Discussion Potential Threats/Antagonists For New Films

I don’t think the world is ready for that yet. Maybe in 20 years…

I think Star Wars should start drawing more from the political climate of the war on terror/GWB/Iraq etc and move past the trappings of WW2/Vietnam/Nixon. Which I think Andor is a step in that direction

 

I think the Star Trek movie that Noah Hawley was developing, which apparently revolved around some sort of Federation-spanning pandemic, would have been the appropriate venue for that kind of story. Star Trek has always excelled at contemporaneous social commentary. Star Wars can get way more meat out of the current socio-political climate, i.e. the rise of alt-right populism and resurgence of ethnocentrist fascism in democratic countries. The war on terror and GWB is quite literally yesterday's news.

 

We already covered that resurgent alt-right topic in the ST and it led to declining ticket sales and the complete destruction of the brand’s overseas prospects

not to mention the fact that the fanbase skews conservative and white

Do we really want to see a Star Wars sequel actually LOSE money?

 

Now I'm wondering who's going to be the villain/antagonist in Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s movie.

 

I really hope it’s not the First Order Remnant or something like that. Just… leave them all stranded on Exogol and be done with it. Maybe pirates, or a small war breaks out on a single planet or between two planets within the same system?

 

Yeah, I agree. Something different this time. I like the idea with the two planets.

 

I have a feeling it’ll be something like the Grysk or… ugh… the Yuuzhan Vong. A threat that’s unique and can span several films.

 

The best idea in terms of connectivity and coolness, IMO, is to make the threat an expansionist Mandalorian Empire. Driven by someone who usurped the throne from whoever ends up getting it in the New Republic timeline.

 

The First Order returns! Again!

 

I'm going to nix that because 1) I don't want to repeat that conflict either, and 2) I'd rather them save the Jedi on Mando action for the original war between the two in an Old Republic film or series.

 

What conflict? I don't remember seeing an expansionist Mando Empire on screen threatening the galaxy.

 

Both ideas have merit. Hard to say which is the best approach.

 

Sorry, I should have clarified: the conflict of the Mandalorian throne getting usurped and Mandalorians reverting back to their early days of bloodlust. That was a pretty central conceit of both The Clone Wars and Rebels, and whatever peace or unity they achieve, I'd like to see last.

 

Ah, got ya. I just mentioned that as a bit of background. In my thinking, that coup would happen at the start of the era, or even before it. So the Mando civil conflict would already be over.

 

I really do wonder if the era being called New Jedi Order is any kind of hint. I don’t like the Yuuzhan Vong personally but they are at least a unique enemy. I do like the idea of a multi-film series in the vein of the Harry Potter films.

 

The thing about Jedi enemies is that they need to be something that can be cut down with sabers in movies that kids see.

This is probably why Lucas picked droids for the PT. And the ST had very limited Jedi action so it could mainly be against Kylo Ren. We did have the praetorian guard too who were for all intents and purposes dehumanized by their masks, so killable in a kids film.

So what kind of enemy could be cut down regularly and still retain that PG rating?

 

The obvious halfway house between droids and people is some form of cyborg. It was done once with Vader, but it could be cheaper for the Empire/New Order etc to take dead stormtroopers and revive them using technological components. Its not a new idea, but it would work pretty well.

 

This kind of cyborg idea isn't half bad, but connecting it to the Empire in any way seems pretty bad.

When @Darth Chiznuk suggests barbarian warriors like the Vong, my heart says yes, but I wonder if they could be designed in such a way that would make killing them not too grotesque.

 

I definitely like the idea of this new era being like Late Antiquity with the Republic being invaded by barbarian hordes. The Yuuzhan Vong could certainly be a suitable enemy for a story like this. I would hope they fix some of the issues I have with them like their terrible design.