While we’re still knee-deep in Baby Yoda and “This is the way” memes from The Mandalorian on Disney+, there is still plenty of reason to be looking forward to more Star Wars content from the recently-released streamer even after the limited series is over.
As it turns out, besides the Obi-Wan Kenobi solo series due out in 2020, there may yet be another show set in the Star Wars universe, according to official Making Star Wars podcast editor Jason Ward (via Inverse).
Ward says a new live-action Star Wars show “nobody even knows about” is being made, and it is apparently titled Doctor Aphra. This show, as Ward describes, is a “Lucasfilm-Marvel venture with both companies bringing a Star Wars show to the small screen.”
Furthermore, he is not sure as to whether Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige will be involved in Doctor Aphra, given the fact that he made known to the world the prospect of him working on stories set in the storied franchise.
Regardless, there should be plenty to be excited about Doctor Aphra if it is happening. For the uninitiated, the titular character is a comic book-exclusive currently, having appeared in the 2015 Darth Vader limited series by Marvel Comics.
A skilled archaeologist by trade, Aphra was initially recruited by the iconic Dark Lord of the Sith after the Battle of Yavin. However, their relations soured over time and she eventually defected from the Empire to join forces with the Rebel Alliance. But despite switching sides, she is still depicted as an anti-hero who will still do things for her own personal gain (think female Han Solo back in A New Hope).
In her adventures, she is also normally seen with her two droid buddies, Empire-built protocol droid 0-0-0 (Triple-Zero), and assassin droid BT-1 (Bee Tee), so this could also be a potentially interesting on-screen relationship, given the fandom’s love for droids.
Also, Aphra is one of the few openly gay Star Wars characters in the canon (yes, this includes the comics), which should prove another interesting prospect to give this show a go especially in this generation. As comic book writer Kieron Gillen points out, she is typically a lesbian.
I normally say Aphra’s a lesbian. I’ve never written her with any romantic interest in men. There’s definitely some people who think Vader and Aphra were flirting but I’m not going to get into that…I’ve written her primarily romantically interested in women. I think that would be fair to say.
Star Wars doesn’t really have the terminology that we do either. One of the things we wrote inside the first arc was that homophobia as we know it doesn’t really exist in the Star Wars universe. No one raises their eyebrow, no one seems surprised when it happens. It’s kind of just something that’s there, so the way that they process sexuality has got to be different anyway, and how they choose to identify, as well.
Darth Vader writer Kieron Gillen on Doctor Aphra’s sexual orientation.
There are plenty of reasons to be excited for the potential Doctor Aphra solo series, and we’ve just highlighted a few. If you haven’t yet read the comics, now might be a good time to do so. After the ensuing hype from The Mandalorian and The Rise of Skywalker, shows such like these are no doubt a good way to keep the franchise going.
Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.
Natalie
Trinity Sun
