The Star Wars movies could learn a valuable lesson from Outlaws

Yesterday at Summer Game Fest, we got yet another look at Star Wars: Outlaws, and while watching Kay Vess blast her way across the galaxy, something struck me.

This is precisely what I want from a Star Wars movie. Now, I don’t mean I literally want them to adapt Outlaws into a Disney Plus show or a spinoff movie.

What I mean is that Outlaws is doing something the mainline Star Wars films and, to a lesser extent, the TV shows have been avoiding. 

It’s telling a quintessentially Star Wars story in the galaxy far, far away that I love without being overreliant on nostalgia and Star Wars characters you recognize. 

A long time ago…

Since the divisive reaction to The Last Jedi, and some would argue before then, Star Wars has seemed to be petrified in carbonite, afraid to look forward and alienate what it sees as its core audience.

Unsurprisingly, this overreliance on nostalgia and inability to take risks has had an effect on the quality of the stories being told. You don’t need me to tell you that Rise of Skywalker was a big, stinky pile of Bantha Poodoo, but it’s hardly the only instance of Disney being overly reliant on fond memories of the Skywalker clan and familiar faces. 

Look at Ahsoka, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and The Book of Boba Fett, for example. These were all big shows featuring beloved characters, yet for the most part, their shows were dull and unambitious. They were kept within the defined parameters of what had come before, the writers seeming unwilling or not allowed to show them grow in new and exciting ways. 

Instead, they were kept mostly stagnant, like action figures left in their boxes so their value could increase. It’s disappointing because I love these characters, I genuinely do, but I think for Star Wars to truly grow and evolve, it needs to leave behind its more obvious and familiar elements. It needs to introduce new characters for a new generation of fans. 

A new hope…

Ubisoft

Just consider the triumph of the first seasons of The Mandalorian and Andor. These were bold shows that used established Star Wars lore as a launching pad to tell fresh and thrilling tales from across the Star Wars galaxy, pushing the canon in new and compelling directions. 

Audiences and critics alike adored them partly for having the bravery to define Star Wars on their own terms instead of relying on what’s come before, which brings me back to Outlaws. 

Looking at the trailer, it seems to me that it’s going to capture the spirit of Star Wars – the space battles, in particular, look like classic Star Wars – without being overly reliant on a slew of cameos and lightsaber fights. 

Instead, I’m hopeful it will lean into the archetypes and trappings of the franchise (Kay’s clearly based on Han Solo and other scoundrels we’ve seen) but use them to tell new stories. This is the direction that the franchise needs to take in any upcoming Star Wars movies. By focusing on new stories and fresh faces, I believe we can recapture the magic that made Star Wars a phenomenon in the first place.

If you want to learn more about Star Wars: Outlaws, then we’ve got you covered. We have a list of the entire Outlaws cast and a breakdown of all the Star Wars Outlaws editions. if you’re more interested in the TV shows and movies, though, we’ve got a guide to Skeleton Crew and a review of The Acolyte.