Mara Jade - Will She Be Canon?

Thrawn can adapt to any plot.

 

If you want good storytelling the new EU may not be the place to find it. From what I'm hearing, the Tarkin book is horrible, The new Star Wars and Leia comics are a joke, Heir to the Jedi is a waste of time and the exerpt I read from Aftermath was neither interesting or well written. As for Luke and his wife in the movie, there is no need to stop and explain their backstory. It will all be explained when it's actually written/produced in the timeline. Confirmation that he has/had one along with her name would be sufficient. Frankly, you've got me concerned about this reboot. First, is the fact that the Big Three are only going to be legacy characters in the ST and now you tell me the new EU is going to be like I, Jedi. I, Jedi is a good one off story but this whole reboot will be an utter failure if the entire 30yrs between the OT and ST ar filled with stories like that. The Big Three is who the fans want to see not stories focused on new, unknown characters. And a few token stories won't cut it. We can accept the ST being the "end" of their story as long as the previous 30yrs actually ARE their story.

As for Mara. She has been Luke's lifemate for nearly 25yrs now and I don't think the fans are going to want to see a new character in her place. I have not been arguing that she would be the exact same character merely that, if the essence of the character (Emperor's Hand, Luke's lifemate) are written into the new reality, it would still be the Mara we all know and love much like the Big Three are still the same characters we know and love but aren't the same as their EU counterparts because that history has been erased. If you can accept the big three like that, Mara should be no problem.

We need to look at this as if we stepped through some kind of dimensional portal and are now in a new dimension/reality with a history we know very little about. The only history we do know matches the dimension/reality we just left so it's conceivable that this one could be similar to it. The important thing to remember is that it's the history that we've lost not the characters, places and discoveries/advances. It's not a question of whether Mara, Thrawn, etc. exist in this timeline but whether or not they are part of the galactic struggle and/or cross paths with the Big Three as that is what the history of this reality will be written about. I am excited to see what this new reality holds for us and fervently hope Mara Jade is a part of it.

If it takes a 'fan-service' to get Mara canonized, I'll take it. Frankly I'm tired of reading posts calling EU/Mara fans a vocal minority. They typically come from 'OT Purists' (those who think the OT is the only true canon and thumb their noses to everything else). If anything, they are the minority not us. We are the ones that have faithfully used our hard earned money buying books, comics, video games, toys, trading cards, board games, clothes, etc. not to mention every version of the OT that came out while the 'Purists' complained about them not being the 'original' movies and, once again, thumbed their noses at them. We are the ones that resurrected this franchise that was thought to be dead by showing that interest in new Star Wars content was alive and well. It was our faithfull consumption that convinced George Lucas to re-release the movies back into theaters in the late 90s then begin work on the PT. We are the ones that continued to buy Stars Wars stuff including the PT regardless of how much we liked it or not and then turned around and bought the whole set again when the deluxe blueray collection came out. We have continued to buy and support everything Lucasfilm has put out and were the reason Disney saw the franchise as a worthwhile investment which makes us the reason George Lucas is now $4.7 billion (I think that was the amount) richer. We are also the reason Disney stands to make most if not all of that back on the first movie alone. George Lucas got his reward and Disney is going to make a huge profit. It seems only fitting that the fans who made it possible should get something out of it too.

 

Amy Nuttall please (prays)

 

Never heard of her, looked her up, I can see that...

 

Natural ginger, actress and fantastic classical singer too

 

Mara who?

 

How about entertainment value? Look, I appreciate the fervor that people have for Star Wars in all of its various forms, good or bad. But this is kind of a perverse idea of entitlement. We have already received a benefit of our financial support for the franchise: the entertainment and fun we received from going to see, buying and watching the movies, toys, and so on.

Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to completely undermine the point I think you are making about TPTB respecting the fans. But the entertainment products they provide should not be beholden to any particular sect of the fandom's ideas of what the best product will be. Star Wars fans are as diverse in their opinions about Star Wars, as there are different forms of communication that C3PO is fluent in. Some fans will be very happy while some will not. That is unavoidable. From my perspective, all they owe us is a commitment to providing the best entertainment products they can in the eyes of the majority of the viewing public (which does not only include the hardcore fans). Not coincidentally, that is also how they will make the most money. And for what it is worth, everything I have seen from TFA suggests the majority of fans are in good hands.

