With the Disney-era of Star Wars plagued by inconsistencies, The Mandalorian’s Dave Flioni and Jon Favreau could have the chops stabilize the franchise.
The Mandalorian has proven to be a wildly successful entry into Star Wars storytelling– evident by its plethora of Emmy nominations. The Disney+ drama has combined exciting in-universe narratives with likable characters and, along with a roster of talented directors, credit is owed to show-runner Jon Favreau and producer Dave Filoni.
The Star Wars franchise has seemingly been in limbo since the bizarre theatrical flop of Solo and negative fan and critic response to The Rise of Skywalker. The long slate of expected projects, including anthology films and additional trilogies, has been stalled with many relegated to Disney+ or shrouded rumors. Even successfully finished projects have featured their own controversies with a revolving door of directors leaving over “creative distances.”
This makes The Mandalorian’s success at least mildly surprising. But when you consider Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau’s resumes, it makes complete, unequivocal sense. Filoni was the showrunner for the beloved Clone Wars and Rebels, and Favreau had a heavy hand in the MCU, particularly the Iron Man trilogy.
Perhaps more importantly, both creatives are fans of Star Wars and have proven to understand the significance of prequel and original trilogies alike. The Mandalorian has done a fantastic job bridging era of stories, as season 2 prepares to add characters including Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, and Bo Katan Kryze. Proven storytellers, the duo has been the perfect guiding hand for The Mandalorian and should be eyed for an even larger role for Disney and Lucasfilm.
Despite having a full calendar of projects to develop, Kennedy has struggled to push Star Wars forward and has frequently clashed with filmmakers over scripts. There has been a consistent disconnect between content and the fanbase. Filoni and Favreau could be the perfect additions to the Star Wars executive teams to provide stability and bridge that gap by creating new stories with an aesthetic that appeals to both old and young fans.
One can only hope it’s not an “if” Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau take on a leading role with Lucasfilm but a”when.”
Do you hope Filoni and Favreau are given a bigger role with Lucasfilm? Let us know in the comments below.