The next Star Wars movie, The Mandalorian & Grogu is expected to begin filming soon – and Lucasfilm desperately need to avoid repeating the mistakes they made with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Star Wars is a generational saga, constantly reinventing itself for the next generation, and that process has been happening again in the aftermath of 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. There’s a sense in which The Mandalorian was a new beginning for the franchise, launching a whole wave of Star Wars Disney+ TV shows.

Din Djarin and Grogu essentially reinvented Star Wars for Disney+, setting the pattern and quality level for everything that followed. Now, they’re about to head to the big screen, with Jon Favrea expected to begin production on The Mandalorian & Grogu shortly. But it’s vital that Star Wars learns from mistakes made in earlier relaunches – notably with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The Force Awakens Launched Star Wars With A “Safe Bet”

The Narrative Closely Followed That Of A New Hope

When The Force Awakens released in 2015, it came after a long drought of Star Wars movies. The last movie, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, released a decade earlier in 2005; what’s more, as Disney CEO Bob Iger noted in his autobiography “The Ride of a Lifetime,” the prequels hadn’t been universally loved. Disney felt the pressure to play it safe, rather than to take a risk.

The Force Awakens was always going to be a hit, in part because the plot so closely follows that of the original Star Wars movie. There were a couple of curveballs thrown into the plot such as the death of Han Solo, but even that closely resembles Obi-Wan’s death in the original film. The movie was mostly a fun adventure with few real stakes, perfectly crafted specifically in order to be as likable and inoffensive as possible, but none of it was particularly fresh or surprising – and that was entirely deliberate.

The Mandalorian & Grogu Is Another “Safe Bet” For Lucasfilm

Din Djarin Has Already Proven To Be A Massive Success

By choosing to make Din Djarin the focus of the franchise’s relaunch, Disney is choosing to make another safe decision. The Mandalorian is one of Star Wars’ most well-known properties, and is possibly the most popular thing Disney has created since acquiring the rights to the franchise. Ironically, The Mandalorian‘s success is largely because of a cast composed (initially) of entirely new characters – meaning it was initially a high risk. But it has embedded itself within popular culture, becoming Disney+’s flagship.

The Mandalorian‘s success means the movie already has a draw. People will see The Mandalorian & Grogu because they like the characters that have already been established. There is no tension there, and the fear is that this will lead to an overall lack of innovation in the final film. After all, why would Lucasfilm change something so successful? But such a decision would be a mistake, because it would mean The Mandalorian & Grogu resorted to formula – the samme mistake made with The Force Awakens.

How Can Lucasfilm Avoid Making This A Safe, Risk-Free Movie?

The Stakes For The Mandalorian & Grogu Need To Be Higher Than Ever

Because of The Mandalorian’s success, this is the perfect opportunity for Disney to do something a little different. The company can take chances with the plot that they wouldn’t have previously been able to with characters that haven’t already been established in the hearts and minds of fans. The stakes need to be bigger than ever with twists and turns that fans aren’t already expecting.

Whether these stakes come in the form of character deaths, live-action character premieres, or even just exciting fights, there are a variety of different ways The Mandalorian & Grogu can spice up the admittedly stale movie formula. Whatever happens needs to be big, and it cannot follow in the steps of what has already been released. If Star Wars keeps making safe movies over and over again, there will come a day when it loses its popularity, similarly to how Marvel has fallen from grace in recent years.