Animation tells the story. The prequel era has a lot of compelling stories – and characters – Disney could draw upon for more movies or Disney+ shows. And yet, other than the announced Obi-Wan Kenobi series, which will be set years after the prequels and the announced Ahsoka Tano series, which follows a character fans first met in animation, but will focus on the version of the character introduced in The Mandalorian, there doesn’t seem to be much of an intention to focus on that time period. This feels like an oversight because the more they focus on the prequel era, the more people are likely to turn back to the prequel movies, and a renewed interest in those movies would only benefit Disney.
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It’s likely the possibility of more content set in the prequel era rests on how well the Obi-Wan Kenobi series is received, but it shouldn’t. Just because Obi-Wan was introduced in the prequel trilogy, doesn’t mean his series will be set during that timeframe. The Obi-Wan Kenobi series isn’t truly set during the prequel era, but a bit after. It’s meant to fill in the gaps between the prequel movies and the original trilogy, not expand on things seen in the prequel trilogy. A true prequel era spin-off might focus on a younger Qui-Gon Jinn. Even a more political one focused on Naboo and Padmé Amidala would be welcome.
The issue with those possibilities, of course, mostly rests on big-name actors and time. Liam Neeson isn’t exactly young enough to play a younger version of Qui-Gon Jinn without extensive CGI. Natalie Portman might not want to revisit Padmé Amidala. Obi-Wan is the biggest name of the characters introduced during the prequels that is tied to an actor that has actively campaigned to return. This is likely why the Obi-Wan Kenobi series is being developed first. It’s easier, and there’s already fan interest.
But the possibilities don’t end with the more well-known characters. With Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker both set to return for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Disney could instead turn the spotlight onto lesser-known characters, lesser-known actors. Jar Jar Binks and Darth Maul are the top two examples. It’s 2021; if Jar Jar was ever going to get justice as a character, this is the time. And Darth Maul has always been a well-received figure by fans, and one that had a lot more potential storytelling possibilities than one movie afforded him.
A possible Darth Maul prequel could even touch into the pre-Phantom Menace relationship between Obi-Wan and his master Qui-Gon Jinn. This has already been explored in books, but it’s a time period that hasn’t really been touched upon, on animation or live action. If the limited-series Obi-Wan Kenobi ends up being a success Disney wants to capitalize on without messing up the storyline too much, this could be a good way to bring back the character. The only issue is the aforementioned problem of aging. Ewan McGregor can credibly play Obi-Wan in a story set after the prequels, but not so much a younger Obi-Wan. If the series is set far back enough, though, Disney could just bring in different actors to play younger versions of both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon and explore their dynamics long before they first appear together in The Phantom Menace.
Even Mon Mothma, a character fans are very familiar with, and yet know very little about outside of what’s presented in animation, would be a very good candidate for a live-action spin-off. The politics of the prequel era are rife with possible storylines. The Clone Wars animated series proves this. And live-action could take advantage of some of the storylines already touched upon in Clone Wars and expand on them. This wouldn’t just benefit the Star Wars universe at large; it could also help reinvigorate and rehabilitate the story Lucas intended to tell in the prequels.
Before the sequel trilogy came out, the prequels were universally derided. The sequel trilogy’s lack of concrete focus and coherent storytelling, however, has led people to appreciate the prequels more. For all the issues the prequels have, there is one consistent idea at the heart of all of them, as well as a consistent tone. Lucas knew what story he wanted to tell, and he focused on telling it. The story was also, always leading to where the prequels took it. Anakin’s Skywalker’s fate was always set in stone.
The prequel era is filled with storylines that could be expanded on, and characters fans would love to see again. With so much Star Wars content coming, Disney would do well to capitalize not just on the timeframes they’ve already explored, but in going even further back. The general consensus about the prequels has already started to shift. The decision to focus most of the upcoming content on characters outside the Skywalker line feels smart, but that doesn’t mean Disney has to ignore its own origins. They might just come out stronger if they dare to explore them.
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