The Road to Episode Infinity

Friday, June 8, 2018

Maul Scene + Future of Franchise

After seeing “Solo” for the 3^rd time today, I wanted to address that Darth Maul scene and its implications on the future of the franchise…

Was Maul the best choice?

Darth Maul is the shocking twist at the end of “Solo” that everyone has been talking about. Some fans say that Maul is there to set up the Obi-Wan Kenobi film, but the truth may be even more sinister. Some have claimed that Maul was never in the original script and even the on-set-script stated “Insert Legacy-Character Here”. Today we examine these questions: ‘Who were the other Legacy Characters considered?’ and ‘Was Maul the best choice?’

Candidate #1: Jabba the Hutt

It is almost incredible that Jabba the Hutt is not in this film. Many fans were expecting it and the character is certainly tied to the crime syndicate. Jabba was probably not chosen to be the “shocker” at the end of the film because it would not have been a shock at all. I, for one, am happy that they seemed to only hint at the Hutt’s existence and that any Jabba related adventures have been saved for potential future films.

Candidate #2: Palpatine

When I first saw the hologram of the cloaked figure in “Solo” the only thing I could think of was Palpatine. Who else hides behind a shadowy cloak while communicating via hologram? Seeing Palpatine again on screen portrayed by Ian McDiarmid would have been incredible, but it wouldn’t really have fit. Afterall, Palpy is the Emperor of the darn galaxy, he is not a petty crime lord. Also, seeing Qi’ra buddying up with Darth Sidious may have made her character a tad more sinister, but perhaps that would have worked.

Candidate #3: Prince Xizor

As someone who grew up in the EU era, I would have lost my mind if Prince Xizor would have shown up. It would have been incredible! And Xizor’s character would have made so much sense. He is the leader of Black Sun, after all. Xizor is not currently a part of the new Disney Canon, but what of introduction this could have been. However, many fans (and certainly casual viewers) would not have recognized Xizor, so the shock would not have connected with everyone. Fingers crossed we will see this Falleen show up eventually.

Candidate #4: Thrawn

There are many reasons why Thrawn would have worked here. The character was recently reintroduced into the canon via ‘Star Wars Rebels’. Also, Timothy Zahn returned to write new Thrawn novels in back to back summers and the character currently has his own ongoing comic series. Thrawn is a big deal right now in the Expanded Universe and even casual fans probably would at least recognize his face, if not his name. Still, there would be questions about where “Solo” fits into Thrawn’s timeline. Would this be a pre-Empire Thrawn or Thrawn as a Grand Admiral? What would he be serving as a Crime Lord anyway? Does it really fit his character?

Candidate #5: Maul

There are many reasons why Maul works as the Legacy Character that Disney chose to be the “Twist” at the end of the film. It has already been established in the TV shows that Maul survived the Battle of Naboo. He has already been shown working with many of the crime syndicates in the Solo script. He is recognizable by the general audience, as well as the hardcore fans. Apparently, Ron Howard lobbied hard for Maul when Howard was brought on to direct the film. So I get why Maul was chosen. There are some reasons that Maul doesn’t work. Some fans claim that casual viewers would be confused because Maul died in The Phantom Menace. However, I call BS on this one. First of all, many casual viewers may not remember that Maul died and if they do remember, who cares? Characters come back from the dead in cinema all the time and there isn’t always an explanation for it. The other issue that fans have with Maul is that we just saw the characters death in “Rebels”. Why kill Maul off in Rebels, if he’s going to be reintroduced into the film series?

The truth might be that the Story Group behind this franchise has no idea what they are doing. And that is scary. Which brings me to my next question. Where does Star Wars go from here?

What Next?

With Solo bombing at the Box Office, Disney has to be wondering what they are going to do with this franchise. Where Kevin Feige of Marvel made cinematic universes seem so easy- other franchises have had a tough time replicating that type of magic. The MCU seems so perfectly planned out and right now Star Wars seems to be heading towards Chaos. What will happen to Star Wars post Episode IX? What will the next film be? Where is this franchise heading? Let’s look at the candidates for the 2020 Star Wars film.

