The Mandalorian, arguably the center of the Star Wars galaxy at the moment with the most important stories coming in the series or its spinoffs, is a show that also leans heavily on nostalgia, and this is reflective of the franchise overall. While some label the inclusion of nostalgic moments and the usage of fan service as a negative, these aspects are actually helping Star Wars grow and move the franchise forward in a positive direction.
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The usage and reliance on nostalgia is a common debate in Hollywood today. Some franchises which have the opportunity to call upon past beloved events or characters have opted to take different approaches. For example, the MCU has continually embraced nostalgia and fan service, with moments like Red Skull’s return in Avengers: Infinity War and Captain America wielding Thor’s hammer in the follow-up, Avengers: Endgame, being two prime examples of this. Fans expect to get a healthy dose of nostalgia and fan service with each MCU project.
Another popular franchise, the DC universe, also known as the DCEU, has had a few different approaches to this. Earlier DCEU films like Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice had elements of nostalgia, but they largely steered clear of some more overt moments that their counterpart, the MCU, has become known for. They aimed to challenge audiences with a darker, more serious and mature story that explored deeper themes of power and how it could be abused if it was in the wrong hands. It was a direction that some were fond of, but also received an abundance of criticism, and not just for its lack of nostalgia and fan service. Since then, films like Shazam!, Wonder Woman and its sequel, and other DC projects have taken a more Marvel route.
Star Wars has taken a more diverse approach to this topic. The Force Awakens, the first Star Wars film released under Disney, had an immense amount of nostalgia throughout its 2+ hour runtime. The Kessel Run being directly name-dropped, Han and Chewie’s entrance into the Falcon, and more are all moments that rely on nostalgia and fan service to add an emotional punch to the film. The Rise of Skywalker, also directed by JJ Abrams, largely went with the same approach as Episode VII.
Its sequel, The Last Jedi, had some nostalgia and fan service in it. Luke’s brief reunion with R2-D2, his entrance into the Falcon, and Leia’s message from A New Hope playing are all prime examples of this. However, despite these instances, The Last Jedi largely steered clear of nostalgia, at least when compared to The Force Awakens. It was a bold, unexpected direction that subverted fans’ expectations and brought up interesting questions about the franchise’s future. This resulted in a sizable group of fans that were displeased with The Last Jedi and the future it seemed to set up for Star Wars, despite a large number of defenders. This take on fan service and nostalgia proved to be very controversial, still to this day.
In the last few years, Star Wars has largely been dominated by its TV shows, in particular The Mandalorian. It’s a show that has quite a bit of nostalgia, but it serves an overall purpose. It’s hard to see how one could criticize its usage of nostalgia and fan service as it’s all in service of the story. In particular, it’s in service of the emotional crux of the show, and of Star Wars as a whole at present: the relationship between Din Djarin and his adopted son, Grogu.
For example, Luke Skywalker’s appearance in The Mandalorian season 2 finale is an obvious callback to the character’s immense history at the heart of the Star Wars franchise. Seeing Luke destroy the Dark Troopers with his green lightsaber was pure fan service, pulling on the nostalgic heart strings of millions of Star Wars fans. However, he didn’t show up without a purpose. Rather, the reasoning behind his arrival was to save the heroes at a pivotal moment when all hope seemed to be lost. More specifically, he rescued Grogu and prevented him from being a test subject for the remnants of the Empire.
In doing so, he also took Grogu away in a moment that proved to be incredibly emotional as Djarin was separated from his adopted son. It was a bittersweet conclusion to the season, perhaps more of the former as it was saddening to see the two say goodbye. In doing so, however, it allowed the two’s relationship to hit new emotional heights, as well as fans’ love for these new but iconic characters grow even more. In sum, Luke’s appearance was Star Wars using nostalgia to grow and move forward.
The most recent Star Wars series, the recently concluded The Book of Boba Fett, used nostalgia and fan service in the same way. Boba Fett has a fan favorite character ever since he appeared in the Original Trilogy, so to not only show that he lived after Return of the Jedi but also has his own show is an example of nostalgia and fan service. However, he isn’t brought back for no reason. Boba is different than he was before, and more of a hero than a villain or anti-hero as he was portrayed prior.
This transition is shown even more in The Book of Boba Fett, as Temuera Morrison’s character lives with a Tusken Raider tribe. Fans were attracted to Fett because of nostalgia and fan service, yet the story told proved to be one much more intimate and personal, highlighting a reformed man who used to be a cold-blooded killer but is now different. Nostalgia was used to bring Boba Fett back, but it gave the writers an opportunity to push the character forward and make him evolve.
There are plenty of other examples of this in The Book of Boba Fett as well. There’s the nostalgia and fan service that comes with Djarin and Grogu reuniting, once again furthering their relationship. There’s also Djarin showing how honorable he is by refusing to leave Boba when the Pykes seemed to have them outnumbered and defeated. This not only furthers Djarin as a character, but also helps him bond with Boba. With these two playing such a pivotal role in the franchise right now, the usage of nostalgia and fan service to further their journeys is one that helps Star Wars evolve and grow in turn.
Nostalgia and fan service are hotly debated right now, as studios tackle the question of what to do with this issue. Star Wars TV, the future of the franchise for the time being, uses nostalgia and fan service heavily, but it’s for a clear purpose. It’s not a bad thing, and is actually a key reason for the franchise’s current necessary growth in the years after the Skywalker Saga’s conclusion.
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