Warning! SPOILERS for The Book of Boba Fett.
The Book of Boba Fett relied too heavily on existing goodwill towards The Mandalorian and proved that it should’ve been a feature film, as was intended way back in 2013. The series came under fire for seemingly forgetting about Star Wars‘ Boba Fett throughout episodes 5 and 6, pushing him to the sideline of his own story. It was clear that the writers only had a few hours’ worth of story for Fett, and the bounty hunter could’ve fared much better in his own standalone movie, as was originally planned by Disney and Lucasfilm.
Boba Fett was originally planned to helm a standalone film upon Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm and the Star Wars brand. Josh Trank was set to direct, though after the critical response to his Fantastic Four film, Trank was quietly scrapped and Disney may have entered talks with Logan director James Mangold (though this was never confirmed). Eventually, the movie seemingly fell through, and Boba Fett made his Disney debut in The Mandalorian season 2, followed by The Book of Boba Fett. However, Fett ended up on the periphery of his own story, as the Mandalorian, Luke Skywalker, and Ahsoka Tano were put into focus instead.
Boba Fett’s story was far better suited to the cinema, as it lacked the necessary length to be a compelling TV series. The character was at his most compelling in the first few episodes when he was learning from the tribe of Tusken Raiders. This plot point was genuinely interesting and gave viewers a look at a different side to the bounty hunter. However, the plot involving the Mos Espa underworld, though seemingly the series’ main story, simply didn’t have enough substance to warrant multiple episodes.
The lack of content around Boba Fett’s story as a Mos Espa crime boss was solidified by the inclusion of the Mandalorian in episodes 5 and 6, as Din Djarin completely stole Boba Fett’s limelight. It was clear that the series did not have sufficient content, leading Jon Favreau and his team to shoehorn in what was essentially two episodes of The Mandalorian, with only loose connections to Fett. This was made more apparent by the inclusion of Luke Skywalker and Grogu, who only seemed to be in the series to superficially hold the viewer’s interest.
Though Trank or Mangold’s Boba Fett films would’ve obviously had a completely different narrative, the medium would’ve been a better fit for the character. Boba was not a complicated character, and past his short arc with the Tusken Raiders, there was no need to stretch his story out to fit a full series. Had Mangold delivered a low-stakes drama like Logan, the character could’ve retained his place as one of the most iconic Star Wars characters, instead of getting pushed aside after the writers ran out of things for him to do.
The Book of Boba Fett was a series of ups and downs, but the inclusion of Din Djarin as a second main character suggested a lack of faith in Boba Fett and an overreliance on the success of The Mandalorian. Josh Trank or James Mangold could’ve delivered a far more compelling story for Fett by utilizing a more appropriate medium for the character. After all, he did get his start on the big screen in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
Key Release Dates
Rogue Squadron
Release Date:2023-12-22