Solo 2

With the way the first film “bombed” at the Box Office combined with its troubled production, “Solo” might not seem like the strongest candidate for a sequel right now. However, there are some arguments to be made for the continuation of the Han & Chewie adventures. First of all, audiences like consistency. One of the reasons “Solo” was not a box office success is that casual viewers are confused. We have jumped from the adventures of Rey (which takes place 30 years after the Original Trilogy) to the adventures of Jyn (which takes place concurrent with the Original Trilogy) to the adventures of Han (which takes place 10 years prior to the Original Trilogy). Fans can keep track of this stuff, but casual viewers can’t. The reason that the MCU works is that it continues to drive the plot forward whilst using old characters to help introduce new ones. Now that Disney has established “Young Han” why not keep it going? Give casual viewers something that is easy to follow. Or at least use the characters set up in “Solo” to drive that story forward, which brings me to…

Lando: A Star Wars Story

Donald Glover is a rising star and a Lando standalone film with Glover in the lead could translate to a lucrative box office. One pitfall here is that Lando has less room to grow as a character. Glover’s Lando in “Solo” is very similar to Billy Dee’s Lando in “Empire”. So how do you make a film starring a static character? It would almost have to be a “James Bond” in space type story. But then again, what is the plot? Lando is not a hero. He’s not a rebel agent. He doesn’t really have a mission. He’s just Lando. One way I could see this working is if Billy Dee Williams would return to help frame the film. We’d see an old Lando on an adventure and then we would flashback to a younger Lando. It could work.

Kenobi: A Star Wars Story

Ewan McGregor is always a strong option for any studio. When is the last time McGregor was in any film that didn’t perform well at the Box Office? McGregor’s Kenobi was soundly established in the prequels and fans would love to see what McGregor could do with a script not written by Lucas. Disney could also produce a Kenobi film on a very small budget. If Kenobi sticks to Tatooine, we are talking about limited sets, limited costumes, and a limited cast. Is McGregor a strong enough actor to carry a Star Wars film which never leaves the desert? My guess is “Yes”.

Boba Fett?

There have been rumors for years that Disney has been trying to produce a Boba Fett standalone film. But, I don’t really get it. Sure, Fett appeals to hardcore fans, but what about the general audience? No one really knows who Fett is. Rumors are that James Mangold is currently attached to this project. Mangold made a really great R-Rated “Logan” film. That said, Wolverine is an established character that audiences are very comfortable with and Hugh Jackman is an A-List actor. Who is even going to play Boba Fett? What is he going to look like under his helmet? There are so many questions, and I doubt that we are going to get satisfying answers. I kind of hope this project just falls through, though current rumors suggest that this will be 2020 Star Wars film.

Rian Johnson: A Trilogy

Star Wars fans have a strong visceral reaction to Rian Johnson. Some hate the guy and some love him to pieces. There is no question in my mind that Johnson could make an incredible Star Wars trilogy, but how would Disney market it? Would the Trilogy come out back-to-back-to-back like Lord of the Rings? When would it take place in the Saga? From what I understand, Diseny has given Rian a blank-check to make anything he wants, but is this a good thing? Can Rian win over fans or the rest of the movie-going audience? We will find out someday, but probably not anytime soon.

David Benioff & D. B. Weiss: A Trilogy

People love “Game of Thrones” and universally agree on its quality. That said, David Benioff & D.B. Weiss have not done much else in their careers. Adapting a series of books to screen is one thing, but can these two really develop their own characters and a strong enough story to bring viewers out to the cinema? TBD.

A Grand Experiment

Ultimately, this yearly-Star-Wars film experiment is still brand new. Lucasfilm probably doesn’t have a solid plan moving forward. Many of these films have already been susceptible to rewrites and replacement directors. However, Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm have, thus far, released four very good films and I think there is still money to be made for this franchise. The fact that this franchise could be heading into any unknown direction is part of the fun.

Friday, June 1, 2018

The Aliens of the Cantina

In Star Wars humans are often the heroes and in a Galaxy full of aliens, the aliens are usually reduced to a small montage scene in each film. In the films few aliens ever wonder into the spotlight. Only a few names of species have entered public consciousness (Wookiee, Ewok) and even for a Star Wars fan, knowing all the species names can be impossible. Many times when reading Star Wars books I recognize the species name, but can’t quite imagine what it looks like. That is why I’ve made it my mission this summer to try and get to know at least 100 Star Wars species really, really well. Isn’t that what everyone wants deep down inside? To be more fluent in Star Wars speak? Just me?

