One of George Lucas' final creations, the Star Wars: Underworld TV series, never saw the light of day, but it influenced another story in a completely different medium. Announced one month before Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith premiered in 2005, Underworld would have been the first live-action Star Wars series. It was going to be primarily set in the lower levels of Coruscant and cover a variety of characters and plotlines.

Unfortunately, Lucas' ambitions for Underworld meant it would have been far too expensive to produce, so the project was shelved indefinitely in 2010. In the 15 years since its cancellation, more details have emerged about what the show would have looked like and some of the scripts that had already been written. One of the show's writers held on to an idea developed for Underworld and used it for a popular video game franchise.

God Of War Drew Inspiration From A Surprising Palpatine Plot

Kratos' new characterization was influenced by Star Wars: Underworld

Critics and fans praised the 2018 God of War for successfully revitalizing the franchise while remaining true to the original games. Creative director Cory Barlog, who also worked on the first three God of War games, wanted to take Kratos' character in a new direction by having him seek to atone for his past. In a 2016 interview with GamesBeat, Barlog explained how the unused Star Wars: Underworld scripts influenced the story:

Probably the really small beginnings of this idea, the germination of this — when I was working at Lucas, I was allowed to go up to the ranch and read the scripts for the [canceled live-action Star Wars] TV show. It was the most mind-blowing thing I’d ever experienced. I cared about the Emperor. They made the Emperor a sympathetic figure who was wronged by this f***ing heartless woman. She’s this hardcore gangster, and she just totally destroyed him as a person. I almost cried while reading this. This is the Emperor, the lightning out of the fingers Emperor. That’s something magical. The writers who worked on that, guys from The Shield and 24, these were excellent writers.

Not only is that a completely unexpected direction to take Emperor Palpatine, but it also shows how much potential Underworld had. If Barlog loved the Underworld scripts enough to incorporate some of the show's ideas into an unrelated video game franchise, then what must it have been like as originally intended? Star Wars may be known for redemption and sympathetic villains, but I share Barlog's surprise at the possibility.

Will We Ever Actually Get To SEE Star Wars: Underworld?

Dozens of finished scripts are sitting unused

With all we've heard about Underworld and the surprising legacy it has, I can't help but wonder if we'll ever get some version of it. Lucas couldn't produce it because of money, and it would have reportedly taken Star Wars in a much darker direction. However, big budgets and cutting-edge technology are now the norm for live-action Star Wars TV shows, and Andor is the most mature project to date.

The Mandalorian and Andor have also had several Coruscant episodes that could align with Lucas' vision for Underworld. The finished Underworld scripts could also be adapted into books, comics, or story reels, much like when Star Wars: The Clone Wars Legacy adapted several unproduced Clone Wars episodes. It seems like too good an opportunity to up, but for now, Star Wars: Underworld has a legacy thanks to God of War.

Source: GamesBeat