10 Times Star Wars Gave Fans What Wanted (and They Hated It)
Stop with the fan-service!
Since its inception, Star Wars has become a victim of its own fandom. Because millions of extremely vocal fans are desperate to see Luke Skywalker stay good, turn evil, live, or die, it's impossible for directors, producers, and studios to please everyone.
So, if you were in charge of the most lucrative franchise in the history of cinema, what would you do? Well, because George Lucas' creation is so reliant on nostalgia, Star Wars can't help recycling the same ideas, stories, lines, and characters over and over. From a certain point of view, this looks like the best bet since we're getting what they want.
But as history has proven, giving us what we want rarely turns out well. Due to the relentless pressure of the Star Wars community, a studio might shove in a beloved character into a Star Wars property, even if their inclusion is unnecessary or non-sensical. More often than not, screenwriters or directors will focus on fan-service rather than telling a compelling story.
We may have said we wanted to see these moments in Star Wars, but none of them panned out the way we hoped.
10. Give Chewbacca A Medal
After Han Solo and Chewbacca help Luke Skywalker destroy the Death Star in A New Hope, Princess Leia shows her thanks by overseeing a ceremony for our three heroes at the Rebel base. Although Luke and Han receive a ceremonious medal, Chewie is left standing there with nothing.
Although some viewers didn't notice this minor detail, there are legions of fans upset the Wookiee pilot got shafted. This has become such a point of contention, George Lucas had to justify it by saying Chewie's race don't care about medals.
But after all these years, fans wouldn't let it go. As a result, JJ Abrams inserted a shot in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker where Maz Kanata rewards Chewbacca with a medal for helping to take down The Emperor.
But because of how forced this scene is, it just ended up annoying viewers. It may seem like an innocuous moment but it proves the filmmakers behind Star Wars are always pressurized to appease fans, even over a minuscule gripe that occurred in a different movie 42 years ago.