Star Wars writer says franchise will soon move away from classic characters

The Star Wars legacy has won over a whole new generation over the past two years with both The Force Awakens and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story wowing audiences across the globe and both topping the $1billion at the box office. And with Episode 8, The Last Jedi, as well as the now-shooting Han Solo spin-off film, the future is indeed bright for the franchise.

One of the writers of the Rogue One, Gary Whitta, has been speaking about the impact of the reinvigorated franchise and that while the blend of characters old and new has resonated so profoundly with fans and audiences, there will be a time soon when the universe expands and that future stories will involve new characters rather than those many have grown up with.

Speaking to ComingSoon.net for the home entertainment release of Rogue One, Whitta said:

I think you’ve already seen us get 90% of the way there with Rogue One. Yes you see Leia, yes you see the Death Star and Vader, because those are elements of that story and they belong there, you can’t tell that story without those characters. But for the most part, 90% of that story is completely new characters. Completely new planets and places you’ve never seen before. …. The next spin-off is ‘Han Solo,’ that’s another familiar character, but I think increasingly you’re going to see… One of the thing things we really want to do at Lucasfilm is create a universe and not keep relying on old legacy characters. We’ve got Rey and Finn and Kylo Ren, they’ve already introduced a new generation of characters. Whatever kind of Star Wars films they’re making 10 or 20 years from now, I don’t think they’re going to be relying on the same legacy story elements as we have in the past.

It’s certainly a fascinating idea for the future but not one that is at all surprising. With The Force Awakens and Rogue One, a nice mix of the old and new was beautifully weaved together with the big plan that we follow the newly-introduced characters and their arcs rather than those we have seen before. Sure, The Last Jedi will feature Luke and Leia once more but we have already seen Han Solo and more moved aside to allow those exciting new strands to evolve, and perhaps even see us follow wholly original tales that feature no-one connected to the saga so far.

One thing is certain – if you’re a Star Wars fan, there’s never been a more exciting time.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is released on Blu-ray and DVD on April 10th; Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens on December 15th.