The backlash to George Lucas' original movie, Star Wars, captured the imaginations of audiences everywhere (and is still doing so over four decades later), many of the creative choices made over recent years have proved to be incredibly divisive amongst Star Wars' massive audience.
As with any property with a ionate viewership, opinions differ wildly from person to person, and nowhere is this more evident than with Star Wars. This has been clearer than ever since Disney's $4.05 billion buyout of Lucasfilm in 2012, as the direction of the franchise has been regularly criticized and questioned. Disney's focus on creating more Star Wars movies, including anthology movies such as Solo and Rogue One and their own Star Wars sequel trilogy was met with far more vitriol than might have been expected. One of the decisions made by Disney that most sparked public ire was its recasting of Han Solo for 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Recasting Han Solo for the film was a necessity, as the core premise was to show a young Solo before meeting Luke and Leia. This meant that Harrison Ford was too old to play the part, and naturally, it was recast with Alden Ehrenreich. Though the actor's performance was praised, many were unhappy with seeing another actor in the iconic role, and other, more significant problems with the movie led to it underperforming and Lucasfilm shelving plans for other Star Wars anthology movies. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has now said that recasting major Star Wars roles will be avoided, but this only highlights the impossible task that Star Wars' movie future faces. Though recasting iconic roles prompts massive criticisms, not doing so doesn't appear to work either, making the future of Star Wars movies after the Skywalker Saga look bleak indeed.
Star Wars' Recasting Problem Explained
Though Solo had its irers, the recasting of the role of Han Solo was a point of contention for many. Though Ehrenreich's performance was sound, seeing an actor replacing Harrison Ford as the beloved rogue proved too much, particularly when the movie was released so soon after seeing Ford's beloved version killed off in a shocking manner. There were many who praised the actor's performance and appearance as Han Solo, and his performance won other previously doubtful audiences over. Still, despite other factors hurting Solo more than the initial backlash to Ehrenreich, Kennedy seems to believe the divisive nature of the film stemmed from its decision to recast a major Star Wars character.
Therein lies the Star Wars franchise's biggest problem. So far, its story hinges almost entirely on a handful of key characters, and attempts to introduce new faces to this roster have been mixed. Recasting these characters is something that Lucasfilm is no longer planning to do, but this still creates the issue of exactly how to proceed with the franchise without relying on the continued presence of legacy characters.
The Sequel Trilogy Proved Star Wars Fans Don't Want New Characters
The staggering amount of backlash leveled at the Star Wars sequel trilogy is another aspect of the franchise that Lucasfilm has clearly considered carefully. Though the sequels included key characters from the original trilogy - Luke, Han, and Leia, as well as a few others - the general intent was clearly to shift focus onto a new generation of protagonists. This proved divisive, too: some believed that the legacy characters weren't done justice by the trilogy, and others believed it would have been better without their presence at all.
Ultimately, the consensus seems to come down against the sequel trilogy. The most common criticism regarding its characters is that Luke, Leia, and Han should have been handled better, and not relegated to ing roles, considered a failure of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. This suggests a disinterest in new protagonists Finn, Rey, and Poe - characters clearly devised to evoke the original trilogy's heroes - ultimately proving that the legacy characters are far more important to some longtime viewers than the introduction of new heroes. This is even evidenced in recent Star Wars shows The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, both of which capitalized on their use of returning fan-favorite characters such as Luke Skywalker, Boba Fett, and Cad Bane. That every new Star Wars story seemingly must be bolstered by the appearance of at least one character as a form of fan service is a major part of the franchise's biggest problem.
Why Recasting Major Star Wars Roles Is A Necessity
As the return of Star Wars' original trilogy characters has been assigned such importance, recasting major roles will sooner or later become a necessity. With the death of Carrie Fisher in 2016 and both Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford now in their 70s, using their respective likenesses isn't a well that can continue to be tapped. Hamill has appeared via a combination of de-aging technology and younger actor mocap in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, but this isn't going to be sustainable long-term.
However, as the Star Wars franchise seems to have now found particular success in its use of legacy characters, it would seem that their continued presence is needed. Though recasting the roles is something that Kennedy has vowed not to do, if Star Wars wishes to continue to explore Luke Skywalker's life between the fall of the Empire and the rise of the First Order, a new actor will need to be brought in to play the part. As Luke, Han, and Leia all played such a pivotal role in Star Wars' story during those years, their appearance is a must for any such narratives, but that creates another dilemma for Lucasfilm.
How The Backlash Will Ruin Star Wars' Movie Future
The way in which the recasting backlash will ruin Star Wars' movie future is down to the way in which every Lucasfilm decision is picked apart. For every decision made regarding Star Wars and its story in the past decade, there have been vocal contingents both for and against it. The story of the Star Wars sequels was enjoyed by some and hated by many, but still proved to be commercially successful. However, the damage done to Lucasfilm's ability to simply tell stories without the necessity of considering fan reactions will be difficult to overcome, making it practically impossible to make a satisfying story set within the same time period.
Interestingly, using other time periods within the Star Wars universe may also prove fruitless. The accessibility of Star Wars movies to all audiences is something that has always gone in its favor, and removing the narrative from the most well-known context of the franchise would also come with an inherent risk regarding appealing to a wider audience. Ultimately, the divided nature of Star Wars' audience makes every decision a risk, and whichever route is taken will likely be met with criticism, making Lucasfilm's job an impossible task.
