Star Wars Needs the ‘Rogue Squadron’ Movie

The Big Picture

• Rogue Squadron
  offers the opportunity for
  Star Wars
  to take risks and explore new parts of the galaxy creatively.
• Patty Jenkins can provide the tone and quality needed for the struggling franchise.
• Despite the familiarity,
  Rogue Squadron
  can feel fresh, potentially expanding the
  Star Wars
  galaxy while honoring its roots.

In the decade since Disney bought Lucasfilm, Star Wars films have gone from having the ambitious goal of one film each year to producing none in the past five. Various projects have come and gone during that time, and it looked like Rogue Squadron would simply be another casualty, but recent statements have given the film, for lack of a better phrase, a new hope. More than other projects in the franchise, this story could provide a breath of fresh air to a world that feels small and add a critical injection of creativity to a galaxy recently lacking it. One of the franchise’s greatest flaws today, arguably present since the revival period began, is the refusal to take risks and explore untouched parts of the galaxy. Although some attempts have been made over the years, none have reached the big screen and the massive audience that comes with it. Should Patty Jenkins have her way and get her passion project off the ground, she just might be able to provide this struggling franchise with the jump into hyperspace it requires.

Making ‘Rogue Squadron’ Would Be a Risk – And That’s a Good Thing

Since the franchise’s revival after the Disney buyout, Star Wars has tried to play it safe with most of its films. To some extent, this might be understandable, as the series had been absent from the big screen for an entire decade. The prequels were still extremely divisive, and the passage of time had not yet rehabilitated them. The backlash to Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, which often criticized many themes from the original trilogy and the nostalgia many have for them, increased this aversion to risk, resulting in a confusing finale to the sequel trilogy that left future films in limbo for years to come. Since then, the franchise has largely been left to television but often still focused upon stories that did not need to be told or lacked any interesting plot. Even shows that have been relatively successful, like The Mandalorian or Ahsoka, have relied upon nostalgia at various points, often to their detriment. Only recently have shows, like Andor and The Acolyte, displayed a willingness to explore new sides of the galaxy and darker themes, but we have never seen these ideas explored on the big screen.

For a franchise famous for its decades of lore and incredible world-building, the Star Wars galaxy can feel surprisingly and disappointingly small. Most of the stories so far have featured characters and locations we already know, which made sense for the sequel trilogy but has since become all too prominent. Whether set in the New Republic era or during the Rebellion, a film about the X-wing Rogue Squadron would likely feature new characters. We already know, for instance, that the film will be an original story and will not adapt any of the Legends books. In this way, the film could easily follow the same path as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story or Andor, the two projects that have arguably been the most acclaimed since Disney began. Like these examples, Rogue Squadron could create a story with some recognizable elements but still stand alone. The film might lack some of the higher fantasy elements that Star Wars is known for, but this creates the opportunity to expand the series to the new audiences the franchise has recently been lacking.

Patty Jenkins Can Provide the Tone and Quality Star Wars Needs

One benefit Rogue Squadron has over other potential films is the balance its director can provide and how she can do so in multiple directions. With the first Wonder Woman, Jenkins proved she could carefully blend the traditional warfare setting with fantasy elements while also tackling important themes. Even without the Force playing a role in the story, a film about X-wing pilots has great potential as an action-packed drama or another morally gray warfare story during a tyrannical or chaotic time in galactic history, something only a few stories have dated to explore before. Whether the movie follows the path of Rogue One or feels more like Top Gun: Maverick in space, Jenkins has proven her ability to tackle both together or separately. Before entering the superhero realm, Jenkins directed Charlize Theron to win an Academy Award with Monster proving she can create interesting characters when given the opportunity. The fact that her career had remained in limbo until DC approached her and now remains uncertain after the end of its current incarnation makes it all the more imperative that a project like this, which she openly displayed a passion for, be successful.

Of course, having a perfect choice on paper does not mean it will translate well to the final product. As great as the first film was, Wonder Woman 1984 proved disappointing and had serious problems becoming a black mark on a filmmaker whose list of directing credits has remained shockingly small. However, even the best filmmakers can create subpar quality under the proper conditions, and we should not judge any creator by one single bad result. Here, the benefits outweigh the risks since a subpar film would most likely be lost among the others, but success could dramatically improve the vitality of the franchise on the big screen.

Even in a Familiar Setting, ‘Rogue Squadron’ Can Still Feel New

Although it remains important for Star Wars to take more risks, we also must not forget the appeal of the series itself. When creating the original trilogy in the 1970s, George Lucas took heavy inspiration from The Dam Busters for many of the X-wing scenes, sometimes replicating entire shots and scenes from the World War II drama. Although it might be set in a time and place we’ve seen many times, the X-wing pilots remain an underrated and overlooked part of the story. In that way, the film could remain comfortably familiar but also be fresh and unique.

This does not mean a film about the X-wing pilots cannot have any major connections, either. A character like Wedge Antilles (Denis Lawson) in his prime would be perfect for a film about the squadron he flew, as long as he is handled with proper care. Rogue One had both Grand Moff Tarkin (Guy Henry) and Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) throughout the film in minor but crucial roles, and the uncanny valley of CGI notwithstanding, their presence felt entirely natural, given the context of the story. As long as they take a seat to the new characters and their inclusion serves a purpose, seeing some familiar faces could actually prove beneficial.

If executed correctly, Rogue Squadron has the potential to be a great reintroduction of Star Wars on the big screen. Remaining just familiar enough while breathing new life into a series recently lacking creativity, the film could easily follow in the footsteps of Andor before it, regardless of whether it chooses to explore any darker themes. Although she does not have a spotless track record, Patty Jenkins’ resume is impressive enough to outweigh any concerns about the quality she can bring to the table and can create great characters, both real and fictional. In a franchise that has recently seemed so small, Rogue Squadron can expand the galaxy rather than detract from it and provide a thrilling experience in the movie theaters, where the series got its start. Given its obvious influence on the industry over the last four decades, it would be a tragedy to see Star Wars relegated to television. If you’re going to make that leap and return to the cinema with a new story in a more familiar environment, Rogue Squadron would be a great place to start.

Star Wars is available for streaming on Disney Plus in the U.S.

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