Rogue One: A Star Wars Story / Image by Lucas Film
New Star Wars spin-off shows have been announced for Disney’s streaming service, Disney+. We have some suggestions for other shows the franchise giant could create for the service.
What a time to be a geek! Not only have comic books finally come into vogue, but our favorite franchises are expanding every other day. Recently, Disney, the entertainment conglomerate that owns Marvel and Star Wars, announced several original shows for their own streaming platform’s roster.
Disney+, set to launch in 2019, will have Marvel Cinematic Universe shows, as well as Star Wars spin-offs, including Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian, starring Pedro Pascal and Gina Carano, as well as a Cassian Andor show with Diego Luna reprising his role from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
All this new content is making us Star Wars fans want more. Call us greedy, but Disney has the resources and deep pockets to make our galactic dreams come true. What they need is a push in the proper direction, right?
The Star Wars universe has a vast cast of characters who we would love to see return, but a number of those introduced into the recent cinematic canon have been killed off before audiences got to know them. Spin-offs featuring these characters feel like the way forward.
We at Show Snob have some suggestions for Disney executives – five of them for now, anyway. For the purpose of practicality and logistics, our list of character suggestions for Disney+ spin-offs primarily encompasses new Star Wars characters from the last handful of years.
This makes it possible for the actors to reprise their roles, like Diego Luna will do, while also adding to the mythos.
For this list, we are looking at characters who fans really loved, but are unlikely to see again. Everyone has their favorites, so if you don’t see yours among the list, let us know who they are in the comments and why you want to see them back on screen.
Solo: A Star Wars Story / Image by Lucas Film
5. Val from Solo: A Star Wars Story
Oh, Val, we hardly knew ye. Who among us wasn’t excited to see Thandie Newton bag a lead role in a Star Wars film? The leading ladies of a galaxy far, far away, all look the same – white, petite and brunette – so Newton was a refreshing change from the norm when she appeared in promos for Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Unfortunately, despite being a huge part of the film’s promotional circuit, Val didn’t make it past the first act of the film. Her death was especially insulting as she sacrificed herself under contrived circumstances and then Han Solo’s actions meant she died in vain.
Worse still, her death was caused by an attack by Enfys Nest, who is revealed to be a young resistance fighter. An actor with screen presence like Newton’s deserved better and fans of the Star Wars franchise were rightly upset that a female character of color was killed off.
Val’s history is virtually a blank slate, allowing showrunners to explore the galaxy through the eyes of a character of color with ease. She’s a soldier, a thief and a good person, so how did such a competent woman like Val end up with Woody Harrelson’s sniveling Tobias Beckett?
What crimes did she commit that made her beholden to crime lord Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany)? We don’t even need the other characters to appear – Val can have a fulfilling life all on her own before she meets Beckett or Vos. Without a doubt, Thandie Newton would be up for appearing in a Disney+ mini-series celebrating this amazing character.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story / Image by Lucas Film
4. Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was supposed to jump-start an anthology film series for the Star Wars franchise – one that didn’t revolve around the Jedi or the Skywalker family.
Despite initial skepticism from many, the film took fans by storm with its eccentric characters and a global cast of superstars.
The main Rogue One squad have left an indelible mark on most fans, especially Donnie Yen’s Chirrut Îmwe and Jiang Wen’s Baze Malbus. These Guardians of the Whills joined Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso’s (Felicity Jones) fight on Jedha just before the city was destroyed by the Empire’s Death Star.
We still don’t know if Chirrut truly can wield the power of the Force, but despite being blind, he packed quite a punch in Rogue One. And Baze’s over-protectiveness makes him the level-headed soldier who always gets them out of scrapes.
Their constant bickering but clear bond won the hearts of many. Several viewers read their relationship as more than brothers-in-arms, though a romance between the two of them has not been made canon.
Imagine the stories these two characters could reveal about the Jedi and the adventures they have been on? A Disney+ show about Chirrut and Baze could easily feature the two characters as youngsters as well as their older selves, giving Star Wars fans more characters of color to look up to.
Creators wouldn’t have to look far for inspiration. Greg Rucka’s 2017 novel, Guardians of the Whills is all about Chirrut and Baze. The show would definitely be a hit with plenty of action, martial arts, philosophy and bromance!
