Disney have put their trust in Taika Waititi for a new Games of Thrones' David Benioff and D.B. Weiss both had their own trilogies in the works, but now Benioff and Weiss have departed and there have been no updates on Johnson's next Star Wars offering.
Despite the uncertainty, new Star Wars movies are coming, with release dates currently set for 2022, 2024 and 2026. Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige will be producing an unspecified Star Wars movie project, J.D. Dillard was reported as developing a separate feature-length story and, as of May 4th 2020, Taika Waititi has been officially revealed as directing a forthcoming Star Wars film of his own, which may or may not be related to Feige's.
Although Disney's Star Wars has earned a reputation for having a directorial revolving door, Waititi's hiring has generated near-universal excitement from a fandom that typically possess very different opinions. Despite no further details being unveiled - even the era Waititi's movie will be set still a mystery - the announcement has brought serious buzz to the foggy cinematic future of Star Wars, and this can be attributed to the director's impressive back catalog, which comprises box office juggernauts, cult favorites and critical smashes, but what do those past films reveal of Star Wars' future?
Star Wars Movies Will Still Be Funny
Humor has always been an inherent part of the Star Wars franchise, dating all the way back to Leia's inventive, albeit retrospectively flirtatious, insults towards Han Solo, but this element has been both more prominent and more divisive in the later trilogies. The Star Wars prequels were criticized for ramping up the goofy humor, with The Force Awakens is a more subtle, fun touch, but moments like "chrome dome" and "they fly now" aren't well-loved among the Star Wars faithful.
Taiki Waititi's hiring suggests Star Wars is set to retain its moments of brevity and humor. The director is known for a unique comic style, putting a more light-hearted spin on Chris Hemsworth's Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok in Waititi's movie. With that said, bringing in Waititi as a director is a clear statement of intent from Disney, and recognizes the need for Star Wars to tighten up its comedy.
Disney Is Taking Lessons From The Mandalorian
While the battle lines were being drawn between those who loved The Rise of Skywalker and those who thought it was an overstuffed mess, Jon Favreau was busy bringing fans together on Disney+ with Richard Ayoade's ill-fated ZERO droid, sweetly countered by moments of bounty hunter violence and moral ambiguity. Furthermore, Baby Yoda finally provided Star Wars with a cute, merchandise-ready crossover icon that hardcore fans didn't want to burn at the stake.
The Mandalorian also boasted involvement from Taika Waititi, who not only played other ill-fated droid, IG-11, but also directed the finale of the first season. By tapping Waititi to take his Star Wars work from Disney+ to the big screen, the Mouse House is perhaps coming to the same conclusion The Mandalorian fans already have - the TV show's style and tone represents a unifying way forward for Star Wars movies after the opinion-splitting sequel trilogy. Aside from Waititi, there are already other examples of key figures from The Mandalorian spreading their influence across the franchise, with Deborah Chow heading-up the forthcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
Waititi's episode "Chapter 8: Redemption" offers a glimpse at what his Star Wars movie might bring. On one hand, the episode begins with the infamous moment a Stormtrooper smacks Baby Yoda, giving some idea as to the slightly dark, offbeat comedy Disney have let themselves in for. However, the finale also contains some of The Mandalorian's best season 1 moments from a dramatic perspective, such as Baby Yoda defeating the Incinerator Trooper, IG-11's heartfelt sacrifice and the reveal of Din Djarin's face. As is typical of Waititi's style, these uplifting and tense scenes come mere beats after the carefree images of Baby Yoda loving his speeder ride or Greef Karga asking his miniature green friend to "do the magic hand thing." It's a fine balance, but one Waititi has proven himself more than capable of, first outside of the Star Wars world, and then within it.
Star Wars Is Becoming More Like Marvel
Whether you love or hate the Star Wars sequel trilogy (or a mixture of both, depending on the film), it's impossible to deny that Disney's ownership of the franchise has not been smooth. Despite launching a mere 5 years ago, Star Wars has endured a series of big name departures across the franchise, some of which came extremely late in production. While The Last Jedi's critics curse Rian Johnson for his subversive take on the Star Wars format, while The Rise of Skywalker stands accused of consciously undoing or ignoring what its predecessor set up. If only Disney had another billion-dollar, multi-movie, generation-spanning blockbuster franchise to use as a template...
Like the dusted heroes emerging from Doctor Strange's rings in the final battle of Kevin Feige. The Marvel ship has not always endured carefree sailing, with the likes of Edgar Wright and Scott Derrickson both struggling to work within the confines of the Marvel Studios setup. But for a franchise comprising of over 20 films within just north of a decade, the MCU has been remarkably well organized, and much of the credit must go to Feige, who oversees the entire operation with a Thanos-like grip (maybe) and ensures consistency in story and tone. For all the criticism of Marvel's strict movie machine, any subversion of expectations in the MCU (such as a shift between The Dark World and Ragnarok) feels measured, appropriate and proportionate. Similarly, any retcons would occur not because two directors possessed conflicting visions, but more likely because something that pops up as an Easter egg once might become more important later on.
It's surely no coincidence that when the end of the Skywalker saga came into sight, and the behind-the-scenes upheaval was showing no sign of abating, major Marvel names like Feige and Waititi began to find themselves attached to the world of Star Wars. Waititi specifically is responsible to adding color and life to a flagging Thor solo series, earning the trust of both Disney and the MCU audience. While Star Wars is a very different proposition, it's worth bearing in mind that Thor: Ragnarok was Waititi's first real big-budget, mainstream project after a string of hits in his native New Zealand. This means that while the director absolutely possesses his own unique, creative style of filmmaking, his blockbuster teeth were cut entirely in the bright lights of the MCU, meaning Waititi is more indoctrinated in the Disney way than other, more well-traveled directors might be. Waititi's latest move suggests Disney will be hoping the same magic that helped revive and define Thor can now be applied to Star Wars.