 

I see where you are coming from and mostly agree but entitlement was not what I was intending to convey. I agree our main benefit is entertainment value from the money we invest in Star Wars. I was referring to the fans getting something out of the deal wherein Disney acquired an extremely profitable franchise from George Lucas since they were the reason it was so profitable. I agree with the decision to reboot and do away with the much if not all of the EU but don't think the most important character in the EU should be thrown out with it. Mara jade has been a major character in the Star Wars Franchise longer than the Franchise has existed without her. She is a proven money maker in merchandising and is more popular than 90-95% of the characters that are canon. Mara would not only provide entertainment value in the new canon as she has in the EU for nearly 25yrs but her inclusion would very likely be popular with the majority of the viewing public and not just the harcore fans.

 

This is exactly why I'm against bringing in old EU characters; why ruin them in this version of the canon when they're perfectly fine where they are?

Look, almost anyone on here knows who Mara is, but we're the minority of Star Wars fans; we're the hardcore group that post on a Star Wars forum, and this movie is not being made for us. If it were, they would have made TFA a continuation of the EU and included a bunch of obscure characters that only us, the hardcore fans, would know; instead, we're getting a back-to-basics reboot that will cater to everyone, new and old fans alike. Mara is a great character, but she's not a recognizable face to the general public. If she was, she would be in the movie, more than likely playing the part in the plot that Captain Phasma seems to.

We'll have to disagree here.

Exactly; we might be the ones who fanatically follow the franchise, but this movie is being made for the entire world to enjoy, not just the hardcore fanbase like us.

Again, we have known her for almost 25 years, but the general public has no idea who she is. There are people out there who saw Star Wars in the original theatrical run, in their homes on VHS/DVD, on Spike TV, or anywhere else that just like the movies and have no interest in the EU, and they greatly outnumber us; this movie is being made so that they can jump back in and enjoy it without having to know all this extra background stuff. Like it or not, Mara Jade is background stuff; arguably the best of the background, but background nonetheless.

 

By all accounts, Luke WILL have a wife. Whether it's Mara, which will please the harcore fans, or a new character, the casual fans won't know her either way so why not please the harcore fans since it won't make a difference to the casual fans? You also need to remember that there is no background stuff in the new canon as it hasn't been written yet so we don't know who Mara is in the new canon. If she's Luke's wife, we can surmise that the essence of her character is intact but won't know anything beyond that. Also, I think Mara Jada is far more recognizable to the general public than you give her credit for. Casual fans don't live in a bubble. Many of them are close to and mingle with hardcore fans and will have heard about her from them.

BTW: they couldn't make the movies a continuation of the EU because the PT erased most of it thus the reason for the reboot (plus they really didn't like where it ended up).

 

Not by all accounts. GL himself has said that the EU went in a direction with Luke's story that he would not have gone. Whether he meant the PT path of celibate monk, who knows. But, there is the very real possibility that Luke never did find someone, marry, and have little Jedi babies... but we will just have to wait and see.

 

What accounts are these? Sounds like Luke's barely in this film, much less married.

I'm going to throw this out there just for the sake of having another perspective. I joked a few posts up about not knowing who Mara Jade was. Of course I know who she is, but I have to admit that I never read any of the old EU. I knew about some of the characters and story lines from other friends, but they weren't my cup of tea so I chose not to dive into them. So count me among the hardcore fans who do not have any feelings about Mara Jade at all and who would rather let her stay alive in the realm of books we never read.

I don't know that the general audience, or casual Star Wars fan is giving much, if any thought to who Luke has or will marry. In fact, I wonder (and I really don't know) if the idea of Luke marrying anyone would be kind of strange to people. It just seems like everyone is best served if she is not in this, or any other movie. Even if she didn't impact me, I know how deeply loved that character (and others in the EU) are to many, many people and her inclusion would alter her. She would no longer be the Mara Jade that people know and love. At the same time, those of us who have no desire to see her in the films would have to come to grips with her as well... I just don't know who would benefit in that scenario. But as it is now, those books and stories still exist and will exist forever for those who want to read them. It's the best of both worlds for fandom.

I know people will disagree with this, but I just wanted to put out a different perspective.

