Summary
WithStar Warsgearing up for a slew of new projects and narratives in the near future, one short-livedstarlet is willing to give the franchise another go despite her controversial first encounter with the galaxy far, far away.
Star Warssaw a shift in the franchise’s strategy, with a big push into streaming shows from the more traditional theatrical releases. This was largely inspired by the success ofThe Mandalorian,which took its space western theming and relatively low-stakes adventures all the way to the top of a lot of viewers’ lists on Disney+. While it inspired many otherStar Warsshows to be greenlit on the streamer, the most direct spin-off from the show wasThe Book of Boba Fett,whichpremiered at the tail end of 2021. While the concept of its titular character headlining his own adventure was exciting for fans,The Book of Boba Fettfelt more like franchise management than a proper showwhen it finally hit Disney+.
Despitebeing a unique project in theStar Warscanon, many aspects ofThe Book of Boba Fettwere divisive among viewers and fans online, including the cyborg biker gang led by Sophie Thatcher’s Drash on Tatooine. In a recent interview withInverse, Thatcher expresses an interest in coming back to the character despite the cold reception the first time around. “I would love to do that,” Thatcher reveals when asked about returning to the franchise as Drash. “The Star Wars universe is so vast and so dense and so interesting, and Jon Favreau made it feel very political and very timely. It’s such a cool universe. I would do it in a heartbeat.” She also expressed a desire to see one prominentStar Warsfigure again. “I haven’t seen Pedro Pascal since we worked together in Prospect,” she says, despite the fact that both Thatcher and Pascal worked onThe Book of Boba Fett.
Lots of facets ofThe Book of Boba Fettget a bad rap despite being perfectly serviceable because the overall product fell very short of what it could have been. The cybernetics and even the biker gang aesthetic, while not seen prominently in the way they were portrayed inThe Book of Boba Fettanywhere in the mainline films, are actually inspired by and consistent with some ideas that George Lucas had for the franchise. These could certainly work well within the framework of the franchise, and seeing Drash again in a future project (perhaps one that also fixes the damage done to Boba Fett’s character) would be encouraging. Thatcher referencing her time with Pascal as co-stars onthe science fiction project that almost got a sequel off of their new successis also a good indicator that she’d like to be in a project featuring his character, most notably the aftermath of the upcoming filmThe Mandalorian & Grogu. While initially seen as a curtain call for that corner of the Disney+Star Warsgalaxy, the film might instead serve as a launching point for more audacious projects if it’s a success.
It’s pretty undeniable thatThe Book of Boba Fettis at the extreme end on the wrong side of the Star Wars quality divide, but that doesn’t mean that every single facet of the show is a poison pill that can’t be carried over into other projects for fear of a plague. Most of the stars of the project, Thatcher included, did a good job with what they were given and would be proportionally more well-received in a better-managed and better-written show. It’s a good sign that Thatcher is willing to give the franchise another go if it’s willing to give her a better script.
