How “The Mandalorian” Season Two Can Establish a New “Way” for Star Wars
We’ve reached yet another turning point for Star Wars.
Just shy of a decade removed from Disney’s $4 billion acquisition of Lucasfilm, the super-sized studio now housing multiple billion-dollar properties can’t be faulted for a lack of effort when it comes to making their mark on the biggest science fiction property of our lifetimes.
Theme parks have been opened, a new movie trilogy completed, and a streaming platform launched on the back of the Star Wars name. Now eight years down the road from the day the franchise swapped hands with billions invested and even more recouped, what will Disney do with Star Wars?
The number one priority is very apparently (also on the virtue of being next in line) The Mandalorian. The eight episodes from the show’s first season are arguably the most-watched and universally-approved Star Wars content since Return of the Jedi’s release in 1983. Critically signed off on and devoured by fans over a two-month stretch in late 2019, the second season of the series will reap every last reward of debuting in a world without very much “blockbuster” entertainment to speak of and will likely be a certified phenomenon as it debuts on Friday, October 30.
But what is there to take from all the success? Is there anything specific to this space saga that can’t be replicated later down the road? Could The Mandalorian be simply charting a new path forward for stories like it?
Enough time has passed that we can admit there was a collective “sour taste” in at least some mouths after J.J. Abrams’ The Rise of Skywalker. Concluding 40+ years worth of storytelling with one unceremonious cannonball of forced nostalgia and just setting several loose ends ablaze; Even to those that liked the movie Episode IX represents the disjointed effort that carried the sequel trilogy from its exciting inception to near-lifeless crawling past the finish line. The three films, taken as a whole, aren’t a total failure; just one long messy one.
That’s why it’s so worthy to note the timing of The Mandalorian’s success. As something “unique” (in the sense that it doesn’t tie back to a Skywalker) the first season at least threads a needle between what we recognize and what we want desperately out of this property: the sense of discovery. I know there’s plenty teased between both the previous and upcoming seasons that tie back to the animated canon as well as other well-known pillars of the saga, but at least a majority of The Mandalorian gives us that feeling we had when we first stumbled upon Star Wars, whether that was in a theater, streaming service, or shelf of old DVDs.
“New” or not, what’s most exciting that’s left to be answered by The Mandalorian is this: Do we need another Star Wars movie, or are the best stories for this franchise left to be told on television? There are several film projects now stirring in some form of development yet none announced to a specific date… An easy explanation is Disney’s early exhaustion of the brand. A new trilogy as well as two spin-offs all premiered with a five-year span; the next chapter that plays out on the big screen will have to be carefully calculated to show the studio is learning from their mistakes. Meanwhile, a “one off” Obi-Wan Kenobi series is already slotted as Disney’s next flagship “Plus” title in episodic form.
The next few years will be monumental in Disney’s handling of the Star Wars brand. We’ll certainly see more exposure continue to seep into interactive venues through their parks and other available outlets (video games, etc.), but their approach of telling these stories through film and television will be drastically impacted by what the last five years have taught them. There’s no shortage of opinions out there that can be mined and filtered. What Disney does next with Star Wars, starts by answering what they want with Star Wars.
I think the afore-mentioned crossroads, boils down to two things: what stories warrant multi-movie arcs, and what stories warrant episodic television runs? Finding the line that separates the two, is something that’s left to be done. The solution starts with The Mandalorian season two, and just how far Disney shows they’re willing to push the format. The greater of a success it proves itself to be, the more we might see a galaxy far, far away in a venue that’s closer than ever before.
