3. Less Tedious Romantic Subplots
It’s very difficult to write a story without a romantic subplot thrown in there. Star Wars is no exception. There’s nothing wrong with having a love story blossoming between characters, but I’m hoping it doesn’t become such a major plot-line that it slows down The Force Awakens and its sequels. That was one of the main issues with Attack of the Clones; the love story was necessary, but tedious to get through, and it didn’t help that the chemistry between Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen was almost nonexistent. We can only hope that the new films will at least create a more sustainable love story between the characters and that it doesn’t take up a majority of screen time.
2. Darker, More Mature Themes
The original trilogy nailed the right balance between childish and mature themes. It was a film you could take your kids to see, but you would enjoy it as well. The prequel trilogy seemed to cater more towards a younger demographic, which confused me since the people seeing it were most likely much older. This new trilogy should focus on the darker, more mature aspects of the Star Wars lore. There are countless stories in the extended universe filled with gritty plots that would look great on the big screen. Over the past couple of years, many films have gone the darker route (namely comic book movies) and it worked out for them. The Force Awakens should follow this trend and go for a darker overall tone while still maintaining a bit of light-hearted humor here and there. Remember: many Star Wars fans are older, so you don’t want to turn the new films into something you’d find on a Saturday morning cartoon.
1. A Badass Villain
One thing that Star Wars has always done right is crafting awesome villains. Darth Maul, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, General Grievous – all of these characters are some of the most bad-ass villains to grace the big screen. Lucasfilm needs to keep that momentum going. There are many villains to choose from throughout the Star Wars canon, especially when looking at the books and video games.
Personally, I’d love to see Exar Kun. If you don’t know who he is, check out his biography here. In short, he was once a Jedi who turned to the Dark Side and then left the Sith Order to pursue forbidden teachings. He massacred entire Sith cults because they were too powerful for his liking, and he even laid the smack-down on a Jedi Grand Master named Vodo-Siosk Baas and the Supreme Chancellor Sidrona. Exar’s story actually intertwines with Luke Skywalker’s, so it’s very possible that we may see him in future films after all…
We still have a year until the film comes out, meaning more rumors and plot details could emerge. It’s too early to pass judgement on The Force Awakens, but inside sources claim that it’s going to be one of the best films in the series since The Empire Strikes Back. Only time will tell.
What do you hope to see in the new films? Are you optimistic about The Force Awakens or do you think it’ll be a dud? Sound off in the comments or send us your thoughts on Twitter!