Speculation: The Mandalorian
As with any Star Wars news, I got really excited to see that Disney is producing a live-action series called The Mandalorian. Given that the project is in the hands of Jon Favreau and is said to feature episodic directors like Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) and Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones), it has a lot of promise. Here's the summary from IMDb:
"After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic" (IMDb).
More and more intriguing. At this point, mystery and theories far outstrip what has been revealed. All the better for wild speculation.
In that case, I hope you like that sort of thing because I've got a lot of speculation. From the brief description quoted above, I can pin a lot of random hopes. I'll go through it piece by piece.
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| First image of The Mandalorian (Lucasfilm) |
"After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, a new warrior emerges..."
The only Mandalorians we meet in the movies are Jango Fett from Attack of the Clones and his unaltered clone son Boba Fett we see in Attack of the Clones, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. But most of what we know about the people of Mandalore comes from Clone Wars and Rebels series. This quote definitely indicates we don't follow Jango or Boba Fett, and although it does not rule out following a relative of the Fetts, I figure it's more likely they will choose to create an entirely new character unrelated to known characters. The Fetts are way too deep in the Expanded Universe, so it'd be a lot of pressure to try to live up to this bloodline. By creating an unrelated character, this would allow them to use the richness of the Star Wars universe but give them the freedom to follow their own narrative.
So who would this new warrior be? Not a clue. From the photo, odds are it's human and male. I'd also lay bets that in his 20s or 30s, given the "new warrior emerges" line sounds like someone young trying to make a name for themselves in this sort of power vacuum after the fall of the Empire. Still doesn't rule out someone in their 40s or 50s, which I think would also be an interesting story. An older gunfighter would have lived through the changes from Empire to New Republic, and maybe even freelanced for the Empire. Also could be neat if he was a descendant of a clone trooper, which would give us an interesting backstory seeing as clones were produced from the Mandalorian Jango Fett, and many troopers aspired to Mandalorian ideals.  |
| Boba Fett (Empire Strikes Back) and Jango Fett (Attack of the Clones) |
"...set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order..."
There's a lot they could do in this time period. This squarely puts this between Return of the Jedi and Force Awakens, a period of thirty years. Although this period was one of relative peace, the Empire left behind a power vacuum that the New Republic was slow to fill. It means there's a helluva lot of places where laws need not apply, and plenty of opportunity for trouble. Much has been written about the New Republic and this era, but most of it has been reclassified as Legends. It presents a nearly blank slate, and gives the creators latitude for a character already likely to be roaming the fringes of the galaxy.
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| The Battle of Jakku destroyed the Empire, but set the stage for the First Order (Star Wars Battlefront II) |
"...follows the travails of a lone gunfighter..."
So the gunslinger-for-hire wanders the edges of the galaxy seeking fame, fortune, and purpose. Makes it sound like a western, which is not at all unprecedented. There are definitely flavors of western themes throughout the major films, with lots of influences on setting and characters (especially Han Solo and Boba Fett) from Sergio Leone's "Man with No Name" films (Young) and some plot points for New Hope in John Ford's The Searchers (Wickman). And certainly Solo: A Star Wars Story ramps up those western themes, complete with cantinas, gun fights, and train robberies. There's a whole "sci-fi/space western" genre out there, with series like Firefly, Westworld, and Cowboy Bebop each throwing their own twist on those old spaghetti westerns. If The Mandalorian is also going to follow this trend, free from the restrictions of a Han Solo or Boba Fett legacy, I think there's plenty of opportunity to explore some of these themes.
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| All that's missing is a tumbleweed blowing across the scene (Enfys Nest and crew in Solo: A Star Wars Story) |
"...in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic."
Again, this sounds like they're playing with the edge. Literally this phrase indicates it's on the edges of the galaxy, which translates to where the law ends. But if I were to stretch it I'd also say it provides an opportunity to enter a world of greys and unknowns. It's definitely been a trend to explore the grey in the newer Star Wars films, especially with Rogue One and Last Jedi. Some people don't like that, and I have to admit that sometimes it's a little hard to set aside my nostalgia. We're used to knowing who the good guys and bad guys are, notably by their uniforms and the color of their lightsabers. But as much as we love the traditional Star Wars films, it makes sense to push those preconceptions.
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| Rogue One was definitely an experiment, a war movie that gets into the guts of the Rebellion and into the moral grey area |
Not all these experiments are going to be gold. Heck, there are some experiments that have already been made Star Wars would love you to forget (looking at you Star Wars Holiday Special). No guarantees, but I think The Mandalorian has a shot at being something pretty great, especially with the directing talents already named. I look forward to seeing this develop, and speculating wildly along the way.
References
Wickman F. 2015. Star Wars is a Postmodern Masterpiece. Retrieved from:
Young B. 2012. The Cinema Behind Star Wars: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Retrieved from:
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