Five Reasons Why Luke Skywalker Series Is A Good Idea And Five Reasons Why It's Not
Why It's A Good Idea:
1.) More Jedi Action - The Jedi have become iconic for their flowing robes, their wise perception of the galaxy, and their weapon of choice, the lightsaber. The original trilogy showed just a small amount of a Jedi's combat prowess, including Luke cleaning up the scum and villainy aboard Jabba's sail barge in Return of the Jedi. But it was the prequels where the true power of the Jedi was on full display. The dismantling of battle droids, acrobatic maneuvers, and over-the-top saber duels make the Jedi the best parts of the prequels and The Clone Wars. A Luke Skywalker series would be an excellent platform to see a favorite character from the original trilogy get these kinds of moments and duels. Whether he be sparring with young Ben Solo or Leia or taking out servants of Snoke, we would be in for some exceptional action from Luke. Witnessing the power of a true Jedi Master against the forces of the dark side would be reason enough to tune in every week to a Luke Skywalker series.
2.) Expanding the Universe - The content formally known as the Expanded Universe, now referred to as Legends, contains its own version of events post-Return of the Jedi. While there are some great stories in Legends, there are also plenty of ideas that just don't fit in the Star Wars universe. Case in point, the Yuuzhan Vong and their fire-breathing snakes and bug-knives are seriously bizarre and seem like something out of a fever dream. However, Expanded Universe content also brought us characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn and Mara Jade, who could both make an appearance in a Luke Skywalker show. While Thrawn seems to be the big bad that Ahsoka, Din, and the Rangers of the New Republic will end up confronting, Mara Jade could prove to be quite the adversary to Luke and his apprentices. In the old EU stories, Jade (also known as the Emperor's Hand) was the recipient of Palpatine's final order: "You will kill Luke Skywalker." If she were to be introduced into the current cannon, this hypothetical show would be the place and could lead to many great saber duels, as Jade wielded a purple saber of her own. There was a great rivalry between Luke and this dark side assassin who eventually became his wife.
3.) More of the Jedi Foundling - At this point, the phenomenon that is Baby Yoda needs no introduction. What we need is to know what happens to this tiny, green youngling. The Luke series would be the next best place (besides The Mandalorian) to get everyone's doctor recommended dose of Grogu. Not only would we get more adorableness and the development of this tiny character, but also get to see how Luke's Jedi Order differs in its training compared to the Jedi of the Old Republic. Part of the message of the prequels is the reexamining of old ideas and traditions, as the dogma of the Jedi was part of what drove Anakin Skywalker to become Darth Vader. This is shown even more by Luke's forging of and reliance on friendships and positive attachment in the original trilogy. Watching Grogu develop, both as a Jedi and as a character, under Luke's tutelage would be worth the price of admission on its own.
4.) Explaining Hermit Luke - One of the most criticized parts of the sequel trilogy continues to be the handling of Luke Skywalker's character. Many argue that one of the most optimistic individuals in the galaxy, the very embodiment of hope, would never abandon his friends and isolate himself away from the events of the galaxy the way he did The Last Jedi. After all, this is the Jedi who saw good in Darth Vader himself. Whatever your opinion on Luke's actions (or lack thereof) in the sequels, more backstory and explanation is needed to truly drive home the themes and lessons of The Last Jedi. How many of his apprentices were killed when Ben Solo burned the temple? This raises a whole other slough of questions about everyone's favorite small, green, Force user. Grogu can't meet his end at the hands of Ben Solo. Right? A Luke series would give a perfect opportunity to show Baby Yoda sharpening his Force skills before safely returning to Din Djarin.
5.) Opportunity for a Fresh Start - One of the few controversial parts of Luke's appearance in The Mandalorian was the use of CGI to bring the character to life. While it seemed to work for most viewers, there were some who complained that it took them out of the moment and that they would have preferred a recast. Alden Ehrenreich was a solid choice for a young Han Solo, and Billie Lourd playing her mother's role of Princess Leia in The Rise of Skywalker flashbacks was one of the highlights of that movie for me. A Luke show would obviously require extended performances out of a young looking actor and the voice acting of Mark Hamill. While the CGI in The Mandalorian was passable overall, a recast would be necessary for a full series. Sebastian Stan has been compared to a young Hamill for years online. The fan art of Stan as young Skywalker is reminiscent of the call for Donald Glover to portray Lando in Solo, which was a huge success and will hopefully be repeated in the new Lando series. Recasting Sebastian Stan as Luke would seem to be the obvious choice for any extended Luke scenes going forward.
