Boba Fett has always been one of those characters who looked quite cool and imposing, but never actually did anything on-screen to back up his reputation as one of the galaxy's most fearsome bounty hunters. At least not in the original trilogy.
Of course, Fett's origins were revealed in 2002's Attack of the Clones and expanded upon in the fan-favorite animated series The Clone Wars. But it wasn't until Season 2 of the smash hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian that Boba truly got his chance to shine.
The Star Wars streaming show brought back Jango Fett actor Temuera Morrison to play the adult version of Boba, to great acclaim from critics and fans alike. Filming has also recently wrapped on another series for Disney's streaming platform, The Book of Boba Fett, which will see Morrison reprise the role yet again and tell the tale of what exactly Boba Fett has been up to since he was swallowed by the Sarlaac in Return of the Jedi.
Fett is often seen in Star Wars lore, cruising from planet to planet in his starship, a Firespray-31-class patrol and attack craft, which he inherited from his father, Jango.
For over 40 years, Fett's ship was known as the Slave I, but it seems now that Disney and Lucasfilm have different plans.
SLAVE I GETS A NAME CHANGE
Via Jedinews.com, a new Star Wars-themed building set for Fett's space vessel has been revealed, only the name of the set is not "Slave I," but rather "Boba Fett's Starship". Check below for a look at the packaging and a quote from the team at LEGO who worked on the item.
Per LEGO Star Wars Lead Designer Malcolm Lee Stockwell:
"We’re not calling it Slave I anymore. This is Boba Fett’s Starship."
Jens Kronvold Frederiksen (LEGO Star Wars Design Director) adds that this change came directly from Disney:
"Everybody is [dropping the Slave I name.] It’s probably not something which has been announced publicly, but it is just something that Disney doesn’t want to use anymore."
WHY ARE THEY CHANGING BOBA FETT'S SHIP'S NAME?
Star Wars, as a franchise, has always tried to be inclusive, especially as time goes on. After all, Princess Leia goes from damsel in distress to taking charge over Han, Luke and Chewie and spearheading her own rescue from the Death Star. And while the original trilogy was light on representation for people of color, save for Lando Calrissian, the prequel films and, moreover, the sequel trilogy, put in the work to bring more diversity to the franchise.
Steps continue to be taken as well, with more LGBTQIA+ characters being introduced too.
But what's wrong with the name Slave I?
The main reason seems to be that the name of the ship literally has the word "slave" in its name, and in an effort to be more sensitive and inclusive to different groups and cultures, it seems Disney and Lucasfilm are quietly dropping the name from Star Wars canon. The spacecraft will likely be given a new name in the upcoming The Book of Boba Fett, which will stream on Disney+ in December 2021.
