The Star Wars lore is massive, and with its sheer complexity, there's bound to be portions of the canon that ultimately get left out of the spotlight. The series of video games titled The Force Unleashed is one such Star Wars property that has suffered from this effect.
With the first game, The Force Unleashed, being released in 2008 and its sequel, The Force Unleashed II, following in 2010, fans of George Lucas's universe were introduced to a much different side of the Star Wars galaxy we all know and love. It was grittier, violent, darker, and an almost complete departure from what fans had come to expect. Some found it jarring, whilst many fans found an appreciation for this fresh new take. And to this very day, there are multitudes of voices shouting for the games to be adapted into a feature-length film, starring the titular actor from the games: Sam Witwer.
Given how much love The Force Unleashed still receives—despite its initial mixed reviews—it's clear many Star Wars fans would gladly support a revival of its story. And with Disney's recent decision to move on from the Skywalker Saga in favor of new ideas, could this be a worthwhile investment for the studio?
Who Is Starkiller?
For those who have not played the video games, The Force Unleashed and its sequel follow the story of Starkiller: the secret apprentice to Darth Vader. Starkiller is brought into Vader's service when his father is murdered by the Sith Lord, and brought up in the ways of the Dark Side in the hopes that Vader can use his new apprentice to overthrow Emperor Palpatine. When Starkiller is sent by Vader to infiltrate a group of rebels so they may be drawn out of hiding, he, alongside his sparring droid Proxy, Imperial pilot Juno, and Jedi Master Kota, finds himself falling away from his master's teaching and seeing the Dark Side for what it really is.
Many fans of the series consider Starkiller to be the first Grey Jedi—a now popular term for Force users who don't pledge allegiance to either the Light or Dark sides. Much of the love for his character is in the fact that he deviates from the typical black and white mode of thinking that we've seen for much of the series, and was audiences' first taste as to what a morally ambiguous type of character within the Star Wars lore could look like.
How Could Starkiller Fit Into The Current Star Wars Canon?
Part of the reason for The Force Unleashed's under-the-radar status is because it originally took place in the "Legends" timeline: the now defunct timeline that was originally created by George Lucas before Disney acquired rights to the series, now operating under the official "Canon" timeline.
The studio has no love lost for the stories and characters that existed within the Legends timeline, and have made it clear that they are not particularly interested in toying with anything from when George Lucas was at the helm. That being said, not everything from the Legends timeline was trunked when Disney moved in. For example, The Clone Wars TV series was originally part of the Legends timeline, but Disney decided to make it an official part of the current canon. Though the Clone Wars has more popularity than The Force Unleashed, it still shows that if there is enough fan demand, aspects of the Legends timeline can be revived into the current lore.
Does 'The Force Unleashed' Hold Canon Potential
Disney has continuously shown that they are better at handling the TV arena than they are with films. The Skywalker Saga's abysmal reception from most of the fandom stands in stark contrast from the high ratings of the studio's most recent TV outings. Series such as The Mandalorian and Andor come to mind when evaluating recent successes within the wider Star War mythos, with fans even seeing them as a baseline of where things could go if Disney continues in this fresh new direction.
And with Disney having shown that they're willing to explore heavier themes as we've seen in Andor season 2, it isn't unrealistic to think that Starkiller's story could fit into the more mature section of the studio's catalogue. Furthermore, Sam Witwer, the actor who voiced Starkiller in the Force Unleashed video games and Darth Maul in the Clone Wars/Rebels TV shows, has stated that he is interested in reprising his role should the offer ever come his way. This has in turn made fans even more hopeful for a possible resurgence of the series.
Fans have asked the question for many years now, and it has generally been accepted that the direction Star Wars tried to go with the Force Unleashed games was ultimately too niche for their main target audiences. But with the recent success of series such as Andor shows that Disney sees that reaching into a more mature market can absolutely have its pay offs. Couple that with the fact that Sam Witwer is also set to reprise his long-time role of Darth Maul for an upcoming animated series titled Maul: Shadow Lord, it seems more plausible than ever that Starkiller's story could find its way into TV format. It's not guaranteed, but it's more likely now than it has ever been.