Kathleen Kennedy Hints At A Future Return For These Sequel Characters
The Disney era of Star Wars saw a return to the big screen in 2015 with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a highly anticipated cinematic return of the franchise that fans had been waiting for a decade. With this re-introduction of a wide range of new protagonists and antagonists, the film was well-received, and the sequel trilogy of the Skywalker Saga was initially considered to be promising. However, unlike standalone installments such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story that had impressive box office success and critical reception, fans' satisfaction with the sequel trilogy skidded downhill after The Force Awakens.
Marking a new chapter in Star Wars, apart from the return of original trilogy favorites, fans were delighted to be introduced to new characters in The Force Awakens, notably Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). However, the controversially lacking and incoherent character development in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker left a creative vacuum that has yet to be filled. The Finn character, for example, began as an actually promising character that was tragically rendered into mere comic relief in the last two movies. However, for those looking forward to a more in-depth exposition of sequel characters, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy (whose contract was recently renewed until 2024) delivered some good news by teasing the return of sequel characters in future productions.
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In an interview with Empire magazine, Kennedy revealed that apart from the to-be-released television series such as Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett expanding on the prequel and original trilogy timelines, the future of the sequel era is far from over. Concerning the crew introduced in the sequel trilogy, she noted that "those are not characters we're going to forget" and that "they will live on." She emphasized that "those are conversations that are going on with the creative team as well."
With the relatively slow pace of cinematic releases in general, the potential return of sequel trilogy characters would likely materialize in the form of character-guided television series, similar to that of the upcoming Andor show which focuses on the backstory of the eponymous Rebel intelligence officer. It would also arguably be a wise move financially, as Disney+ subscriptions and streaming have become more popular than ever. Following the wildly successful series The Mandalorian, and with delays of movie projects such as Patty Jenkin's Rogue Squadron on the other hand, television shows would remain the focus for the future of Star Wars.
On the other hand, whether the actors portraying the sequel characters would return to reprise their roles would be a foreseeable hurdle as their schedules would all have to align. While the movies of the sequel trilogy were box office successes at the end of the day, the frequently criticized lazy storytelling and shallow character development have understandably left a bad taste in the actors' mouths. Oscar Isaac, for instance, infamously stated that he would return to the franchise “if I need another house or something." John Boyega also was unsatisfied with the direction the story took Finn. Daisy Ridley never ruled out returning to the galaxy far, far away, but it also seemed unlikely it would be anytime soon. Perhaps a promising and well-developed plot for individual series could entice their return. With the many things going on in Star Wars right now, only time would tell if such a project would be come a reality. Despite it being hailed as the end of the Skywalker Saga, fans know there are still plenty of stories to tell about Rey, Finn, and Poe.
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Source(s): Screen Rant