As we enter further into this new era of Star Wars films, more spin-off movies will eventually be released. Right now only Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the Young Han Solo film are announced, but more are on the way. It's still not clear how the standalone movies will function in the larger canon, making the release of Rogue One even more exciting. But if you ask Mark Hamill, the fact that they aren't in a trilogy should be considered a strength, and not a weakness.
They have a real advantage being able to go in and do a one-off story because you don't have to follow the trilogy model of a three-act play. They can really get it done, get off, and leave the audience wanting more. They have a chance to make it their own identity. This one looks like a really gritty World War II film.
Mark Hamill may not have seen Rogue One yet, but that doesn't mean he can't think it looks as cool as the rest of us do. The once and future Luke Skywalker told ET that he hadn't seen the film, but he was excited for what the spin-off will bring to the table. Though Hamill's entrenched as an important figure in the main series, he recognizes that being outside of that has some major perks.
Since Disney and LucasFilm first announced their partnership, and the intention to produce standalone films telling stories from unseen corners of the Star Wars universe, it was clear fans were in for a wide variety of Star Wars films like never before. Not needing to conform to an established style, the spin-offs can afford to offer up a unique experience. Staleness is the enemy of all long-running film franchises, so anything the spin-offs can do to refresh our taste buds in between main entries is only a boon for us.
So far, all evidence points to Rogue One being a promising debut for standalone films. The blockbuster recently screened 20 minutes of footage that has received a mostly positive reception. The film is aiming to play like a war movie, with the Rebel Alliance scrambling to acquire the plans to the Empire's new superweapon, the Death Star. The film will truly be a one and done story, with no future sequels planned, mostly due to the fact that its sequel would just be A New Hope.
While Rogue One is a war movie, the Young Han Solo project is more of a mystery that seems to be aiming for an action adventure comedy- if Phil Lord and Chris Miller's involvement is anything to go by. Boba Fett and Yoda movies are just a few of the projects rumored to be in development, and if any of that is true, then the Star Wars universe is in for some serious variety.
