What Could The Time Period For Patty Jenkins' 'Rogue Squadron' Be?
A new era of Star Wars films that will not focus on the Skywalker family will be released in theaters a couple of years from now, but it won’t stop us Star Wars fans from speculating and anticipating what Lucasfilm president and executive producer Kathleen Kennedy and writer/director Patty Jenkins can do.
At Disney Investor’s Day presentation, executive producer Kathleen Kennedy gave a hint about what the story will be about.
“This story will introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots, as they earn their wings, and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill ride. The legend of Rogue Squadron has been long beloved by Star Wars fans, and will move us into a future era of the galaxy.”
It’s highly unlikely that the film will follow the storyline of the popular Nintendo 64 game from the 1990s. Nevertheless, “a new generation” and “a future era” outlined very clearly what kind of direction Rogue Squadron could be going in terms of story.
Cinema Blend has some examples of what time periods in the official timeline the story can end up being set.
Before A New Hope
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story planted the seed for the backstory of the squadron's name. In the comics from Marvel, the squadron is named after Rogue One sometime between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. However, pilots were still around, and we could see a squadron before the name officially comes into play. The “future era” in this scenario could be regarding the film franchise rather than the in-universe chronology.
Between A New Hope And Return Of The Jedi
A possible take on the past of Star Wars is the squadron’s development throughout the original trilogy era of the Skywalker saga. This idea feels far-fetch, but maybe the film could focus on Wedge Antilles’ career as an X-Wing pilot. It may disqualify the “future era” claim, along with the “new generation” idea since we may see familiar characters return to the franchise with this film. That time period may introduce new characters with Wedge as the main focus in the story.
Between Return Of The Jedi And The Mandalorian
Star Wars: Squadrons is an example of fighter pilots engaging in war for causes that make Star Wars history. The post-Return of the Jedi timeline can be an inspiration and might tie into the events of The Mandalorian. The show introduced new pilots with Trapper Wolf (Dave Filoni) and Captain Carson Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee). This could serve as a reminder to the viewers that the New Republic needs pilots.
Between The Mandalorian And The Force Awakens
The Mandalorian may have introduced new pilots, but Star Wars: Rogue Squadron may explore the gap between The Mandalorian and the rise of the First Order. The New Republic’s starfighters may battle against the remaining Imperial forces that will eventually become the First Order.
Between The Force Awakens And The Rise Of Skywalker
Denis Lawson’s Wedge Antilles, one of Rogue Squadron's aces, returned in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker after being a prominent character in the novel Resistance Reborn, which was set right after The Last Jedi, which itself was set right after The Force Awakens. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron could potentially bridge the gap a bit more between the stories. This possible scenario would see post-war pilots carry the banner and a new beginning for its legacy.
After The Rise Of Skywalker
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron may finally give the world a post-war cleanup story. This option is, most likely, the time period we’ll see Rogue Squadron working in. A new beginning that would put the starfighters of the legendary flying force of the New Republic against new villains post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Source(s): CinemaBlend