Why It's A Bad Idea:
1.) Beware the Burnout - On December 10, Disney announced ten new projects in the Star Wars universe. From the High Republic to the New Republic era, animated, live-action, and even anime. these shows will cover everything from "emerging dark side powers" to rebel spies and saboteurs during the Age of Rebellion. While these projects will probably span the next five years or so, it is possible that this amount of new content is simply too much for some. The release schedule of these new announced shows will be extremely important to prevent the oversaturation of Disney+. It's possible that this Star Wars burnout contributed to Solo underperforming at the box office, as it came out only five months after The Last Jedi. Between movies by Taika Waititi, Patty Jenkins, and Kevin Feige, and the bundle of new shows coming to Disney+, adding a Luke Skywalker series would just further muddy the waters and pull viewers away from other shows set in the Star Wars universe.
2.) Expanding the Universe - Between the six movies involving adult Luke, the three about his parents, and his appearance in the Mandalorian, we have seen A LOT of Skywalkers. We even visit their home world of Tatooine in The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian. Meanwhile, Disney has recently launched their new High Republic era with a line of comics, novels, and the upcoming The Acolyte series. Hopefully, this will lead to telling more stories outside of the same fifty-year span that the vast majority of Star Wars currently exists in. This could lead to the telling of stories even farther back in the timeline. Instead of more stories about Luke, the Knights of the Old Republic or stories of the Jedi-Sith wars would be a welcome addition to the canon. Disney+ series would be an excellent place to introduce fan favorite characters like Revan, Darth Nihilus, Bastila Shan, and Darth Bane. Their introduction in live-action, if done properly, would be the fulfilment of what many fans have been asking for.
3.) We Already Have 9 Skywalker Saga Movies - Possibly the simplest reason why we don't need a Luke series is that it already exists. Luke Skywalker's story has been told over the course of the original and sequel trilogies. From a naïve young moisture farmer, to a Jedi like his father before him, to a disillusioned hermit cutting himself off from the Force, the story of Luke has been told. Instead of a Luke series, just watch Return of the Jedi and Chapter 16 of The Mandalorian for the best of Luke Skywalker.
4.) We Know How All This Ends - A Luke series would have to fit in the timeline between the events of the original trilogy and the sequels, unless Lucasfilm wanted to center the show around moisture farming. While Dirty Jobs: Tatooine may not be on the Volume's shooting schedule, a show with Luke starting his new Jedi Order after the fall of the Empire would have potential. Telling the story of Luke and his Padawan learners Ben Solo and Grogu traveling the galaxy, learning the ways of the Force, and protecting the innocent, would certainly garner views from Star Wars fans. However, this show would suffer from a similar downside of the prequels and The Clone Wars. We know the fates of many of the characters. No matter the stakes and the tension, we know how the stories of Luke and Ben end. We even know the fates of many of those who would be supporting characters in the show. Characters like Han, Leia, Chewie, and Lando will be fine, as they all make it to the sequel trilogy. Introducing new characters to the show would also feel like meeting Star Trek redshirts. As soon as a cool new alien crewmate or force sensitive was introduced, we would know that they were as good as bantha poodoo. Especially if they became one of Luke's apprentices. Even if the events of the show doesn't kill them, they will either be killed in Kylo Ren's rampage or turn to the dark side and become Knights of Ren.
5.) High Expectations Surround Luke - When it comes to Star Wars, and especially the sacred ground of the original saga, fans have very specific expectations. When a character like Luke is in the hands of Dave Filoni or Jon Favreau for a limited cameo, it is executed extremely well. But does that mean that a full series of that is a fool-proof plan? Even with Filoni and Favreau already having their hands full with the Ahsoka, The Mandalorian, and Rangers shows? The odds of adding a Luke show to that list while maintaining the high bar of quality of the others is slim. There will be plenty of other shows for the talented creatives at Disney to focus on, and a Luke show would demand the best of the best. At this point, Luke, with Grogu in tow, will be better suited to be a supporting role in the background of the other shows currently in the works as they work to find and defeat Grand Admiral Thrawn.