The Aliens of the Cantina

Ithorian

One of the more noteworthy species in the Mos Eisley Cantina is the Ithorian (specifically an Ithorian named Momaw Nadon). When the Ithorian was released as a toy in 1978 by Kenner it was called “Hammerhead” and even modern day Funko Pop releases identify Nadon as “Hammerhead”. And why not? Ithorians certainly bare a resemblance to a Hammerhead Shark. In addition to the Cantina Scene, Ithorians appear in the Galactic Senate throughout the prequels. One Ithorian even shows up as a Jedi in the 2-dimensional Clone Wars cartoon, where it is revealed that the species can use their powerful throats to expel a violent hurricane of air out of their neck slits as a means of defense.

Aqualish

Star Wars fans will recognize Ponda Baba as the individual who lost an arm to Kenobi in the Mos Eisley Cantina. However, the name of Baba’s species, “Aqualish”, is probably more obscure to fans. The 1978 Kenner action figure line identified Ponda Baba as “Walrus Man” and he didn’t get a proper name until 1989. Over the years, there has been continued confusion about the hands of Aqualish species. In behind the scene pics of the original Star Wars film, Ponda Baba was shown with flipper like hands, but when he loses his arm to Kenobi’s lightsaber, the arm is furry with a wolf-like claw at the end. So are Aqualish mammals or amphibians? Furthermore, the Aqualish in the prequel films seem to have multiple eyes, like a spider. So perhaps Aqualish are actually more arachnid? Ultimately, the old expanded universe explained that there were at least three subspecies of Aqualish found on the planet Ando. This way the Aqualish could be wolf-like, walrus-like, or spider-like. (Just go with it.)

Rodian

Almost all Star Wars fans know Greedo by name and most know that Greedo is a Rodian. Even after Greedo’s death, viewers will spot several Rodians running around the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy. A rare yellow-orange skinned Rodian was even featured in “Solo” as one of Enfys Nest’s cloud riders. Though Rodians are supposedly reptilian, some have the ability to grow a mohawk hairstyle. The most famous (and first) example of this was Greeata Jendowanian, the rodian singer from the Special Edition of Return of the Jedi.

Devaronian

Though a Devaronian appears only briefly in “A New Hope” and never ventured into any other films, the species is quite common in the Expanded Universe. It is no coincidence that Devaronians resemble the Devil. Short on time and budget, the costume department of Star Wars utilized a second-hand devil costume. Though the species looks pretty evil, many Devaronians ultimately wind up working alongside the good guys. It should be noted that only male Devaronians sport horns. Female Devaoronians are harder to identify but they do have two round bumps on their foreheads in place of horns.

Duros

Among all the aliens in the Star Wars galaxy, Duros most resemble the Little Green Men of 1950s UFO tropes. According to the Expanded Universe the Duros do sort of fit into that description. They were navigators and one of the galaxies first space-faring species. On the set of “A New Hope” the two Duros characters were referred to as "Goggle-Eyes". Current fandom will probably recognize the bounty hunter Cad Bane as the most famous example of the Duros species. It seems that Lucas felt connected to the species because he would use their design as a basis of the Neimoidian species for "The Phantom Menace".

Talz

Wookieepedia states that Talz are four-eyed furry faced creatures from Orto Plutonia- although back in 1976 during filming the crew just called the character “Four-Eyes” or “Spiderman”. Like most of the Star Wars species depicted in this article, Talz never got a species name until a 1989 sourcebook for the Star Wars roleplaying game. Another Interesting Fact: Talz use their smaller set of eyes on top for day vision, and the larger set of eyes underneath for night vision.

Jawa

Jawa’s are probably best known as droid scavengers, though some are depicted just hanging around Mos Eisley, inside Chalmun's cantina, or in Jabba’s palace. Jawa’s are an enigmatic species because no one really knows what they look like underneath their robes. Their glowing-eyes tell us that Jawas are not human (as opposed to Tusken Raiders who probably are human). Many sources imply that they are a rodent-like species. In the Star Wars films, Jawas are only ever seen on Tatooine as they are native to the planet. In the original film, many Jawas are played by children, though the diminutive the actor Jack Pervis did portray the chief Jawa.

