Oooooooooooooooooooooooh.
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past two years, you probably know that Star Wars is coming back to theaters this December. Like many fans, I was pleased to see that Disney has taken this cultural institution and built up a means to expand the universe through a sequel trilogy and a series of anthology films, quite like they have done in the past with the Marvel movies. Since they have allowed a new group of storytellers to come in and put their own spin on the saga, I thought it would be fun to have a go at figuring out some burning questions that can be answered with the resurgence of the franchise.
1. What is a Sith? What do they want revenge for?
Your hate has made you powerful.
We are all familiar with the fact that the prequels were not good films, especially since this plot point was literally placed as a title in the form of Revenge of the Sith. However, we never really get the impression of what the Sith really are and why they have such a burning hatred against the Jedi. More than a few segments of the fan base would point to the books as a means of answering this question, even though they technically don’t exist. Others would just simply point out that the Sith are the evil version of the Jedi, which doesn’t do enough for the story especially when you consider that our only example of how a person turns to the Dark Side came in the form of Anakin Skywalker.
The point of the Dark Side of the Force in the original trilogy was seduction, which was a threat to Luke as he made his journey from a farm boy to a hero. Unfortunately, this same story cannot work if there is nothing to twist. Anakin was never really portrayed as a great man. If we put aside the inconsistencies of the plot, all that we have is a person that doesn’t know how to cope with the real world, gets turned into a slave based on an obvious lie, and cannot deal with it until his son rescues him.
Corruption is much sneakier and sexier than that, especially when you consider the timeless truth that everyone considers themselves to be the hero of their own story.
2. How was the Force discovered? How did the Jedi come to be?
Impressive. Most Impressive.
Another interesting story that could be told through the anthology films is the very beginning of the Jedi Order. What happened when people suddenly learned that they could move objects with their minds or trick people into believing a lie? Some would certainly use it for crime, whereas others would use their gifts for a good cause. And what about the panic that might ensue when the people learn about what the Force-sensitive can do?
The opportunities for storytelling are numerous and can explore what the universe was like before everything that we know of came into being, especially if it eventually leads up to the beginning of the Old Republic.
3. What other threats are out there?
Look at the size of that thing!
When The Force Awakens was announced, I thought that an interesting threat might be something similar to the Yuuzhan Vong. Although Disney threw out the Expanded Universe, the idea of the Vong is something that is important because it is a new threat that can put our heroes in grave danger. Among their many abilities, these aliens made their mark in the previous canon by being undetectable through the Force, which opens up the possibility for many twists and turns in a given story.
Imagine the idea of an extra-galactic threat where no one knows how to deal with it. How would the Jedi (Dark or Light) react to it? Could certain people twist this new disaster to their advantage? What would the consequences of an invasion be? The possibilities are endless.
While I certainly wouldn’t expect them to copy these characters and place them on screen, the addition of something that is completely alien to the heroes (and even the villains) would be a great way to bring the franchise into a new age.
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