While Lucasfilm tends to be famously strict about how new creators can mess with the established canon ofStar Wars, it appears as though stories like those seen inThe Bad Batchare granted a bit more leeway. But that doesn’t mean they can do whatever they want, and the show’s producer Brad Rau is very much used to a specific team of story experts dropping by to keep things consistent.
Star Wars: The Bad Batchhas the distinction of taking place during a period where its writers have a bit more creative freedom with where they take their stories. The series has made somesignificant additions toStar Warsloreduring its run so far. However, there’s a group within Lucasfilm whose job is to check up on the various projects to make sure they’re meshing well with the officially established canon. That might sound a bit stingy on the studio’s part, but for Rau and his team at least, it’s handled pretty well.
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Speaking withThe Direct, Rau mentioned howThe Bad Batchisn’t viewed with quite the same watchful eye as otherStar Warsseries. “Honestly, we’re still a little bit earlier than those shows,” he said, referring to their place on the timeline. “We do have a little bit more wiggle room, you might say for ourStar Warsspace dads.” Space dads is an apt term, particularly given howThe Bad Batchseason 1saw the titular group of “defective” clones take on the care and training of the young female clone Omega. A story element like that can certainly benefit from having less oversight to spread its wings.
That’s not to say there’s no oversight at all, though. Lucasfilm still has a presence in the writing room. It’s just a little more laid back than, presumably, how other projects operatethe often bafflingStar Warscanon. “We rely on the Lucasfilm Story Group a lot to answer your question specifically where any time we occasionally will have a storyline or a character or a setting that they’ll weigh in on and let us know if there’s something else going on,” Rau continued, before specifying that the Story Group doesn’t make them feel stifled. “We don’t ever feel like restricted but they’re definitely there to help support and make sure things are connected.”
Clone Force 99,the group of main characters inThe Bad Batch, is currently in a pretty enviable position. While they’ve got a substantial story going on right now, they still have yet to appear in any movies. Plus, their impact on other stories beyond their own has been minimal, focusing on a group of deserters just trying to get by after (rather messily) breaking their ties with the Galactic Empire. This more tight and intimate story gives the show’s creators the freedom to tell the tales they want to tell with less concern about how it will affect the greaterStar Warscanon.
Maybe Lucasfilm should take some cues from how things are handled here and with other shows likethe genuinely incredibleAndor. Allowing creators to bring up new stories on their own terms that just so happen to be set in theStar Warsuniverse has the potential to expand what the franchise can be. Maybe not all of it will be quality content, but they’ve got to stir, whip, stir, whip, whip, whip, and stir a bit to get to the good stuff.
Star Wars: The Bad Batchreleases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney Plus.