Chadra-Fan

Another tiny species of the Star Wars galaxy is the Chadra-Fan. Though Chadra-Fan resemble bats, they have no wings and are not capable of flight. They do, however, have very powerful senses (seven of them). Kabe is the female Chadra-Fan that appears in “A New Hope”. She seems pretty innocent, which is why I was surprised to learn that Obi-Wan Kenobi sliced her in half in the 1976 novelization of Star Wars. Apparently in the novel Kabe had been working with Ponda Baba and Dr. Evazan and it was Evazan that lost his hand while Kabe and Baba were sliced to pieces. Poor Kabe.

Bith

Most fans would immediately recognize the Bith species as being members of the band "Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes". Though the EU states that Bith often worked as engineers, scientists, and consultants, the Bith that we commonly see in the films are musicians. Their knack for complex instruments and music may be due to their large brain size. Bith also lack eyelids which makes them particularly unsuitable for desert dwelling (sorry Figrin D’an). Though Bith are supposedly incredibly peaceful, there were at least two Bith Sith lords, including Darth Tenebrous- who was the master of Darth Plagueis- who was the master of Darth Sidious- who was the master of Darth Vader.

Gotal

Feltipern Trevagg is a Gotal tax collector who appeared in “A New Hope” On the set of the film, the alien was nicknamed “High Tundra”, due to his goat-like horns. The cones on the head of a Gotal are actually naturally occurring electro-magnetic sensors that aid them in hunting. Though Trevagg is the only Gotal appearing in any of the Star Wars films, Gotals are quite common throughout the EU including in “The Clone Wars” and “Rebels”.

Arcona

Arcona were a race that was not even on my radar when I set out to write this blog. Despite the fact that the first alien we see in the cantina is an Arcona, the species was never a part of any action figure lines when I was growing up, so I never gave much notice to the Arcona. Hem Dazon is the specific Arcona in the Mos Eisley Cantina and he would eventually get his own action figure in the 21st century after receiving the most votes in a Star Wars insider poll. According the Old Expanded Universe, Arcona actually had poor eyesight despite the fact that their eyes are huge. Apparently their compound eyes are similar to insects and Arcona actually use a different photoreceptor organ (commonly mistaken for their nose) to detect the heat patterns of living beings. Who knew?

Shistavanen

Two wolfman halloween masks were used during the filming of “A New Hope”. One wolfman could be seen with his eyes glowing in the dark (later known as Arleil Schous the Defel). Another wolfman (called “Hyena-Man” on set) can be seen talking to a worm-like creature. Eventually “Hyena-Man” would be known as Lak Sivrak, the Shistavanen Wolfman. Lucas, however, seemed embarrassed by both wolf-like creatures. In the 20th anniversary edition the wolfmen are gone, replaced by new aliens that look nothing like wolves. The Defel is replaced by a reptilian species called a Sarkan. Lak Sivrak, the Shistavanen Wolfman is replaced by an elephant-looking species called a Pacithhip. Lucas seemed to like Pacithhips because he also placed them in the “Return of the Jedi Special Edition” and each of the prequels. However Pacithhips never really caught on in the old Expanded Universe and haven’t been part of the Disney EU at all. Shistavanen are still popular, however, so keep an eye out for these fanged warriors.

One Dozen and Counting

Though the cantina scene was brief, there are a lot of aliens packed into that bar. I was only able to mention the most famous ones in this blog. But next time you read a Star Wars book or comic or watch an episode of a Star Wars cartoon, pay attention, you will probably catch a glimpse of one of these incredible creatures. I will be back next week with the "Aliens of Empire"

Star Wars Aliens

The Aliens of the Cantina

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-aliens-of-cantina_1.html

The Aliens of “The Empire Strikes Back"

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-aliens-of-empire-strikes-back-what.html

The Aliens of Jabba’s Palace

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/07/aliens-of-jabbas-palace.html

The Aliens of Max Rebo’s Band

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-aliens-of-max-rebos-band.html

The Aliens of the Battle of Endor

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-aliens-of-battle-of-endor.html

Flipping Heads