Since 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens continued the story from Return of the Jedi, we've learned a few things about the Star Wars fanbase -- well, most of them. They've become more rabid, and a lot more vocal since the prequel trilogy in the 2000s. And, of course, they're very resistant to change.
Now, that's expected with such big name franchises, but for all the fighting that fans of Marvel and DC do with regards to their cinematic universes, it isn't as impassioned as Star Wars. That's because this property has over four decades of history to it and, with such a big legacy, it makes sense fans developed an unbridled loyalty and feel so emotionally connected. This leaves us wondering if these fanboys could ever be satisfied with what J.J. Abrams has planned for Episode IX, and, given their recent behavior, it's highly unlikely.
RELATED: Rian Johnson's Star Wars Trilogy Reportedly Gets a Production Name
Firstly, no new Star Wars flick will ever be accepted as a crowning moment by these fans. When The Force Awakens dropped, many found it was too similar to A New Hope. Then Rian Johnson came in with The Last Jedi, subverting the lore. What he was met with can only be described as pure hatred. This led to Abrams saying that he hopes fans will feel satisfied when he concludes the trilogy he reignited, which is interesting in the wake of rumors that he was going to course correct what Johnson did.
But Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker becoming a reclusive hermit and advocating the end of the Jedi Order was planted in The Force Awakens, thus Johnson was indeed following the road map Abrams laid down. He continued adding diversity into the franchise, with Kelly Marie Tran's Rose Tico playing just as big a role as John Boyega's Finn, only for hateful fans to chase her off social media. That's to say nothing of the organized groups planting fake reviews for The Last Jedi, making ridiculous petitions about Johnson's movie and attacking the director online.
Clearly, there's a sense of damned if you do, damned if you don't. In other words, a piece of pop culture that's so revered, it's unlikely you'll ever please those who love it because everyone has a version in their mind of what it should be, not what it could be. So, no creative's vision will ever live up to their expectations.
RELATED: Star Wars: Episode IX Rumors Allude to Kylo Ren's Next Big Threat
With The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, it's clear why fans didn't like them. Bad acting, weak scripts and an overall narrative that didn't have depth to fill the gap properly justified their dissatisfaction. Revenge of the Sith suffered from a lot of these issues but, thankfully, Ewan McGregor's Obi Wan Kenobi was able to salvage something in the end by taking on Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker.
Still, these movies are considered below the standards of the original trilogy. Even Rogue One and Solo: The Star Wars Story are picked apart because the comparison to these old films just won't die. Abrams has admitted that these new films, especially The Last Jedi, will be divisive, and that's because, as much as Disney/Lucasfilm want to pay homage to the past, they all have to chart a fresh future.
NEXT PAGE: The Original Trilogy Reigns Supreme, But You Can Never Really Go Back
It's a new audience in a different world where sexuality, racial dynamics and the way we live are largely different than the '70s and '80s. Representation on-screen has to reflect that off the screen, especially in a galactic saga, and it's only fair directors tell stories that the franchise hasn't seen before. Sadly, if Abrams does that, fans will say he replicated Johnson's mistakes, but if he goes nostalgic again, he's either repeating his formula or backing down from haters and doing what they want (see: the opposite of Johnson).
As you can see, it'll always be a no-win scenario. Now, Abrams might be set to win fans over by returning Episode IX to its roots, as it has been billed as the Skywalker Saga. It'll curry the favor of fans who have been immersed in Star Wars for so long and make up for the new trilogy barely touching on the family -- even with the demise of Luke, the descent of Kylo Ren and General Leia Organa being a war hero.
But with Carrie Fisher passing, Abrams may have no choice but to move beyond that lineage, although we can still see Luke's Force Ghost aiding Rey and opposing Kylo to maintain that Skywalker presence. Still, you can't help but feel that the "let the past die. Kill it, if you have to" line Adam Driver made famous in The Last Jedi will be the philosophy moving forward.
It appears, however, that these fans want Abrams to stick with the Skywalkers, no matter if this approach comes off limited and boring. Focusing on the old guard, plus mending loose ends fans loved in The Force Awakens -- such as the Knights of Ren returning, doing a U-turn and making Rey's parents important or offering an origin for Snoke -- could be the key to appeasing those who found these points unforgivable in Johnson's movie. They may seem small, but they could go a long way.
Ultimately, for Abrams to carve out something satisfying, apart from a proper farewell to Luke and Leia, characters like Chewbacca, C3-PO and R2-D2 (who all have had diminished roles in the current trilogy), need to be phased out smartly. To boot, if he kills Lando the same way he killed Han Solo, expect fireworks online.
RELATED: Star Wars: Episode IX's Rumored Villain May Bring Balance to the Franchise
Ironically, just like the Force, Abrams has to achieve a balance, which'll involve giving the new stars -- Rey, Finn, Poe -- a workable and organic conclusion. We don't know if we'll be returning to any of them in the future, in later movies or Disney+, but as it stands, whether we like them or not, they're just as important to the Star Wars Universe. To make everyone content, Abrams has to mesh them well with the legacy characters. After two films, though, we see that's easier said than done. Only time will tell, but it's obvious dedicated fans will criticize Abrams for going either way.