Star Wars Missed Opportunity Would Fix Franchise's Most Annoying Problem
Since A New Hope first hit the big screen in 1977, Star Wars has been a huge hit. The sheer number of spinoffs is a testament to that – and Disney's purchase of the rights to the franchise was an indication that there is more to come.
So far, there are very few complaints about what Disney has done. And Andor has been a huge success, adding a gritty realness to the show and having genuine appeal for audiences of all ages.
As of yet, though, they still haven't addressed the most annoying problem with the Star Wars franchise – the fact that viewers have been stuck in the same short timeframe for so long.
While delving a little deeper into the short-term history of the build-up to the original trilogy is a worthy cause – and has brought some iconic moments to our screens – a movie or show focusing on the old republic would expand the timeline of the franchise and provide an insight into what happened to bring about the situation which we're now pretty well clued up on.
This is partly down to the approach that Disney took when they first acquired the franchise. Bob Iger (Chief Executive of Disney) was keen to "bring back what's familiar". This makes sense. Why do anything too risky straight off the bat?
In recent times, though, the franchise has become more open to exploring its canon history away from the immediate and obvious. The High Republic is evidence of this and has taken us back around 350 years before the Skywalker saga.
This provides 'a new hope' that Disney is now open to developing the canon history of the show and taking viewers even further back.
There are only so many spinoff shows and prequels that will keep audiences entertained and engaged when it comes to what is essentially the build-up to A New Hope. Expanding the timeline will provide a plethora of new stories, characters and worlds to discover.
One of the appeals of Andor is that it takes us into the lives of real people living under the rule of the Empire. The show should have told Disney that there is a real thirst for deeper exploration of the Star Wars universe among fans.
If that is the case, we can hope to see news of a show or movie focusing on the old republic. Right now, though, it all seems a little quiet on that front.