Disney is currently working on the development of multiple Star Wars spinoffs. The still untitled Han Solo movie is next to hit theaters and a new report claims that Disney is interested in pursuing movies centered on Obi-Wan, Yoda, Boba Fett, and uh, Jabba the Hutt. These choices, while not bad, are super predictable, and that doesn't exactly drum up much excitement. Of course, we want an Obi-Wan movie but after awhile, Disney and Lucasfilm are going to have to have to be a bit more adventurous in their selection of spinoffs if they hope for these movies to have a long shelf life. Thankfully, the Star Wars universe is dripping with interesting characters.
Rogue One proved that a movie featuring entirely original characters can be successful while having very little to do with the drama of the Skywalker family. It's true that casual fans are likely to pay more attention to a spinoff if they recognize the character, but if this summer taught us anything, it's that people care more about quality than brand. So, let's propose a few more exciting and imaginative picks. None of these characters are main characters from the movies, but they still deserve a spinoff film all their own. Plus, these are characters who could actually hold a movie and attract an audience, so no Max Rebo musical documentary (which would have an audience of one: me).
Kyle Katarn
Kyle Katarn is the main character from the Jedi Knight video game series, as well as an installment of books and other materials. He used to work for the Galactic Empire before switching sides, first as a mercenary, then as a member of the New Republic. Over the course of the games, he discovers he has latent Force abilities, helping the Rebels topple the Empire and eventually becoming an instructor at the Jedi Academy. Katarn's gone on a number of dope adventures, including killing seven Dark Jedi and even helping to steal the plans from the first Death Star. He's not exactly canon anymore, so any film he appears in would have to change up the source material and find something different for Katarn to do. However, he's a fan favorite character who's seen a lot of shit (he once fought robot stormtroopers) and I'm sure there's a place for him somewhere should Disney look hard enough.
Ahsoka Tano
Ahsoka Tano is arguably the biggest character to come out of the excellent Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. Once the padawan of Anakin Skywalker, she became a capable and skilled Jedi warrior, but she left the Order before Anakin's turn to the Dark Side. As revealed in Star Wars: Rebels, she then began to work against the Empire in secret, aiding the Rebels before finally confronting her old master in a climactic showdown. Her current fate is ambiguous, but there are plenty of different time periods her solo film could take place. The biggest hurdle would be explaining to casual theatergoers a relationship to Anakin they never saw onscreen. Ahsoka is interesting in that she became disillusioned with the Jedi but A) didn't become a psycho, and B) she still devoted herself to helping others. An Ahsoka movie could take place during the Clone Wars or perhaps someplace between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.
Bounty Hunters
For as much as Star Wars likes to be black and white, there are certain characters who live in a moral gray area. More often than not, these characters are bounty hunters: professional mercenaries-for-hire who typically don't care much about what job they do as long as they get paid. So, imagine a movie about a group of bounty hunters, perhaps getting paid to execute an elaborate heist or maybe something nobler like defending a small town from the Empire. It could be about literally anything and there is no shortage of colorful mercenary characters in Star Wars. You've got classics like Bosk and Dengar or newer additions like Cade Bane. (Basically a cutthroat alien cowboy. He's awesome). This is a broad idea, but with the right execution, the potential is there. It's worth noting that Star Wars: The Clone Wars got lots of mileage out of bounty hunters.
Dash Rendar
Dash Rendar is a Han Solo clone with shoulder pads, but what excellent shoulder pads they are. Dash is a pilot and smuggler from the Shadows of the Empire video game who is enlisted to help find Han Solo in the gap between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. A bit of a braggart and a blowhard, Dash nonetheless helps Luke Skywalker and the gang on a number of dangerous missions, such as helping to steal the plans for the second Death Star (at the expense of many Bothans). His ship, the Outrider, appears for, like, two seconds in an episode of Star Wars: Rebels. He likely doesn't exist in canon right now, so his more notable escapades probably didn't happen, but Disney can still find a way to bring him in meaningfully. He's a fun character that a lot of fans have fond memories of, and the biggest obstacle will be to make him stand out from Han Solo.
Clone Troopers
Anyone who was a fan of Star Wars: The Clone Wars can tell you that some of the very best episodes of the show were the ones that almost exclusively focused on the clone troopers. These episodes ranged in the stories and troopers it showcased, but they were some of the most fascinating and entertaining installments of the series. Some of these dealt with the clones sense of duty and their lack of choice in being soldiers, while some were just war stories of clones overcoming impossible odds. One arc even had a trooper preemptively discover Order 66 and his failure to convince others of their grim future. Filming a movie where there is pretty much just one actor playing all the characters could be weird but despite being clones of the same guy, every soldier felt different from one another thanks both to cosmetic differences and personality quirks. There's a lot of different ways a clone troopers movie could play it, but this could be a movie set during the prequels that people actually want to see.
Revan
You'd be hard-pressed to find a list about Star Wars spinoffs and not find something related to the Knights of the Old Republic video game series. Praised as one of the best Star Wars games ever, the role-playing game allowed players to control Revan, a Force user who can either become a Jedi or Sith Lord depending on choices made in the game. As it turns out, Revan is actually a Jedi-turned-Sith who is mind wiped by the Jedi before the start of the game to remove the threat he posed to the galaxy. The game's canonical story is that he chooses the light side at the end, but the player doesn't have to go that route. Taking place thousands of years before the movies, this spinoff would feature a time period no one has seen on film before. It would also feature a literal army of Jedi and Sith fighting each other, so it's got spectacle in spades. It might be hard to fit so much story into one movie, but Revan is an interesting character and the twisty nature of his allegiances could make for a solid viewing experience.
Rogue Squadron
We already got a movie with "Rogue" in the title, but I'm not a stickler on the name. The Rogue Squadron was an elite group of Rebel pilots who flew dangerous missions for the Rebel Alliance and then the New Republic. They've been featured in comic books, novels, video games, and other media over the years. The group has a few notable members but the most recognizable one is their leader, Wedge Antilles, seen in important battles during Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and most recently, Star Wars: Rebels. A Rogue Squadron movie could be a Top Gun-esque action thriller set in Star Wars, with lots of space battles, high-flying action, and pilots getting shit done. Set the movie in the days of the New Republic and have the Squadron hunt down leftover Empire bases and you've got a winning formula.
So, what do you think? Would you want to see any of these characters on the big screen in their own spinoff? Sound off in the poll below and let us know what other spinoffs you'd like to see in the comments!
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