James Mangold has somewhat become a favorite at Lucasfilm. The filmmaker helmed the fifth installment of their iconic Indiana Jones franchise, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The production giant didn’t even wait to see the performance of the movie and handed over a Star Wars project to him in April of this year.
Considering how much Mangold has impressed Lucasfilm’s decision-makers, it won’t be far-fetched to assume he’s spearheading the Star Wars project with plenty of creative freedom. That of course, isn’t always a luxury given the kind of responsibility that it takes to lead ventures of legacy franchises due to the history and emotions attached to them. Accordingly, the director has the perfect opportunity to introduce one enigmatic character.
Which Character Should James Mangold Introduce in His Upcoming Star Wars Film
Star Wars sequel trilogy was a massive box office success, grossing over $4 billion at the box office between 2015 and 2019. However, critically, it left many fans frustrated due to its narrative inconsistency, which intensified during the ending of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
The writers started the trilogy by indicating their aim to move on from the past, but Rey’s (Daisy Ridley) actions, including her decision to embrace her Skywalker identity, undermined the whole theme.
As such, the challenge for James Mangold will be to not just make a movie that appeals to general moviegoers but also satisfy the demand of the dedicated followers of the galaxy far, far away. In that regard, he need not look anywhere else but Tales of the Jedi series.
Mangold’s film would take place during the dawn of the Jedi, exploring the origins of the Force, including those who first discovered it.
Accordingly, one of the Tales of the Jedi characters, Jedi Master Thon, who lived in the period surrounding the events of the Great Sith War, could provide something different to viewers, as his inclusion would be a departure from other Jedi characters who are very humanoid in their appearance.
The secretive Tchuukthai Jedi Master’s appearance is more similar to a dinosaur, which would make him a visually compelling addition to Star Wars’ live-action universe. Most importantly, Thon possessed extensive knowledge of the Force, which is going to be the main theme of Mangold’s film.
How Lucasfilm Reacted to James Mangold’s Star Wars Idea
It must be noted that Mangold has previously suggested that his film will be more similar to the Dawn of the Jedi comic series rather than its sequel, wherein Thon prominently features.
While promoting Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny during the summer, the Logan director sat down with io9 and shed light on how things came together to pave the way for his Star Wars project. He said:
“For me, it’s about, I want to be part of the saga, but I also don’t want to be holding so much lore in the air that you can hardly tell a story. And what I really wanted to do, what I told her [Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm president], was just can we make a kind of the Ten Commandments of the Force, you know? A kind of origin story of how the Force came to be known, understood, wielded, and harnessed.”
Mangold also revealed that Kennedy and other decision-makers at Lucasfilm got really excited with his idea about going really far backward. The story is set 25,000 years before Star Wars: Episode IV.
