It's a good time to be a Star Wars fan. With Disney now in charge of the property, we've seen a massive shift in how the franchise is handled. In addition to the main installments that continue the Skywalker story, the House of Mouse is also producing standalone films that help to expand the galaxy far, far away. The first of these was the critically acclaimed Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and 2018 will also bring Solo to theaters. It seems like just about any part of the universe could be explored through these one shot films, and Rogue One actor Mads Mikkelson has one idea that he'd like to see in an future standalone movie. Namely, he'd like to see a film that explores the members of the evil Empire/First Order. He said,
I think there's an unlimited source to go back and tell those stories. I think people are curious about the Empire as well, to see some back story on the Empire. What kind of people are they? (Galen's) family, his wife and daughter, we were part of the Empire -- and we're not monsters. So obviously there are (regular) people in there. And why do they do what they do? What do they believe in?
This sounds like a really exciting idea, and one that the generations of Star Wars fans would no doubt love to see on the silver screen. Because while fans are obviously on the side of the Jedi and forces of good, there's a ton of love for the franchise's villains. Darth Vader is the face of the property, after all.
Rogue One and The Force Awakens were the first films in the franchise to really focus on characters who were formerly aligned with the Dark Side. As he mentioned to IGN, Mads Mikkelson's character was a scientist for The Empire in the time between the prequel trilogy and A New Hope. And while his daughter Jyn would eventually rise up and help get the plans for the original Death Star, they were a family unit that had formerly supported the Empire, which is traditionally a seedy organization of monsters.
On The Force Awakens side of things, we met a defector Stormtrooper in the form of John Boyega's Finn. Seeing a mission gone awry was enough to inspire him to change sides, and we learn that he was taken as a child and trained to be a member of the First Order's troops. This backstory will also hopefully be explored in The Last Jedi, as he doubts whether or not he truly belongs with The Resistance.
And in a way, Mads Mikkelson is getting his wish in video game form. Star Wars Battlefront II's story mode revolves around Commander Iden Versio, who watches in horror as the second Death Star is destroyed in _Return of the Jed_i. And with Rian Johnson developing a new trilogy of films and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy ready for more world building, perhaps we'll see an Empire-focused blockbuster in the near future
Star Wars: The Last Jedi will arrive in theaters on December 15th-- you can pre-order your tickets here. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
