Audiences who streamed the final episode ofThe Mandalorian’s second season were treated to not one, but two separate surprises. The first was when Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) was rescued by a young Jedi who had answered his call: none other than Luke Skywalker, played bya digitally de-aged Mark Hamill. It made for a touching moment when Din Djarin removed his helmet and let the child touch his face before saying goodbye (maybe forever?). The second came after the episode’s credits. Boba Fett, who made his thrilling return to the Star Wars universe, steps into Jabba’s palace, killing everyone there (except one final slave, who is set free) and takes the throne along with Fennec Shand. That was when the tease came: “The Book of Boba Fett, coming December 2021.”
At first, it was unclear whether this was would be its own thing, or if this was what the third season ofThe Mandalorianwas going to be; a departure from the travels of Mando to focus on yet another helmeted bounty hunter. This was cleared up a few days later, when it was announced thatThe Book of Boba Fettwould be a new standalone series, running on the streaming services along with a new season ofThe Mandalorian. This really begs the question, though: does Disney+ need another series about a Mandalorian bounty hunter?
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With so many other parts of the Star Wars lore to explore, even goingback in time to the High Republic era, there’s really no good reason to keep following a different Mandalorian across the galaxy, even if his journey is different than that of Din Djarin. At this point, it feels like well-trod territory. Even if there’s an element of anti-heroism present inThe Book of Boba Fett, it might not be enough to truly differentiate it from the series that brought it to life. The main characters even look almost identical, with their helmets being essentially exactly the same. This is even more annoying when considering the fact that audiences have seen how varied Mandalorian helmets can be, and how their designs can add to the unique nature of each character (particularly in the first season). UnlessTemuera Morrison plans on taking his helmetoff as much as he has inThe Mandalorian, this could really add to the problem of both series feeling a bit too similar.
To be fair, little is known aboutthe new Star Wars showaside from its title, main characters, and release date. Anything about it beyond those points is pure speculation. That includes thinking about what the show will look like and how each episode will work.The Mandalorianwisely took a lesson from TV shows of the past, and made each of its episodes feel like a standalone story, while still connecting them together in a larger season arc. That may not seem like that bold of a decision, but considering how many streaming series are designed to just feel like extra-long feature films, this made the show feel distinct. WillBoba Fettbe doing the same thing? It’s hard to say, but it seems like the adventures of a bounty hunter are specifically designed to work in a more episodic format. Judging by how Fett makes his big return to Jabba’s palace, this could be a series that is more about revenge or setting things right, rather than embarking on a journey of protection like the one seen inThe Mandalorian.
The show is also not stopping any other Star Wars shows from coming down the pipeline, either, as it will be joining plenty of other new projects in the future.Rangers of the New Republic, one of the series announced during Disney’s investor relations day, will even tie back intoThe Mandalorian, although it remains to be seen how that will be accomplished. Thelong-awaited Obi-Wan Kenobi serieswill also finally be hitting the streaming service, with Ewan MacGregor reprising his role.Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalkerin the prequel trilogy will also be appearing in the series as Darth Vader.
With so much Star Wars coming to the streaming service, along with aRogue Squadronmovie directed byWonder Woman’s Patty Jenkins, there’s even a risk thatThe Book of Boba Fettcould be lost in the shuffle, as viewers tune into the other shows instead of returning to the low-level tale of a long-thought-dead bounty hunter. Fans may be more eager to explore other sides of the universe, or catch more outer space dogfights rather than another ground-level blaster battle. It’s not like Star Wars projects haven’t been lost in the shuffle before. Does anyone remember the fact thatRian Johnson was supposed to make a trilogy of Star Wars filmsuntilThe Last Jedipolarized audiences?
The Book of Boba Fettmight surprise everyone and turn out to be different enough fromThe Mandalorianthat it bucks comparisons and stands out on its own. However, it remains to be seen how exactly the show will function, and how successful it will be. With the sheer amount of unique Star Wars content on the way, it seems unnecessary to give Boba Fett, a character tied more to the past than almost anyone else, his own series. How about a show aboutPoe Dameron’s time in a ska band instead?
