WARNING: The following contains spoilers from Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett, “Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian,” streaming now on Disney+.

As soon as Disney+ subscribers had access to the fifth episode of The Book of Boba Fett, Bryce Dallas Howard's name began to trend on social media. After they had a chance to take in "Return of the Mandalorian," viewers were eager to sing the praises of the episode's director, already a veteran of The Mandalorian. Many even lobbied for Lucasfilm and Disney to give Howard her own Star Wars film. How much executives actually react to social media is unclear, but this time it would behoove them to listen.

Howard is already directing one Disney+ venture, but she absolutely deserves her own Star Wars project, and not just because of the positive reactions to Episode 5. Her skill set behind the camera is exactly what Star Wars needs to recapture its big screen magic.

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After 10 long years out of theaters, Star Wars -- now under the Disney corporate umbrella -- came soaring back with 2015's hotly anticipated The Force Awakens. That film went on to make nearly a billion dollars, and has generally remained in the good graces of fandom. But the returns diminished after that. Rogue One held steady. The Last Jedi was financially successful, but less so than The Force Awakens, with more controversy. Then 2018's Solo and 2019's The Rise of Skywalker performed poorly with both critics and audiences. Now fans are squarely in the middle of another Star Wars feature drought.

Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan on The Mandalorian

Disney has made it difficult for fans to understand what's coming next for the franchise. At various points, the studio has announced new films to be headed by Rian Johnson, Taika Waititi and Kevin Feige. There were briefly rumors about a Chloé Zhao film, though they've since been squashed. Only Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron -- which is only in development, with production reportedly delayed due to creative differences -- has a release date, and who knows whether that will hold. It seems that the Star Wars story group is in some sort of creative paralysis, unsure about the franchise's path forward.

Howard has a family connection to Star Wars: Her father, veteran director Ron Howard, stepped in to finish Solo after Phil Lord and Christopher Miller left. And though she's still better known for starring in the Jurassic World movies, Howard was interested in directing early on, making her own short films before starring in the likes of Lady in the Water and The Help. When she was given the opportunity to direct two episodes of The Mandalorian, Season 1's "Sanctuary" and Season 2's "The Heiress," she made the most of it.

In "Sanctuary," Mando tried to hide Grogu from the Guild and wound up helping a whole village defend itself against raiders. In "The Heiress," potential spinoff candidate Bo-Katan Kryze and her two Mandalorian compatriots came to his defense and gently mocked him for his religiosity. Both episodes received critical acclaim, and both featured a combination of expertly orchestrated large-scale battles and affecting intimate moments that advanced both the plot and character development. Star Wars is at its best when the action is as thrilling as the characters' relationships are compelling, and Howard has proven that she's capable of delivering on both accounts.

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The Mandalorian and Peli Motto

Another strength that critics and fans have picked up on is Howard's ability to work in callbacks and Easter eggs without hitting the audience over the head with references. With "Return of the Mandalorian," Howard leaned into the kinds of things most people love about Star Wars. The audience got Din Djarin's big entrance, the re-emergence of the darksaber, the tragic debut of live-action Mandalore, a duel, an extended sequence with Peli Motto and her pit droids, a refurbished Naboo Starfighter taking flight in an homage to The Phantom Menace, and the hope that they'd see Grogu again. It was a smorgasbord for fans that didn't feel like fan service because it all came together to tell a story that kept the audience on the edge of their seats and wanting more.

Of most consequence to Star Wars' current predicament, Howard has demonstrated that she instinctively gets Star Wars' very particular aesthetic and tone yet can still add her own voice to it. The galaxy far, far away has always been a little homespun and earnest compared to harder sci-fi. Noticeably practical effects, comedy that's just this side of eyeroll-worthy and hero journeys that could pass for the stuff of young adult novels are part of the charm. "Return of the Mandalorian" worked on that level, too. It volleyed back and forth between Mando's massacre and space cops in X-Wings, between the Armorer's decrees and Peli's antics with ease. She got performances from her actors that felt like they're in universe.

Last but not least, Star Wars has legions of female fans and could do a better job of giving women more responsibility behind the scenes. The fandom may not always agree on the particulars, but viewers have been pretty vocal that they want a Star Wars that honors the past, looks to the future, expands the canon and includes everyone. Bryce Dallas Howard is well-suited to do just that.

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