Has fan support for The Book Of Boba Fett and The High Republic diminished in recent weeks? Max explores the state of Star Wars fandom.
Star Wars is my bastion. Always has been, always will. Yet sometimes I get nervous when other fans aren’t so happy with the content put out by the multi-media phenomenon. I am sometimes amazed that Star Wars is probably the most active fiction franchise in the world. And I wonder that maybe one of the many things that draw me to it is the constant stimuli in the form of an endless stream of books, movies; TV series; video games, etc.
DRY SPELL
Star Wars had a dry spell from 1987 to 1991, but thankfully, I was not in existence at that time. Hee hee. In 2022, Star Wars has taken a hiatus from the big screen and may remain that way for several consecutive years. Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron movie has been indefinitely delayed and it was supposed to release Christmas 2023. It isn’t clear what will happen with this movie next and all other movie projects are in conceptual stages. So, what is leading the charge for 2022? The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+ and the High Republic initiative on the printed page.
FANDOM
I am enjoying both mediums (though I have my critiques). BUT I am deeply upset at how some fans are treating these projects. The internet is littered with angry fans complaining about every conceivable angle of The Book of Boba Fett, and I don’t get why there is so much hate. The biggest complaint is Boba’s personality change, and I get that. It’s odd. However, fans should wait for the retcon or make some headcanon as I did, and just enjoy the show.
Chapter 4 was torn apart for telling a story we already “know” and I also find that to be silly. Yes, we know Boba rescued Fennec and had her cybernetically saved and that she teamed up with him for the future. But what’s so wrong with seeing it? I LOVED the cybernetics mod shop where Fennec was operated on as it felt totally cyberpunk and Ghost in the Shell-esque. I also liked seeing how Fennec reconsidered just fulfilling a debt to Boba, to then working with him permanently. That is not something you can get with just retro-respective dialogue, and I think we needed to see why Shand puts her eggs in Boba’s basket.
FLASHBACKS
The flashbacks seem to have caught up with the present, so the series will probably focus on the 9 A.B.Y stories. (Though of course, I can’t possibly know.) The Book Of Boba Fett is in the spotlight and constantly scrutinized. And while this is happening, I sense a ripple in the Force that fans are not really that interested anymore in The High Republic. The latest novel of Wave 1 was released in January and I found it to be an excellent book that all SW fans should read. But there is a tepid, lukewarm and disengaged reception to this project. Almost as if fans, while once very excited, do not like The High Republic anymore and feel its gas has run out prematurely. I urge everyone to reconsider this, and really just give the High Republic a chance. It is quite good and a true literary treat.
SOLO SLUMP
After Solo‘s dismal performance at the box office in 2018, Disney has been VERY cautious with what it spends money on. If fans don’t go for something, they tend to switch gears and abolish a format that just “doesn’t work.” In Solo’s case, it was canceling the third anthology movie and re-negging on giving us a new movie every year. They switched to the small screen and got enormous success with their flagship series, The Mandalorian. Which has proved so successful that it went from a limited series to a 3 season (so far) continuity. Giddy with success, The Book Of Boba Fett came next. And everyone was expected to adore it as much as Mando. So yeah, here we are.
Halfway into the “first” season, many fans aren’t happy. And it is always a fear that Disney may pull the plug and shift gears, yet again. Let’s hope this is not the case.
Are you enjoying The Book Of Boba Fett? Or are you still on the fence about Boba’s new benevolent side? Leave a comment in the section below. We’d love to hear your feedback.
Author
Max Nocerino is a regular Staff Writer for The Future of the Force. He is a passionate Star Wars fan and loves the literature of the galaxy far, far away. Follow him on Twitter where he shares his love of the Force frequently!
