The Disney-owned era of Star Wars has had its ups and downs. Disney mishandled their sequel trilogy so spectacularly that almost everyone in the Star Wars fan base has some issues with it. Their two spin-off films didn't fare any better.  At the same time, Disney has put out tremendous amounts of high-quality, non-film Star Wars content. There are books and games galore to keep any Star Wars fan satisfied. The standout Disney era success is, without a doubt, the Disney Plus show The Mandalorian.

The Mandalorian does something few on-screen Star Wars stories attempt. It tells a simple story in the galaxy, with new characters and only a few ties to previous Star Wars blockbusters. The Mandalorian captures everything that makes Star Wars great, and it doesn't get bogged down in explaining the backstory of that guy who one time said one line to Luke Skywalker.

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The Mandalorian is the best piece of Star Wars media in a long time. It gets praised as such often. Fans and critics alike rejoice at the presence of new Star Wars characters and a plot that doesn't rehash a previous film. With that in mind, Disney's decision to produce The Book of Boba Fett is baffling. The new show could easily fall into the same trap other Star Wars properties have lost to. The prequels caught heat for explaining Boba Fett's backstory, and this show will alter his story from the original trilogy. Disney needs to work hard to make The Book of Boba Fett feel necessary for the character. They'll need to work even harder to make this new show feel like anything but B-roll for The Mandalorian.

The Danger

Boba Fett shoots a Stormtrooper in The Mandalorian

Is Disney going too far with The Book of Boba Fett? At least on the surface, it seems that way. Part of what makes The Mandolorian such a great show is its uniqueness. Finally, there's some Star Wars content that feels new and exciting. Its references to other Star Wars adventures and characters feel natural and don't turn each episode into a "spot the Easter egg" guessing game. Other Disney Plus shows will be following that formula, exploring the High Republic era of the galaxy and introducing all-new characters.

The announcement of The Book of Boba Fett is more akin to Solo, a character revisit no one wanted. Boba Fett has been a fan-favorite character since his first appearance in The Empire Strikes Back. He didn't live even halfway through Return of the Jedi, but that hasn't stopped Boba from being one of the most popular Star Wars characters ever. Arguably, Boba Fett is great because he's mysterious. The prequel film Attack of the Clones tried to explore Boba Fett's backstory, and it diminished the character. There's a chance The Book of Boba Fett could do just the same.

The Book of Boba Fett also needs to distinguish itself from The Mandalorian. Disney Plus already has a great Star Wars space western. Because of that, it's hard to see The Book of Boba Fett as anything other than a blatant attempt to capitalize on a popular character whose time may well have passed.

The Promise

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Of course, there's plenty of reasons to be excited about The Book of Boba Fett as well. For one thing, Disney has an excellent team working on their streaming service Star Wars shows. Many of the people working on The Mandalorian are also contributing to The Book of Boba Fett. Jon Favreau is overseeing the entire Disney Plus Star Wars project. Disney signed Robert Rodriguez as executive producer for the new show. He directed The Mandalorian's fourteenth chapter, and he has a track record of making awesome movies.

Along with those behind-the-camera powerhouses, The Book of Boba Fett will also have plenty of star power on screen. Temuera Morrison is returning to Star Wars to play Boba Fett. Ming-Na Wen will also be starring in the show as Fennec, and other characters from The Mandalorian may also make guest appearances.

One thing Disney has made clear is the show's setting. The Book of Boba Fett will take place more or less entirely on Tatooine. That alone is a change of formula for the usually planet-hopping Star Wars franchise. Boba Fett and Fennec have seemingly taken over Jabba the Hutt's remaining criminal enterprise. Fennec's goals are anyone's guess, but Boba Fett might be seeking revenge on his long list of enemies. While Disney has been tight-lipped about the show's plot, that angle could allow for other fan-favorite Star Wars characters to make a return.

Boba Fett Show

The Book of Boba Fett faces an uphill battle for success. Clearly, Disney is committed to correcting the trajectory of the Star Wars franchise with a slew of new Disney Plus shows. That commitment, and the goodwill they've earned from The Mandalorian, should be enough to get fans to show up when The Book of Boba Fett airs this December.

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