Theaters and movies may be back, but the same can't be said for Star Wars. Following 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, tales from that galaxy far, far away have been relegated to Disney+ via The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and the soon-to-be-released Obi-Wan Kenobi. Still, that's not to say that Star Wars films aren't on the way; and of them all, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige's Star Wars film just may be the most intriguing.
In recent years, Lucasfilm has announced a string of Star Wars films that fans have yet to see, including Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron, Rian Johnson's supposed trilogy, and a Taika Waititi Star Wars movie. Whether these projects will come to fruition remains to be seen; but since Kevin Feige is more than a director and as well-known as his Marvel stars, his film appears to be more of a certainty than the others.
While the film's director and release date have yet to be confirmed, fans do know that Michael Waldron, the writer for both Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, has been tapped to pen the script and has already teased its focus on "family themes."
Now that the Doctor Strange sequel has been released, the MCU writer appears to be turning his attention to Feige's Star Wars story; and from what he has shared so far, this film is not going to go the way fans think.
Kevin Feige's Star Wars Writer Teases a Stand-Alone Film
In an interview with Variety, Doctor Strange 2 writer Michael Waldron provided an update on the Star Wars movie he's working on with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, saying, "We're finally into it in earnest," as well as revealing that it's "not necessarily a sequel or anything:"
"We’re finally into it in earnest. I mean, I’m writing away. It’s a lot of fun. I’m enjoying having the freedom on that to do something that’s not necessarily a sequel or anything. It maybe has a little bit less of a — it just doesn’t have a bunch of TV shows and movies that you’re servicing on top of it, the way I did with 'Doctor Strange.' So it’s nice. It feels like a different exercise."
While Lucasfilm led the Disney+ series charge with The Mandalorian back in 2019, Marvel Studios has surpassed Star Wars streaming output, having released six Disney+ shows to date. Several of those series, including WandaVision, What If...?, and, in some ways, Loki, all played into the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
After juggling the events of those series with a new film, it's no wonder this Star Wars film "feels like a different exercise."
However, that's not to say that recent Star Wars projects like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett haven't been connected. In fact, it's been just the opposite, and Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka is only expected to continue that trend.
Do Star Wars Fans Want a Disconnected Star Wars Story?
Waldron's claim that Kevin Feige's movie isn't servicing "a bunch of TV shows and movies" is both surprising and not surprising all at the same time.
Star Wars is a different animal from the MCU in that it's more of a chronological history of a galaxy than a universe of connected, immediate events. Therefore, Feige and Waldron's story could take place at any point in the Star Wars timeline without the burden of driving the franchise's narrative forward, since the galaxy's history has already been established.
However, the fact that this story won't be serving Star Wars shows or films implies that Feige's Star Wars film is a stand-alone story. Not only is this a departure from Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau's direction on Disney+, but it also means audiences probably won't see any current Star Wars stars, like Mando, Grogu, Ahsoka, or Luke Skywalker.
A fresh, new Star Wars tale without any obligations to preexisting films is something certain corners of the Star Wars fan base have been asking for, as is a story set before the events of The Phantom Menace and in the era of the Old Republic.
While this particular time period - and a story separate from the Skywalker Saga - offers limitless possibilities and ample room for creativity, a disconnected story set in a franchise that's all about connections is a risky thing.
Even though fans claim to want something new, much of Star Wars' appeal is rooted in nostalgia. Lucasfilm tried to end the Skywalker Saga once already with The Rise of Skywalker, only to bring back a de-aged Luke Skywalker in Season 2 of The Mandalorian and again in The Book of Boba Fett.
Also, unless this new film is deeply rooted in the look and design of Star Wars, getting fans to care about a story that doesn't matter to integral events could be a hard sell.
The lack of a connected story is also surprising considering this is a Kevin Feige movie, and much of Feige's success comes from masterminding interconnected storytelling. Due to his clout and expertise, perhaps Lucasfilm is leaning on Feige to spearhead a whole new Star Wars era or saga?
Since little has been revealed or shared about this film, it's impossible to say with certainty. However, since Waldron is now fully engaged in the script - and since Star Wars Celebration is just around the corner - fans may learn more about this upcoming film in the weeks to come.
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