NYCC virtual Star Wars panels: What Lucasfilm can do better this time around

SDCC’s pre-recorded panels largely fell flat. There are a few things any NYCC virtual Star Wars panels scheduled for October can do better than last time.

When we learned San Diego Comic-Con would happen virtually, no one was really surprised. Better yet, making its Star Wars panels and other events free made the experience more accessible to a wider audience of fans.

The announcement that NYCC would be going virtual also doesn’t come as much of a surprise. But it does bring up the question of whether or not some of the panels can be better planned out now that those in charge have done it once before.

The Star Wars panels we saw during Comic-Con@Home weren’t terrible by any means. We learned some interesting Star Wars secrets, like the fact that the Doctor Aphra audio drama was all recorded during COVID-19 quarantine and that Timothy Zahn’s upcoming Thrawn book is going to be really, really good (probably).

But Star Wars fans are hungry for content that will get them excited about the franchise. Movie delays and a lull in shows (for now) has many returning to the books, comics, and shows they already know they love. And maybe NYCC can capitalize on that.

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Every Star Wars panel that aired during SDCC was pre-recorded, and that’s honestly probably for the best. It eliminates the chance that technology is going to disrupt the experience, which it almost always does even with professionally-run live streams.

So as much as we’d all love to see some familiar faces live … it’s probably not going to happen.

But there are a few ways Lucasfilm can capitalize on NYCC’s virtual event space, even if Star Wars only gets a few pre-filmed slots to work its magic.

NYCC virtual Star Wars panels about comics

While I’d personally pay a million dollars to see another panel about current and future publishing projects focused primarily on Star Wars books, not only did we just get one of those in July … it also had nothing new to offer, save for one art book announcement.

And that’s not likely to change by October. The publishing industry is struggling hard right now like so many others. There have already been multiple Star Wars book delays specifically, and it wouldn’t be surprising if there were more, or if there ends up being a bigger-than-usual gap in the first half of 2021.

But even though comics are still riding the same struggle shuttle, that doesn’t mean they can’t get their own Star Wars-specific spotlight. It is NYCC, after all, and this could be a worthwhile opportunity to get fans of the books, shows, and even the movies excited about the stories comics are currently telling.

NYCC virtual Star Wars panels celebrating animation

Animated Star Wars shows like Rebels and Resistance don’t necessarily appeal to everyone — and that’s OK. But with the end of The Clone Wars still weighing heavily on some hearts and rumors of many more animated shows to come, there’s no better time to focus even just one hour-long discussion on how these shows come to life or what has changed in the process of making these shows in the years since Clone Wars began. You know — the original one, from 2003.

This type of panel is even more feasible now that the next animated Star Wars show has formally been announced. Even if they can’t reveal more details about The Bad Batch by October, there are 13 collective seasons’ worth of animated Star Wars TV still largely beloved by fans of all ages.

While NYCC isn’t quite the right place for something like the Rebels Remembered panel at Celebration, which brought in most of the voice cast and Dave Filoni himself, it could be an interesting opportunity for animators and storytellers currently involved with Star Wars to talk about what the future of these shows could look like.

NYCC virtual Star Wars panels featuring women behind the scenes

Since Star Wars began, women have been given more and more representation both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes. But there’s always room for more.

While a panel featuring Filoni and Jon Favreau nerding out over Star Wars (e.g., Celebration Chicago 2019 — which was amazing, don’t get me wrong) would be fantastic … it might be time to give some female writers and directors some time on the mic.

The Bad Batch, for example, though created and executive produced by Filoni (in Filoni we trust!), has two female executive producers. One of those EPs is also the show’s head writer. The head of Disney+ content, Agnes Chu — also a woman — would be another great voice to have on a panel about women and their roles in making Star Wars happen.

There are many other female directors, writers, and other executives doing the Star Wars things that could speak to the future of Star Wars. Have Kathleen Kennedy moderate — or better yet, give her the floor for a little while and have her talk about her long and successful career in filmmaking since some seem to forget she didn’t just materialize when George Lucas signed the Star Wars franchise over to Disney.

Though Star Wars might only get a little love — NYCC caters to so many different fandoms that it can only spotlight the biggest ones in moderation — it deserves some unique angles of attention.

Who knows how long it will be until we hear from our favorite creators again? Let’s make October count.

Who would you want to see on a potential NYCC virtual Star Wars panel in October?