Star Wars: The Force Awakens / Image by Lucas Film
3. Captain Phasma
Before the release of JJ Abrams’ new Star Wars trilogy, the hype surrounding Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma reached its peak. A female stormtrooper adorned in menacing chrome armor!
Fans were on board to learn so much more.
Christie didn’t hesitate in making Phasma sound and look as sinister as possible to John Boyega’s Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But then, before we knew it, she’d been shunted down the trash compactor never to be seen again. Except, we were!
Phasma returned for a surprise appearance in the sequel, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, only to be dispatched to her death once again. We fans cried foul at the double whammy.
Phasma deserves better. While she has returned in the animated Star Wars prequel show, Star Wars Resistance, Phasma needs to lead a show of her own.
So far, the films have shown the First Order to be run by petulant fools, but Phasma could elevate the stakes by actually being evil. Popular media tends to shy away from female villains, and one like Phasma would do well to turn the tables.
She’s an authoritarian figure loyal to the First Order, making her the perfect conduit to showcase the inner workings of the Order.
The material can be gleaned from the numerous books about the character already in circulation. Guest appearances by Domhnall Gleeson’s General Hux, Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren and Finn would add to the fun.
Christie wouldn’t even have to appear in every episode on Disney+ – she could lend her voice, and a stunt double could match her movements. Honestly, this show writes itself!
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story / Image by Lucas Film
2. Bodhi Rook and Galen Erso
Weird combination, right? Not really. Riz Ahmed’s Bodhi Rook was indebted to Mads Mikkelsen’s Galen Erso, and even died with his name on his lips in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
As a simple cargo pilot for the Imperials, Bodhi would not have thought he could make much of a difference, but that changed when Galen took him under his wing. Galen brought out the best in Bodhi – allowed him to be true to himself. Together, they ended up saving the Star Wars universe!
Of all the characters in the Star Wars films, Bodhi is unique because he’s the little guy. He’s an Imperial officer out of necessity rather than evil intentions.
I love that about this character and Riz Ahmed plays him with a reticent anxiety that makes his actions in Rogue One even more courageous. It will also be fantastic for an actor of sub-continental origin to lead a science-fiction property.
If Disney made a show about Bodhi and Galen, I surmise it would be similar to Star Wars Resistance, with Bodhi setting off on missions to gather intel or sabotage the Imperials, while feeding Galen valuable information.
We could also see the machinations behind building the Death Star. The occasional guest appearance by Ben Mendelsohn’s Orson Krennic would not be amiss. As per James Luceno’s Catalyst (Star Wars): A Rogue One Novel, Krennic had an unhealthy obsession with Galen, which would give some fans Hannibal-esque vibes.
Both Ahmed and Mikkelson have television experience, so working in this format would be a case of juggling around their busy schedules.
Solo: A Star Wars Story / Image by Lucas Film
1. Young Lando Calrissian
George Lucas purportedly included Billy Dee Williams’ Lando Calrissian in the original Star Wars trilogy after calls for more diversity in the series. Of course, Lando was introduced as a bad guy, but his actions came from a good place.
It wasn’t long before he won the hearts of fans and has become an integral part of the canon.
When Solo: A Star Wars Story was announced, the casting of young Lando was of great concern to fans. But Donald Glover took the role by the horns and ran with it.
We hear him in the film before seeing him and he captured Williams’ speech pattern and pitch perfectly. Glover added the right amount of levity and pathos to the character; it’s a shame the script didn’t allow him much screen time.
Calls for a Lando solo film sprung up shortly after Glover’s casting, and since it was revealed that the character is pansexual, fans have been craving more.
Lando is a narcissistic, gambling rogue, always out of pocket and desperate for a quick credit – the kind of adventures he could go on would be immeasurable.
I liken a show about him being similar to Captain Kirk’s in the original Star Trek series – finding trouble and love in every corner.
Glover is a busy man juggling his acting career with his Childish Gambino music persona, but I doubt if Disney came a-knocking, he’d be able to resist. With a wardrobe as cool as his personality, a Lando show could be that feel-good escape all fans can enjoy.