The Biggest Redemption In 'Star Wars' Was Not Anakin Skywalker
It Was Dave Filoni
Let’s face it. The Star Wars fandom can be fickle at best, and completely exhausting at worst when it comes to the discourse and changing of opinions. Once upon a time, the prequel trilogy was universally disliked if one spent time online around any Star Wars discussion pages. Now, as a new generation of Star Wars fans has grown up, the opinion has changed to a more positive tone. People seem to miss George Lucas again since he is no longer making Star Wars films. Today’s redemption story is that of a little known creator by the name of Dave Filoni. He is considered a Star Wars god by fans these days for his work in Clone Wars, Rebels, Resistance, and The Mandalorian. However, once upon a time, he was disliked by many, especially those early fans of the Expanded Universe who thought that he did not understand Star Wars and was ruining the saga. Oh how the tide has turned.
The year 2008 was an odd time for the Star Wars fandom. The prequel trilogy had long since ended with Revenge of the Sith in 2005. The story continued in books and comics among other things. Then, the Clone Wars movie was released, marking the first time Star Wars make a return to the big screen in a while. Unlike the traditional live-action movie that everyone was used to, it was a CGI animated film. No one knew what to make of this format, nor what to make of the person behind the project, Dave Filoni.
RELATED: The Incredible Story Behind Dave Filoni’s Rise To Creative Director At Lucasfilm
When he first came on the scene, Dave Filoni had been hired as supervising director for the 2008 Clone Wars film. Later on, he would head the Clone Wars animated television series. The up and coming creative became the face of the series through most of its run. Things started off very negatively for Filoni as such was the way of the opinionated Star Wars fans. The Clone Wars movie was a financial failure, and probably one of the Star Wars movies with the worst reviews. Many blamed George Lucas and Dave Filoni for the film quality and how it fared in box office.
Filoni had a target on his back when the Clone Wars animated series aired on Cartoon Network. Fans of the old Star Wars Expanded Universe books felt that the show retconned or even outright contradicted what had already been established. Ironically, this would become the norm for the franchise in the early 2010’s. While the older generation of fans rejected the change in canon, the show slowly garnered a new generation of fans. More and more viewers tuned in to the show. The number magnified when the Clone Wars animated series came on Netflix. Fans were nostalgic about the show, and about Dave Filoni as well.
As time passed, Dave Filoni’s reputation grew. What was once annoyance at his deviation from the Expanded Universe became respect and reverence. He was behind some of the best moments of the Clone Wars show. Fans began to view him as someone who had a deep understanding of the Star Wars saga. When the Disney era arrived, Filoni became the missing link to George Lucas himself. Today, his reputation is that of one of the true heirs of the Star Wars saga. More extreme fans even wanted to see him at the head of the entire company.
Dave Filoni had been one of the most fascinating redemption stories in Star Wars. He started out as an unknown, who was then disliked by fans at large. Now, he was considered the unifying force within the Star Wars fandom. The biggest redemption story in Star Wars was not Anakin Skywalker. It was Dave Filoni.
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Written By Joel Davis
Syndicated From Culture Slate
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