Lit is Chewbacca gonna be revived in the EU over the next two years?

Let's face it, the average EU fan is NOT going to pass on the movie if it upsets the EU. And the average EU fan is hardly the average Star Wars "fan." People like my parents have never touched an EU work, but would go in a heartbeat to see a new movie. The EU fans are, in all likelihood, a fair minority of the total market for the film.

What we've been discussing here on a daily basis for months now is the WISH that the EU will be respected by the filmmakers. Rationally, there is a very low chance that Disney, Abrams, and the writers will let the EU get in the way a good movie storyline. If the EU is followed, I am sure it will not be at the cost of a better "story" that reasonably could've been made by avoiding the EU.

We all want to see our favorite parts of the EU respected, but we shouldn't kid ourselves that it will form the basis for the movies, let alone retell an EU story (like all those clamoring for a trilogy based on the Thrawn trilogy hope for).

 

No way Disney is gonna miss out on the opportunity to sell Chewbacca toys. Not gonna happen. Also seeing Han in the movie without Chewbacca would be weird.

 

Here are my thoughts on the Chewbacca in Episode VII debate.

I think one of the most important precepts a good film should adhere to is "show, don't tell." The PT drew a lot of criticism in part because it didn't always do a good job of 'showing' as opposed to 'telling'. If the film stays true to the events of Vector Prime and Chewbacca doesn't appear, I imagine that they have to at least acknowledge why he isn't around. After all, the multitudes of OT fans unfamiliar with the EU would be left wondering why the iconic Wookiee sidekick of Han Solo doesn't show up alongside the Big Three. Remember the famous "Let the Wookiee win" catchphrase. It's not going to be easy to satisfy these fans if it is simply mentioned in passing that Chewie had died years before, given how popular the character is. If they choose to elaborate on the circumstances of his death, I fear there would have to be a lengthy exposition drop that goes against the tenet of "show, don't tell." Trying to emphasize the heroic nature of Chewie's death will probably force the characters into mentioning the Vong War (as awesome as acknowledging it would be), but retelling, if only briefly, that major galactic event could waste valuable screentime. And I kind of doubt that the Yuuzhan Vong will be mentioned at all in a film set some 40 years after RotJ.

As it is, the writers are kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place; don't include Chewbacca so as to stay faithful to the EU, but risk alienating a lot of OT fans, or retcon the Wookiee's death and risk turning off EU fans. I personally think, as Riven_JTAC mentioned, the choice is obvious. They will go where the money is, and since EU fans comprise a rather small, if vocal, minority of SW fans while OT fans comprise the vast majority, they won't hesitate to include this iconic character, if only as a cameo, should they deem it would attract more moviegoers (and if Mayhew is up to the task). I think most EU fans would still go to the theaters to watch Episode VII regardless of whether or not Chewie appears. One retcon shouldn't color one's opinion of an entire movie (though there will probably be a lot more post-RotJ EU retcons incoming). And let's be honest, it's probably not going to make or break the movie, as I doubt Chewie would play a major role even if he shows up. Just my $0.02.

 

Well anything after the OT is going to get rebooted in the EU anyway so yeah I am not seeing much of a problem.

 

JJ Abrams and his cronies gave their middle finger salute to every longtime Trekker by eliminating/destroying 40 years of televised canon with his crappy altered timeline/reboot movie and sat back and laughed at the controversy.

I highly doubt the no-talent hack Abrams will be concerned about contradicting any EU canon for Star Wars.

 

well, I'm one of those who wish that the EU will be incorporated into the new SQ-trilogy. I've simply spent too much money, time and emotions getting all the books and comic-tpb (and started collecting SW-lego 1.5 years ago, trying also to gobble up as many set-releases as possible from before that time.

