Does Star Wars Franchise Need an R-rated Story? Not Really, Fans Say
Sometimes it's not so much about the "adult" rating but rather about whether it is necessary.
Let's be honest — Star Wars has never been about gore, violence, blood, or explicit sex. Still, the possibility of exploring new ratings and therefore new ways to tell a story has always been tempting for Star Wars fans.
For instance, some people mulled the possibility of launching an R-rated project with Asajj Ventress that could explore "underground" Star Wars. However, according to the majority of fans, a rating that tips over the threshold of PG-13 is simply unnecessary when it comes to the Star Wars universe. If the creators wanted to tell some story in a specific way, requiring R rating, it would be warranted, but making an R-rated series or movie just for the sake of it feels wrong to many Star Wars fans.
Many fans argue that there is no logical reasoning behind introducing riskier ratings to the Star Wars universe.
"Whenever it comes with an R rated SW anything, I always ask this question: what would some of the common R rated tropes, like blood, cussing, and sex bring to Star Wars? Does it have a purpose or is it just there to have it? 99 percent of the time, I feel the answer is 'not a lot'", Redditor Brookings18 suggested.
Some people noted that time has brought difference to the ratings, and the ways of modern R-rated movies just don't seem to click with fan. Some things, they argue, should be left to the Game of Throne-style entertainment.
"I love the Star Wars franchise specifically because it's got enough adult themes to keep me entertained without relying on sexual violence as a primary plot element/driver. I'm not a prude, but I've stopped watching a lot of more modern entertainment IPs because of the heavy reliance on sexual violence to move a plot along. Star Wars is a breath of fresh air in that it has enough adult theme elements without going into unnecessary territory," another Star Wars fan noted.
Even when there is a need for Star Wars to "grow up", it seems that the franchise is still capable of being more mature without upgrading to R — and Andor illustrates it perfectly.
There have been no officially confirmed plans to launch an R-rated Star Wars project. Currently, Disney Plus is rolling with Andor, with five episodes already available for streaming. In 2022, Tales of the Jedi and season 2 of The Bad Batch are also scheduled to arrive. The Ahsoka series will kick off the year 2023 for the Star Wars universe.