Could Cobb Vanth Be The Character To Resurrect 'Rangers Of The New Republic'?

What's Next For The Shelved Show?

By Culture SlatePublished 2 years ago • Updated 2 years ago • 3 min read

Spoilers ahead for Book of Boba Fett

The Marshal of the Mos Pelgo Territories, Cobb Vanth, made a surprise return in The Book of Boba Fett. Even after giving up "his" armor, the Marshal proved he was not someone you want as an enemy, after easily dispatching a group of trespassing Pyke soldiers. Vanth, aptly portrayed by Timothy Olyphant, was last seen recuperating from his duel with Cad Bane, healing within the comfort of Boba's bacta tank, and seemingly set to undergo some life-saving cybernetic enhancements.

Cobb Vanth has earned the respect of the Mandalorian, Din Djarin, and won over fans with his grit, steadfast determination, sense of honor, and enviable hair. He's also quick with a blaster and thinks on his feet in a tough situation, as demonstrated during the fight with the Krayt Dragon. Combined with his background on the frontier of Tatooine and his leadership role for the people of Freetown, Vanth is primed for a role as a Ranger. Seeing as he also has a history with the New Republic, being a Marshall and all, Vanth could easily fill in the lead role in the currently tabled Rangers of the New Republic.

Rangers of the New Republic is itself a strange case. The show was originally rumored to be headlined by Cara Dune, but is now seemingly in limbo and the series' future remains in doubt. The exact details of the show remain unknown, but many fans believe it was setting up to be similar to Rebels, with a crew being put together to combat the rising Imperial forces in the Outer Rim. Fans have speculated that this is the reason that New Republic pilot Carson Teva, excellently played by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, has had a reoccurring role in the The Mandalorian and Book of Boba Fett, always investigating Imperial activity. Could he be the "Nick Fury" of our Star Wars Avengers/Rangers team? Connecting exceptional people, such as Cobb Vanth, to one another to combat evil?

There is also the possibility that Rangers of the New Republic would be more comparable to The Defenders, Netflix's crossover show featuring Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones. The titular characters of each Disney+ streaming series could rally together and form a band of "rangers", to combat Thrawn. Imagine a team composed of Cobb Vanth, Din Djarin, Boba Fett with Fennec Shand, and perhaps even Ahsoka Tano. They would be truly be a versatile and nearly unstoppable force.

Both of these ideas hinge heavily on a grand scale approach to Rangers. Bringing together multiple leading characters to combat a singular big bad with unending waves of stormtroopers to hurl against our heroes. But there is also the possibility that Rangers will be on a much smaller scale. Friendly neighborhood Rangers, if you will. Star Wars, as with any good science fiction project, is a vast universe filled with a variety of planets, home to bizarre sentients and creatures alike. There is an argument that Star Wars has been stuck in a rut of late with their choice of planetary setting. The Mandalorian visited Tatooine several times, The Book of Boba Fett was almost completely set on the desert planet, and we will be returning there in May for Kenobi. While it may be a bit of longshot, I for one would not be opposed to seeing Cobb Vanth star in a true "ranger" type show. Exploring the Outer Rim, still helping others, protecting the innocent, and blasting ne're-do-wells, but keeping on the move, seeing a large swath of planets and meeting new characters every episode.

Regardless of the fate of Rangers of the New Republic, it seems that Cobb Vanth is in the long term plans for Disney. Given Timothy Olyphant's experience bringing Western grit and presence to the screen in Deadwood, and the life he has given the character of Vanth, it's not hard to see why they want to keep him around. It would certainly be interesting to see if the character could carry a show like Rangers or if they go a more ensemble cast route. But, if that's not in the cards for Vanth, we're willing to bet we'll se him again fighting alongside the Mando or Boba Fett.

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