Playing the "What If" game in Star Wars

I hear you mate. But sadly, that's never going to happen.

 

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Great in theory, and I definitely sympathize with your aggravation, but neither fans NOR studios want that. Disney and Lucasfilm want the buzz, they want the excitement and theorizing. They THRIVE off of that in the time between movies. Theorizing responsibly isn't a problem either - I theorize about tons of non-Star Wars things, and rarely do I get disappointed when it's not true because I DON'T HOLD ON TO MY THEORIES AS CANON. The fans that do are the problem, and there is a fine yet still visible line between the two.
Even for Star Wars, I'm not upset when my theories aren't true.*

My what if is pretty simple: What if Markus and McFeely (the writers of Captain America 1-3 as well as Avengers 3 & 4) wrote or with JJ Abrams co-wrote Episode 9. JJ is an incredibly talented director who makes such good eye-candy movies. I love most of the new cast he's introduced, and those I don't love I do love to hate. Markus and McFeely know how to work with a large cast of characters and create a satisfying story that also is paced incredibly well. They know how to challenge their protagonists, be they villain or hero, to create a depth within them. They know how to introduce new characters into a story without it feeling too bloated. And they know how to turn a fetch quest into a meaningful, (mostly) character driven story. These two aren't perfect, as their characterization of Black Widow post-Winter Soldier is pretty questionable, but they told a convincing narrative for a complex storyline and gave multiple characters fantastic endings.


*with the exception of Snoke being Plagueis. I still feel like that was a majorly missed opportunity, and I probably always will.

 

Oh I love theorizing as well. For 40 years I have done it, yet when the lights go down and I see "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away appear..." I just push it all aside and say now tell me your story.

 

That's amazing! I think the last Star Wars movie I did that with was Solo. I find that I'm more comfortable with your idea of letting the movie tell the story when I have faith in the movie (read: the reviews from reviewers I like and/or respect, people behind the camera I trust, and overall excitement level) itself.

 

Really dont pay much attention to reviews of Star Wars movies any more. Sure I check the scores, but not the actual text or videos. For the most part the things that throw me out of a movie are low production values. I trust Disney from years of seeing them make films with high production values. I cant recall the last Disney film that I went to where I can say well they cut there losses and just released that to get whatever revenue they could manage. That doesnt mean I have enjoyed all of them. Just that I dont need reviews for them. Have to say that the last film I went to see and I walked out and said what a hunk of crap was Justice League and I really expected that because I didnt trust the production values. Last film that production values betrayed me greatly was Mad Max Fury Road. I thought it was a awful, just awful. Just seemed a noise fest. I grew up on Max Max movies as well. I remember seeing the 1st one at the 400 Theater in Chicago. It was a double feature with Moonraker. Saw it with my dad.

 

I mean, my above statement goes for all movies, not just Star Wars, but I get your point.

Funnily enough, I do the opposite. I try not to care about the numbers, but about whichever reviewer I trust's feelings on it.

Justice League had...issues. Part of it were outside of the film's control (Synder stepping down during post-production due to his daughter's suicide), other parts...not so much (how much was changed in post-production and reshoot, getting rid of Junkie XL as the composer and brining in Danny Elfman (who was super arrogant about it)). I'm not trying to defend everything about it, or even defend the quality (I DO NOT like the movie as it is), but there WAS a lot going on behind the scenes that shaped the movie. If that's what you mean as production values, then you were right not to trust it.

Production values hasn't meant much to me because that I don't see that as an indicator of whether or not I, Use the Falchion, will like the movie. A movie can have high production value, a great cast, and a good story and I can still hate it. I still actively dislike Logan and will probably feel the same about Joker when I see it (...but I'm still going to see it eventually). Production value to me says more about the objective quality of the movie, whereas I like to know a little more about the subjective quality going in. But it's a really cool and interesting way of looking at movies! I would have never thought to do so before, and I might try it out sometime.

 

FYI I usually just check the scores for curiosity.

For Justice League all my senses were telling me that the film needed to be delayed, but WB just wanted to cut bait.

Then the subject matter has to have interest for me. To be honest as much as I love Batman I have really grew tired of reboots and everything. Yes I know Joker is not Batman, but very closely tied to him so I didnt see it. My son went to see it and hated it so I havent seen it.

 

Isn't it amazing what has come from a single idea, from a single man, in the late 1960's? A guy who loved the early TV space serials?

I begrudge Lucas for an awful lot these days but the guy had incredible vision.

 

Awkward that. It was a page from Slaine: Demon Killer.

Sláine: "Announce me, dwarf."

Ukko: "Er... Sláine Mac Roth... a bone-splitter, a reddener of swords, a pruner of limbs who delights in red-frothed, glorious carnage. No welcome visitor. Not a friendly face. Your lives would be prolonged for getting out of his way. Excellent with the axe and sword he is. Far from trifling the wounds he gives with his ungentle, woe-working weapons. Well damaged his enemies. Their tribes are full of vacancies. But I expect you know that yourselves now!"

2000 AD prog 854

Just thought it would be cool to see Anakin as being like Slaine and Yoda being like Ukko.

 

What if Krennic choked on his aspirations?

 

What if Anakin choked on sand.

 

It probably should have, but as seems to be the never-ending case with this movie, the situation was a little more complicated (heck, the circumstances AROUND Justice League are actually more interesting than the movie itself). What was planned, what was filmed, what we got, and Synder's history with extended cuts...let's just say that regardless of the state of the unused material, there IS a reason why diehard fans scream for a "Synder Cut."

 

All Star Section Eight is way better than Justice League anyway.

 

You may not be aware, but R5-D4 did it to himself. You can find the short story explaining this in the 'From a Certain Point of View' novel.

 

What if Darth Bane never become a sith?

 

What if Palpatine failed and Plagueis killed Sheev instead....

What if Uncle Owen allowed Kenobi to train Luke from a young age...

What if Han shot first....

What if the Death Star succeeded in destroying Yavin IV...

What if Anakin's mother was never killed by the Sand People...

What if R5-D4 never broke down in front of Luke...

What if C3P0 never had his memory wiped...

What if Han died on Bespin...

What if Lucas never sold out to Disney....

 

A good what if.... What if Palpatine decided to ignore the rule of 2 and created a Sith army to ambush the Jedi.

 

what if Hux hasn't given the Résistance any information about Palps being back

I guess nothing would have changed...they would have found out anyway

 

What if Palpatine kept his mouth shut and didnt broadcast his return before attacking.