Now that that's out of the way, let's start trying to predict what's going to happen!
The biggest piece of information we need to get before we have any idea what this is about is the time frame. Does this happen after Revenge of the Sith, dealing with the childhood of Fett where he builds up a reputation, or does it take place after Return of the Jedi, wherein it would then become official canon that he survived the Sarlacc Pit?
The Case for Pre-"Death"
If the film is set before A New Hope takes place, there's a chance we could see the actor who plays Han Solo in that film make some sort of an appearance, tying things in together a little more cohesively than if it was a standalone movie with no connection.
Also, it's sad to say it, but we don't really get to see why Boba Fett is a badass. Sure, he looks like one, but aren't you at least a little interested in why Darth Vader makes it abundantly clear that the rule in place is "no disintegrations" in The Empire Strikes Back? Clearly that means Vader must have witnessed firsthand or heard secondhand about Fett having a tendency to do this. While I've always just assumed this was what happened to Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, as far as I'm aware, that hasn't been made canon, and if it isn't, then I want to see Boba Fett disintegrate someone, damn it!
After the death of Jango Fett, maybe Boba Fett is even part of the Jedi Purge where he's hunting down the last few that are spread out through the galaxy on various planets. Fett taking down a Jedi or two could be pretty sweet, right?
The Case for Post-"Death"
First off, the most obvious reason why this could be a good idea is to retcon the character's horrible death. It's played for a cheap laugh in a movie that already has stupid little bears that defeat the Empire and proves that George Lucas had some terrible ideas well before the prequels. Being set after the events of that film would help set things right by telling us that Fett did indeed survive, which in itself is an impressive feat.
Second, this could be used as a means to fill us in on some more of the information that we'll undoubtedly still be left in the dark about when it comes to bridging the gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. There's so much we don't know, and I'm sure a lot of those questions will be answered in Episode VIII and Episode IX, but there's no way all of them will. Through Fett's story, we could get a better idea of what happened with the power struggle between the remnants of the Empire and the New Republic. What's a bounty hunter's place in this type of world?
Third, and perhaps most interesting, is that if we are making Boba Fett the protagonist, we have to root for him. While by this point in 2020 we'll have already had Deadpool and Suicide Squad where the characters are antiheroes, there still needs to be a certain level of heroism to him. Emerging from certain death and the doom of being tortured for a thousand years could give him a brand new perspective on life and possibly turn him into a reluctant hero.
My Choice
I kind of want to have my cake and eat it too, as I want both. Boba Fett isn't even anywhere close to my favorite character in the franchise (he'd probably rank somewhere in the top 20 though) but I think there's a chance he could have a presence in both timelines. Seeing him as an antagonist in the Han Solo film would be neat and then seeing him change his character later on in life would be a nice twist. If I had to pick, I'd probably opt for the latter of the two, but there's no way in knowing what would be a more interesting direction until we see what we're getting with Rogue One and Han Solo.
Until then, tell us what you'd prefer to see. Who should the villain be if he's our hero? Should he be played by Temuera Morrison or should they figure out some kind of way to recast him? Should we even see his face at all, or would it be better for Boba Fett to go through the film in Master Chief mode with his helmet on the entire time?
Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
0 comments: