursuing the battle between dark and light, Sith and Jedi, Lucas would have preferred to go into “the microbiotic world” with creatures called “Whills.”
Lucas wished to explore the underlying nature of the Force and the microorganisms responsible for it. This version intersects with ideas about the midi-chlorians that harness the Force and allow some to tap into this life power.
As such, this alternative could take audiences on a trip similar to what we saw in Quantumania with Ant-Man, Wasp, and others exploring the quantum realm. We could follow the Force back up to the main characters of Rey, Luke, and a new generation of Jedi.
Fans may have issues with this premise, but it would have shaken up the sequels. And, it would coincide with calling in the Veil of the Force idea that the Star Wars Rebels show provided.
5. The Sequels Become Alternative Dimensions
Along with rumors that the sequels could be wiped out from the Star Wars saga rests the mythical dimension called the Veil of the Force that connects time and space. In Rebels, Ezra Bridger went through this space-time portal to save Ahsoka Tano. This concept could be a way to “reset” the sequel trilogy and make it just one of many possible storylines.
As with quantum conceptions in Quantumania, the last three films would become dimensions that could have happened, but didn’t because the Emperor didn’t live on, Ben Solo didn’t turn to the dark side, and other events failed to materialize.
Some articles postulated that the new Ahsoka series may play that role and “erase” the Disney movies. Yet, as we have seen here, the last trilogy could have done that by itself.
We could have seen a movie with alternative dimensions embedded in the narrative. We see glimpses of how it could have been about the Emperor, Snoke, and Hux, but they failed to materialize because of the rise of the new Jedi, including Rey.
This alternative allows many possibilities to sit on the horizon, but only briefly as the story of Rey, Finn, the Force, and Thrawn plays out.
Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan who has expanded into writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has written about recent shows such as The Mandalorian and Andor and classic topics like Darth Vader, the Jedi, and Boba Fett. His recent articles include the MCU’s Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Todd is the author of a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.