We Don’t Want a Mandalorian Movie, Thanks
By: Eric Pierce
Tags: Writing, Star Wars, Television, Film, Movies

Last week, Variety reported on the likelihood of a Mandalorian film in the future. In the article, showrunner Jon Favreau had this to say:

“The line is blurring now,” said Favreau. “Things that you would have only seen in the movie theater, you’re seeing on streaming, and I think it could go the other way as well.” Favreau said he’s in “no rush” to push the show beyond a streaming series. “But we’re definitely open to it,” he added, “and excited to see where the story leads us and have that flexibility — because there’s no rulebook now.”

I want to preface this by saying that I love everything about The Mandalorian and can’t wait for season two. And, after giving us the holy trilogy of Elf, Iron Man, and The Mandalorian, Favreau himself can do little wrong in my eyes. But this idea that the silver screen is the be-all and end-all for Star Wars is incredibly shortsighted, and is more likely to ruin what makes The Mandalorian special than improve anything. After all, the Disney-era films have been uneven at best, disasters at worst.

Season one proved beyond a doubt that Star Wars not only works on the small screen, it belongs there. The world of The Mandalorian is gritty and the stakes far more intimate, which is perfect for the format. By contrast, modern big screen Star Wars is all bombast and little substance. That isn’t to say you can’t tell Mando’s story writ large, and with Favreau in tow I’m sure it’d even be good. But when it’s working so well in the current implementation, why mess with it?

The bigger problem is one of segmentation. Putting part of the story on television and part in one or more films introduces unnecessary complexity. And it raises a philosophical question: does the show then become a way of serving up content for the flashier, more lucrative films, like a sort of cinematic JV? Does it establish stakes the movie pays off? How does the show not suffer in such scenarios?

Or does it establish a mini universe, with The Mandalorian as a hub, and spin-off movies focusing on tertiary characters and plots? Which is to say – lesser ones. No matter how you cut it, something (the show or the movie) will be less than it could be.

This is even putting aside the current theatrical landscape given the ongoing pandemic, which is to say, apocalyptic. Disney ended up moving Mulan to a Disney+ release. Black Widow has been moved twice now, and likely will move again before it finally settles (perhaps on Disney+ as well). The pandemic may (should?) end eventually. Perhaps by 2022 we’ll be piling into theaters and breathing all over each other again. Then again, why assume that will be the case?

The biggest issue though is the inherent suggestion that it somehow isn’t real Star Wars unless it’s big and loud. That it must be sanctified on the big screen in order to be legitimatized. That all roads must inevitably lead to the theater.

Marvel Studios is in the midst of a similar experiment, one in which the core MCU is augmented by stories told on Disney+. The difference is the MCU will remain the mechanism through which the major storytelling is told. The shows will supplement the films but remain optional. You can see the newest MCU film without having seen the shows and you probably won’t miss much. The shows will be optional, in other words, rather like Agents of Shield.

This feels different.

The new normal of streaming ubiquity has presented us with a new era of golden TV and a bevy of great content. But the fact that Disney is seriously considering splintering The Mandalorian across both film and television indicates that they are still stuck in the old ways of thinking.