Disney may own the rights to the galaxy far, far away and be the company that releases new Star Wars content, but none of it would be possible without the creator of the franchise - George Lucas. In the early 1970s, Lucas began writing a space western that would release in theaters in 1977 as Star Wars. The film broke the record for the highest-grossing movie of all time after its debut, which gave Lucas the green light to make two sequels - The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
Lucas created a second trilogy as a prequel to his original work, but it wasn't received as well as the original trilogy was by critics or fans. He sold Lucasfilm to Disney for a little over $4 billion in 2012, and after a polarizing sequel trilogy, most viewers have collectively agreed that The Mandalorian has put Star Wars back on the map. The series is created by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, and Season 3 is set to be released on Disney+ sometime in February 2023.
Filoni directly worked with Lucas on the animated series titled Star Wars: The Clone Wars before the Disney acquisition and most fans even consider him to be the creator's protege. Favreau and Filoni are actively trying to build the Mandoverse, and while the projects within it have had a few cameos, there is one that they think would be truly special.
Having George Lucas Cameo in Star Wars
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau and executive producer Dave Filoni talked about cameos in the Star Wars universe, particularly what it would be like to have George Lucas be one of them.
Favreau and Filoni talked about the different actors that they have been able to bring into the world of Star Wars through The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett when Favreau stated that the creator of the franchise "would be the best cameo:"
"I- George. George Lucas. That would be the best cameo."
Filoni then chimed in and added that it would be "hard for (him) to imagine" what it would be like to have Lucas cameo in a future project. Showing off his Star Wars knowledge, he went on to say that Lucas "would have to be the son of Baron Papanoida" if they brought him on.
Baron Papanoida was the chairman of Pantora, one of the moons of the planet Orto Plutonia. The chairman position granted him great power and he was briefly seen in Revenge of the Sith played by Lucas when Anakin Skywalker is running up the steps to meet Chancellor Palpatine at the opera where he is told about Darth Plagueis:
"I don’t know… He’d have to be the son of Baron Papanoida or something like that. I don’t know. I wouldn’t even speculate on that. It’s hard for me to imagine what that day would be like."
Favreau then went on to talk about how "very fortunate" it has been to have Lucas on the set of The Mandalorian, and admitted that he has "learned a lot" from him. Filoni worked alongside Lucas for many years, specifically when they were making The Clone Wars together:
"Well, he’s been on the set when Dave’s been directing, so I love watching Dave and George together. George, I have tremendous respect for. I’ve been very fortunate to have great conversations where I’ve learned a lot. But when I see Dave and George Lucas together, that’s like a whole other– ’cause how long did you work together? Twelve years?"
Filoni went into brief detail about how "it was a masterclass" to be able to work alongside Lucas, and stated that he is trying to "pass on what (he's) learned" from him when it comes to creating these new projects. The executive producer also opened up about his "biggest responsibility" when it comes to making these shows, and how he is attempting to keep Lucas' legacy alive with his work:
"Yeah, close to that. Yeah, like at least, ten… I mean, it was a masterclass everyday. It was a masterclass. So I’m trying to apply that everyday and pass on what I’ve learned. I mean it is the Jedi experience, I’ve had. And so honestly, that’s probably my biggest responsibility now, is to try to explain to people what George explained to me about why this all works, why it’s different and unique from any other fantasy series or fiction out there… George leant into a unique point of view and it’s something that we have to take care of and work on again, and again, and again."
George Lucas' Ongoing Effect on Star Wars
George Lucas has no say in the future of Star Wars. Even though he is responsible for creating the world, a significant number of the characters, and the rules under which the universe operates, he no longer has the rights to anything, since it is under the Disney brand, and ultimately can't make any decisions.
However, suppose Jon Favreau or Dave Filoni were to consult him on something, or just simply ask his opinion about a concept or a character. In that case, he is free to give it and it is up to them whether or not they want to incorporate it into their work. As Favreau stated in the interview, it has been confirmed that Lucas has been on set for projects such as The Mandalorian. There has been behind-the-scenes footage released of Lucas actually sitting on set during the filming of Season 2 where he is holding Grogu and talking to Ahsoka actress Rosario Dawson.
Ultimately, it is clear that Favreau and Filoni are trying to make engaging Star Wars content while respecting what the creator brought to the franchise. In interviews as well as the show itself, they have made it clear that they are honoring his legacy, and if he were to cameo at some point in the future, that would just further show respect to him for everything he spent decades building.
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