Five Things Star Wars Could Learn from the MCU
Since it arrived in 1977, Star Wars has grown into a massive global phenomenon. Twelve Star Wars films amassed a box office pull totaling over $10 billion. A growing collection of Star Wars television shows, video & board games, books, comics, and podcasts join the theatrical releases.
Despite its cultural ubiquity and financial success, Star Wars receives its fair of detractors The Star Wars sequel trilogy received a mixed critical and popular response. Some observers felt that the series seemed torn between delivering familiar beats to devoted fans and attracting a new audience with fresh ideas and original characters.
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The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) could serve as a source of inspiration as Star Wars creators consider the future of the series. As the other major media entity associated with Disney, the MCU has charted a path forward in the streaming era. While Star Wars should remain true to its unique qualities, the franchise could adapt some of the MCU’s best elements.
Focus On New Heroes
The Skywalker family and their close associates dominate most Star Wars stories. Even new entries like the Mandalorian feature appearances by iconic characters like Luke Skywalker. These cameos are fun, but they also make the expansive universe feel small. Star Wars should expand its roster of heroes.
In the MCU, no single figure holds the weight of the entire narrative. Tony Stark, the wisecracking arms dealer turned superhero, grabs attention with his charismatic personality. Yet the series allows the infamous Iron Man to die, making way to introduce new characters like Moon Knight or Ms. Marvel.
Avoid Restrictive Storylines
Star Wars feels constrained by its canon. Obi-Wan receives flak for adding a confrontation between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader that supposedly contracts lines delivered by Darth Vader in A New Hope. This new series also struggles to create high stakes as the audience knows that each major character must survive and set the stage for the Star Wars original trilogy.
By contrast, the MCU does not limit itself. It never outright throws out canon, but it uses its comic book source material as inspiration, rather than as a strict boundary. Star Wars could tell more stories where the possibilities are less restrictive.
Bring Genre Experimentation
For the most part, Star Wars stories have a distinct flavor. Galaxy-spanning stakes, heroic tales of good versus evil, and drama punctuated by moments of lighthearted adventure are markers of a Star Wars property. Rogue One’s war thriller style or The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett’s Western vibes show the promise of diverging into new territory.
The MCU presents a great model for this type of experimentation. It offers a consistent brand while allowing each entry to use its own genre. For instance, Thor once lagged his fellow Avengers in popularity due to his self-serious demeanor. Today, the character has gained a whole new reputation by placing him in a comedic role in Thor: Ragnorak.
Explore Space & Time
The Force is supposed to feel larger than life. In practice, the Force can feel limited to use in combat and the occasional prediction of the future. The introduction of the godlike Ones in Star Wars: The Clone Wars suggests a mystical take on the Force that Star Wars should embrace.
Imagine if Jedi could use the Force to alter time and space or explore new worlds. Star Wars creators need to look no further than Marvel Phase Four to see how this could be done. Entries like Loki, Spiderman: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness show how interdimensional travel can make a mind-blowing narrative device.
Form Ensemble Casts
Star Wars characters like to form groups of three. Trios like Luke, Han, and Leia or Rey, Finn, and Poe band together for most of the films. Using more large teams like the clones in Star Wars: The Bad Batch could shake things up.
No one does ensemble groups as well as the MCU. Love them or hate them, the Avengers form the most well-known band of characters in media. Seeing the Avengers split up to accomplish critical missions is always a treat, and Star Wars could adopt this type of model.
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