Crisis in Infinite Galaxies

(Note: this thread is something of an outgrowth from the whole DVD changes discussion, but please don't turn this into a bash/gush thread regarding the changes. Also, try not to think I'm nuts. I just feel strongly about my filmic universes!)

The title of this thread will no doubt seem familiar to DC Comics fans. The 1985 series Crisis on Infinite Earths allowed DC to deal with many confusing parallel universes.

I can't help but wonder if Star Wars is destined for the same type of crisis. Let's go through this chronologically, shall we?

In 1977, Star Wars was released (no "Episode IV: A New Hope" subtitle). It was a perfect, stand-alone movie that changed the world. It's my belief that although Lucas was making it all up as he went along, a basic outline of the film(s) was created early on. However, there have been many, many retcons (Leia as Luke's sister, Owen Lars as Anakin's step-brother, stormtroopers being the clones of the Clone Wars, etc.).

All films, not just SW, in my opinion, have their own "filmic reality". That is, the version of a film that is released in theaters for the first time is the "real" version (although deleted scenes and the like can be accepted as canon; they just happen off-camera). Any director's cut or other incarnation (Terminator 2 Special Edition, Alien Director's Cut, etc.) is just an alternative (indeed, in the examples I just named, the filmmakers stand by the original theatrical releases as the "real" versions). The original releases are the ones that most people will see for the first time, the ones that become popular.

Of course, there were minor differences in the theatrical release of Star Wars (1977) depending on which theater you went to (due to several different sound mixes with minor variations in sound effects and dialogue), but the overall film was the same.

In the filmic reality of Star Wars (1977), Darth Vader is not Luke's father (he was a young Jedi who betraryed and murdered Luke's father, who was a *contemporary* of Ob-Wan's, not a pupil), and Leia is not his sister.

The Empire Strikes Back has its own filmic reality, simply by virture of the fact that it is not a part of the first film. It also has a different feel and style, and is more polished. This is where the retcons (retroactive continuity) begin. Although the notion of Vader being Luke's father has been accepted by most, there are some that feel it is a retcon that takes away from the purity of the first film (it makes Ben a liar, and Vader the one who tells the truth. It also takes away from Vader's former "super-villain" status and reveals that his real name is *not* "Darth Vader"). There is no direct evidence (that I know of) that Lucas intended Vader to be Luke's father from the beginning. Also, in this universe, the Emperor is the monkey-old woman-Cilve Revill hybrid. Still, the first two films flow together well. This also marks the beginning of the shift from Star Wars being a great, one-shot movie to an ongoing "SAGA".

After Star Wars was released, "Episode IV: A New Hope" was added into the main crawl for a 1981 rerelease, and has been there ever since. This is the first major change to "ANH", and was added to make it mesh with ESB (although the title was always there in the script; 2oth Century Fox execs said the title was too long, and it wasn't until later that Lucas had more clout and could add it in).

Return of the Jedi has its own filmic reality (an outgrowth if the ANH-ESB reality), one in which it is confirmed that Vader is Luke's father...and Leia is his sister (a big, BIG retcon, one that was *not* planned from the beginning). In this universe, the Emperor is Ian McDiarmid. I find it interesting that many people sidestep the brother/sister issue (and, to a lesser extent, the father/son issue) in the context of the first film in order to retain that perfect little memory of a Star WArs (1977) where Vader is just another baddie unrelated to our heroes and Leia could choose between Luke and Han without worrying about incest.

After the films were over and done, The

 

Whether Greedo shoots first or whether Han shoots first, the story is still the same!
Whether Anakin has eyebrows or he is without them, it is the same Return of the Jedi.
This is George's story. He has said over and over again that Vader was always to be Luke's father.
I don't consider Obi-Wan to be a liar, no more of a liar then parents who tell of Santa Clause. It is a rosy version of reality.
Now I don't look at different universes. There is one saga and it is the story George Lucas wanted. Whether fans have problems with it, is their issue not anyone elses.
This seems like it gives nitpicky a whole new name.
It is the story of humans and how a human can make the wrong decisions. There is no filmic relaity. There is one saga and it is the final version which GL produces.
He adds minor changes. It is not altering filmic reality, it is plot development!

-Seldon

 

If you're being nitpicky then the answer is the most current, up-to-date versions of each movie as the God and Creator of that universe (Lucas) updates each movie to be closer to the REAL universe as he sees fit at the time.

SO:

TPM DVD
AOTC DVD
ROTS Theatrical Release
ANH DVD
ESB DVD
ROTJ DVD

Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy.

 

The final DVD compendium of all six movies packaged together, whenever it comes out, will be the definitive realization of the Saga. Just because Lucas filmed the OT on the seat of his pants and made stuff up as he went along doesnt mean that there are parrallell filmic realties in the Saga, it just means we have to wait for a final directors cut of the Saga, whenever that may be. If anything it will keep us around here for a long time, which isnt a bad thing. I think that Lucas' statement about creating a universe in the ANH SE is very telling. The man randomly and whimsically inserts things into his films for a real world feel and for his own satisfaction. This doesnt lend well to any kind of pre-conceived " Saga " but its still one of the major points of SWs' greatness. Simply put: it brings out the sci-fi geek in all of us. It gives people who embrace this epic vision a very great and unique thing to love. This is a long winded way to say that I agree with Seldon, which normally isnt the case .

 

^I will keep my response as short as possible,
There must be a heat wave on Hoth because I never thought I would hear those words from you.
In short I agree with what you said.

-Seldon

 

The expansion of the saga in the sequels and prequels and the Special Edition tweaks don't constitute alternate universes ala the different versions of Superman's history in any way.

The Episode IV: A New Hope title first appeared in the 1979 book The Art of Star Wars. The script drafts were all called The Adventures of Luke Starkiller: Episode I - The Star Wars (or permutations thereof).

 

I gave up on DC comics when they pulled this "crisis" continuity stuff. To me, the whole mess was created because DC felt some bizarre need to explain to comic book readers why Superman had been a comic set in the 1930s, when he was still around and set in the 1980s (with so many retellings of the same old origins story, it isn't funny). It sounded like the ramblings of a Star Trek fan wondering why the Klingons changed their appearance from the old TV show to the new movies. Hint: it's fiction.

But, I digress.

There is no alternate/parallel reality in SW. The saga is as it evolves. What it becomes is what it has been.

Sure, Lucas made up all sorts of plot points and dialogue to jet his OT flicks along...and soon realized he has a lot to account for (whatever happened to his promise that we would have the "Force Ghost" explained?) and some things just can't be done.

Hence, such threads as "Did Yoda Know Anakin Became Vader" or "Why Do Some Jedi Disappear?" etc. It's all backstory that is fun to speculate on - it's window dressing for the real story(ies) at hand.

Lucas has a story to tell and, until he pays me the "mad cash" to write for him, I will accept what story he lays out as the story.