Why Wedge's 'The Rise Of Skywalker' Cameo Doesn't Work, And How To Fix It
Imagine sitting in the theater watching The Rise of Skywalker. Some of the story choices are a lot to take in, as they feel like headscratchers. At the climax, there is supposed to be this moment that feels triumphant when many ships arrive to the aid of the Resistance at the Battle of Exegol. And we even get a glimpse of the familiar visage of Wedge Antilles, portrayed once again by Denis Lawson. Except...it does not feel very triumphant. For people like me who read the Aftermath trilogy and the Resistance Reborn novel, it felt jarring. Because right before Wedge's arrival, his stepson Temmin "Snap" Wexley dies.
This is a character whom some readers grew to love in the books, as well as in the Poe Dameron comic series. So to see him die and not have his stepdad react to his death even after their bonding in earlier stories feels like a disservice. It feels too glossed over and adds to the feeling that the team behind the film was not trying hard enough to incorporate more synergy with the tie-in materials. I can not, for the life of me, enjoy the moment in the space battle that is supposed to feel like a triumphant Avengers: Endgame-esque moment.
Since this film, I have been wanting a story in which Wedge, as well as Snap's mother Norra Wexley, react to the death. A story that explores how it affects Snap's friends and family as they perhaps deal with some cleanup of the First Order after this battle. I was thinking that this would make for a good novel. But if the upcoming 2023 Rogue Squadron film directed by Patty Jenkins ends up taking place after The Rise of Skywalker, I believe that that film should touch upon this sort of stuff. We could open with a flashback to the losses at Exegol, and then pick up with Wedge and Norra, as they instruct or provide some wisdom for a new generation of pilots. It would continue the theme posited by the sequel trilogy, in which Han and Leia had lost their son but try to pass on some wisdom to new generation characters like Rey, Finn, and Poe.
Of course, this could potentially depend on whether or not Denis Lawson would return. While it was reported several years back that Lawson would have felt bored returning to Star Wars, he later set the record straight, saying that he would have loved to return if it were not for scheduling issues. However, his nephew Ewan McGregor (young Obi-Wan Kenobi himself) has also said in the past that Lawson was kind of annoyed by the experience of working on Star Wars and getting a huge following, even warning Ewan to not take the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. In any case, Lawson returned for The Rise of Skywalker, though it was for a blink and you'll miss it cameo appearance. So I am not really certain whether he would want to return to the role if it requires more screentime.
I know I may get some hate for this, but in a hypothetical scenario in which Rogue Squadron were to delve into this family matter despite Lawson not wanting to return, I would be fine with a recast. Wedge is a great character. It was great to have Lawson return in the role. However, the characters can grow beyond just the one actor. I am sure that Lucasfilm could find a somewhat similar-looking actor who could convey the "feel" of Wedge Antilles. We have seen it with the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Han Solo. For The Mandalorian, some are calling for Cara Dune to be recast. I would have even been fine with Luke Skywalker himself being recast and played fully by body double Max Lloyd-Jones, given that the CGI face did not really work for me in that instance. If it works for the story in a way that does not break the immersion too much, I would be totally fine with a recast.
But of course, we do not know the direction that Rogue Squadron will be taking. All of this is probably a pipe dream of mine that could be easily crushed. We will just have to see what may (or may not) be in store for the pilot characters old and new.
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