HOWEVER - I think that bringing back Chewie would be one of the things I could live with, if TPTB decide so. there was a thread - I think it was in the EP VII forums - where all the possibilities were discussed, and there are some that wouldn't be too farfetched for GFFA (like immediate rescue by some enemies of Han and Chewie, with Chewie held hostage for 20+ years and so on).

just a few words, why I think that the EU should NOT be left out: anybody who thinks that the status quo of the GFFA at the start of EP VII is the same as immediately after EP VI must be out of their minds. of course there was is some story in between EP VI and VII. so why "invent" it all new, when you have it all there on a silver platter? no matter what you do, you'll either ALWAYS have to explain what happened in between or you don't. the existence of the EU DOES NOT hamper the author's ability/possibilities to create an original story.

 

Yes, a cutoff is indeed an option.

But I wonder what they will do with the spinoffs then. They won't follow established canon either and some are bound to be set before the OT, like the Boba movie we'll most likely get.

 

What? Abrams kept the old timeline fairly intact due to timetravel shenanigans. It was really the best people could hope for in a reboot.

 

What are you talking about keeping the old timeline intact? When Nero went back in time and destroyed th USS Kelvin and planet Vulcan, it altered the original timeline/canon. Everything from the original series to The Next Generation and beyond will no longer happen. Not to mention that all the original characters are unlikeable jerks in the new altered timeline.

How can you say that's the best thing for long time fans could hope for?

Now if JJ Abram's crappy Star Drek reboot was a straight up remake, it would have been less offensive for longtime fans because remakes has no effect on it's original source canon. Long time fans could simply acknowledge it as pure crap like all of Abrams work.

 

Because Nero comes from the unaltered timeline. When he traveled back to the day of Kirks birth, an alternate timeline sprang into life, that of the new movies. No matter how you turn it, the original still has to exist somewhere because otherwise Nero couldn't timetravel back.

I even found a graph.



So, as fan you can either stick to the original timeline in which Romulus is destroyed in the far future or you stick to the new timeline that includes all the new stuff.

It is pretty good for fans because aside from Romulus destruction and Spocks later disappearance when he is old everything is as it always was.

 

Exactly. I'm no Trekkie and have only watched the film once, but somewhere the original happened or else there wouldn't be a lunatic with a vendetta out to destroy everyone for what happened.

 

Doesn't changing the past in Star Trek usually overwrite the preexisting timeline instead of creating a new one? I thought that's why they always have to be so careful when they're mucking about in the past; if altering the past just created a new timeline instead of erasing the future they came from, it wouldn't be such a big deal.

 

I thought parallel universes were a tradition of Trek? I remember an episode of TOS were they meet evil counterparts of themselves.

 

That is pure BS and you obviously know nothing about Star Trek. Just because Spock and Nero still retained their experience with the original timeline/canon doesn't mean the original timeline/canon still exists after Nero went back in time and altered everything.

The original series canon is meaningless now because of Abram's crappy reboot.... and yes I'm very afraid that he's going to some how find a way to ruin Star Wars.

 

Fine, be like that.

 

Yeah but I think those were usually just their own thing unrelated to time travel. Idk, I just remember in the Borg movie they had to go back in time because the Borg had already gone back in time and changed the future by taking over Earth in the past.

Basically Star Trek is dumb and we should all be glad that J.J. Abrams ruined it forever.

 

Imo it's important to chill. If Abrams does a similar thing with Star Wars I'll just take how it was intended and run with it.

 

Be like what? You tell me that original canon is still intact when the Abrams crappy reboot proves otherwise.

Then you admit that I'm right.

 

I like Star Trek as much as I like Star Wars. If I wasn't such a Star Wars fan, I'd wish that Abrams would crap all over and ruin SW as he did to ST so I could throw that back in your face.

Atleast I'll get half my wish because Abrams will crap all over and ruin the EU canon so I'll be throwing that back face in 2015.

 

What? I've admitted no such thing.

My explanation is fairly paradox free which can't be said of a self-correcting timeline.

 

Don't get me wrong, Star Wars is dumb too. I hate all the things I like.

Like Doctor Who has really gone downhill since J.J. Abrams took over. It's unbearable.

 

You should take a look at the Legend of Zelda timeline.

 

I know, right? And don't get me started on what J.J. Abrams did to Mass Effect 3's ending.

You do realise you could have just started the next "He's Duros" meme?