 

Why would pleasing 'everyone' automatically mean that the hardcore fans can't be pleased at all but must instead be completely screwed over by having everything they have loved and supported in the franchise for almost 25yrs be completely wiped out with nothing brought into the new timeline? Reboot means refreshing the franchise to beath new life into it not to completely erase everything willy nilly. Yes, most if it is gotten rid of or changed but the important things are kept around. The recent Star Trek reboot didn't erase Kahn, it merely changed how and when he would first appear and the way he was ultimately delt with. Mara Jade is one of those important things that should be kept around and would in no way be intrusive to the new canon storyline or the casual fans enjoyment of the new movies. If they are going to give Luke a wife, it might as well be the one he's already had for the last 25yrs.

 

Few thoughts after reading through this thread...

Fan-service and good storytelling don't have to be mutually exclusive. If it serves the new canon to include an EU character, I say go for it. Maybe this will only ever happen to minor characters or ideas, maybe one day we'll get someone or something major. Hell, the Vong almost showed in the scrapped final season of Clone Wars.

And yes, the point of the new movies is to introduce us to a bunch of new heroes by way of the Big Three. But mark my words, we'll be getting a bevy of new canon stories focusing on Luke, Leia and Han post-ROTJ once the mystery of the The Force Awakens is gone. The only reason these early stories are focusing on side characters is to keep everyone asking, "What happened?" Once we know that answer, it becomes fill in the blank time. And why? Because the Big Three are bankable characters. Everyone knows them. And I'll even throw out a wild prediction. I bet dollars to donuts that the animated show that will inevitably follow Rebels will be set post-ROTJ and follow Luke, Leia and Han. Mark my words.

 

Interviews and statements given by Disney, Lucasfilm and the Story Group regarding the new canon and movies. Luke will likely have at least a son and a living wife that gave that son to him.

 

Again, she WOULD be the Mara Jade we know and love. Yes a character is changed by sum of their history but they are still the character we know and love at EVERY point in their history. Is the 58-60yr old Mara in Legacy the same character as the 27-29yr old Mara at the end of the Thrawn Trilogy? No, but the Thrawn Trilogy Mara is still the same Mara we know and love. It's the same in the new canon. She's the Mara we know and love at whatever point in her history the reboot starts at (most likely ROTJ). She won't have the exact same history going forward but will still be the Mara we love at every point in the new history. She will never be the Mara that is killed in Legacy and may not ever be the Mara in the Thrawn Trilogy but she will still be the Mara we know and love just like the Big Three are still the characters we know and love despite also losing 35yrs of their history. What's exciting about a reboot is getting to watch your favorite characters chart a different path than before. Mara Jade deserves to walk the new path with them and Luke deserves to have his true lifemate by his side on this new path not some strange new character. History affects who a character becomes but is NOT the character.

 

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on that.

 

Well of course they will not directly take her name, personality, you name it. Altough possible is that their could be traits of her personality so that hardcore/EU fans will surely know that that it for fact is Mara Jade. I know it`s diffrent but in Clone Wars season 6 they simply renamed Korriban into Moraband. I think they want to keep Legends and canon apart that way, but still give star wars fans what they kind if want.
In episode 7 they could actually simply use her name in some content. Use her as Luke`s ex-wife or perhaps just being mentioned which means Luke would be a widower. Would be great

 

I agree she was his wife as of 19 aby so I think she deserves a spot.

 

The EU got rebooted, but the franchise didn't; we're not entering some parallel universe like in the newer Star Trek films. It makes sense for that story to rehash old stories and characters because they're revisiting the same events in a new timeline; in TFA, we're getting a continuation of the same timeline, with a completely new backstory to it all than what we've been reading the past 25 years.

Again, Mara is important to those who know her, but insignificant to those who don't. She may have been a part of the group in the EU, but Disney didn't buy Star Wars for the EU, they bought it for the stories and characters that are universally known: those of the movies. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia; these are household names, whereas Mara is not. If Disney had never bought the franchise, maybe we would have someday gotten a movie that fit in with the EU; as it stands, the very first thing they did was wipe those events/characters so they could craft their own. The idea here is to create new household names, not to shoe-horn in a character that only a certain amount of fans know/care about.

Where? Please cite these interviews and statements. It was my understanding that you were relatively new to all of this news; most of us have been following it for about 2 years now, so if we've missed something please feel free to point it out.

The question is which characters are they going to want to deal with: new ones that have total control over, or old ones that are, like it or not, steeped in baggage from lore that they chose to ignore?

I'm sorry, @Shadrac ; you can continue to believe whatever you want to believe, but all signs point to Mara resting within the EU along with the rest of the Legends. I'll admit that there's a chance her likeness and personality could be adapted into a new character, but she'll never appear on film.