4 Series that can take place during the Sequel Era of Star Wars
With all the Star Wars content being released it is almost criminal that such little content is being created around the Sequel era. While shows like The Mandalorian, Book of Boba, and Ahsoka are taking place after the OT (and will likely connect to the sequels) they still take place decades before the events of “The Force Awakens”. It upsetting that we have an entirely new era of Star Wars that is not being fleshed out or explored in a major way. The Sequels are known to be a controversial trilogy, to say the least, but the lack of expanded content will only alienate fans from the trilogy. It was not very long ago that the prequels were a hated trilogy, but with the Clone Wars series adding to the lore and fixing plot holes they have become a beloved trilogy. The sequels have a lot of potential, and with some added content they can be as loved as the prequels. With that said here are 4 series that can be created during the sequel trilogy.
1. A New Republic Political Thriller Series
Politics have always been a well-discussed subject in Star Wars, especially in the books. Whether it be the Galactic Republic, the Imperial Senate, or now the New Republic, there is always something interesting going on in the world of Star Wars politics, but it has not been explored as much as it should be. A series could cover the formation of the New Republic with Mon Motha as chancellor, showing us how she and her colleagues united divided factions and fended off Imperial remanence. Later episodes could explain how the New Republic collapsed with politicians backstabbing and the First Order corrupting the government from the inside. The series can also add satirical elements that reflect what we see today in real-life politics while displaying elements of espionage and raising political stakes that have not been seen in Star Wars before. Admittedly this series might be hard to sell to younger audiences, but I believe older fans could be interested to see how a militaristic rebellion created a government that would later fall to the First Order.
2. Rise of the First Order (A Captain Cardinal Series)
One of the best parts of the sequel trilogy was the First Order. The idea of a military faction being built out of the ashes of the Empire was fascinating. However, not much is explained about how they became the formidable force seen in the sequels. A series could explore the origins of the First Order and its inner workings as well as explain what it was like to live under First Order rule. Viewers can experience this through the eyes of an already established character, Captain Cardinal.
Captain Cardinal, or Archex, was introduced in the book “Phasma” and was a captain of the stormtrooper legion who trained conscripted troops. Cardinal was interesting because according to the author of Phasma, Delilah S. Dawson, his inclusion was to show why a good man would join the First Order. In the book, we see that he was a desperate man who was saved by the First Order and felt indebted to them. He later reluctantly leaves the First Order when he sees the corruption and cruelty the tyrannical government condones. a First Order series could show his upbringing on Jakku and his recruitment into the First Order. Through him, fans can see the First Order’s early operations, occupations, and growth into the military government, as seen in the sequels. The series can explain where the faction gained its technologies and weaponry while making connections to Palpatine and the Sith Eternal. Fans can get a chance to see the origins of Finn and Phasma as well as see what happened to imperial officers like Grand Admiral Sloane. This series could potentially make fans more invested in the First Order as villains while simultaneously building tension as we see what the galaxy would be like under their tyrannical rule. A series like this would be unique to Star Wars storytelling to see a conflict through the eyes of the villains. Something that was attempted in Battlefront 2 with Iden Versio, but was unsuccessful given her defection to the Rebel Alliance early in the Story. Having Cardinal as our main protagonist would help humanize members of the First Order, foreshadowing Fin and later Kadara’s defections.
3. A Poe Dameron Series
Being a major character in the sequel trilogy and a key player in the formation of the Resistance, Poe Dameron would make for an interesting character to center a series around. His origin story is especially interesting after the reveal that Poe was a former spice runner. Given that both Poe’s parents were famed rebel pilots it raises the question of why Poe decided to move to a life of crime. A question that can be answered in this series. Along with displaying Poe’s early years as a spice runner fans can get the chance to see Poe learn to fly under the guidance of Wedge Antilles. Later seasons can show Poe joining the Resistance, allowing us to see early conflicts between the First Order and the Resistance connecting to the Poe Dameron Comic. Given the flying background, the series could be created in the style of Top Gun but in space which already sounds like a thrill ride that Rogue Squadron fans have always wanted.
4. Fin & Rey post Rise of Skywalker
While John Boyega has expressed disinterest in returning to the Star Wars galaxy, It doesn't mean he will be gone forever as this tweet explains.
Truth be told Finn was robbed of great development and backstory, that was set up in the first movie, but what better way to give that back to him than by creating a series about Finn. Being a kidnapped child of the First Order, the Fin can explore the galaxy fighting remanence of the First Order and helping others who have lost their family as well as possibly finding his own. Given all the hints (and basically a confirmation from the Lego specials) of his force abilities, we can see him become more entuned with the Force possibly becoming a Jedi Knight under the gaze of Rey as her first pupil.
Speaking of Rey, her story can continue as well. Books and comics have constantly hinted at the unknown regions as a new area to explore for future Star Wars stories. Rey as a new Jedi Master can explore the regions learning new secrets that the galaxy holds, similar to what Luke did after the galactic civil war. This could include the involvement of new villains previously explored in the Thrawn novels, the Grysk. Throughout the Thrawn novels, the Grysk are described as an evil that is a threat not just to the unknown regions but the entire galaxy. Without a major power in control of the known galaxy, they could be a new antagonist that Fin and Rey could face together. This would be a refreshing new take on Star Wars villains that do not include the Sith, which can move conflict in Star Wars in a new direction. . This would be an excellent chance to see both these characters grow to their full potential as well as set up news stories for the future of Star Wars.
Conclusion
While many fans disliked the Sequel era it would be an utter shame to abandon it. These movies have a lot of greatness in them with rich lore that is begging to be expanded upon. Any project involving the sequel era would be very exciting.
