Star Warshas got to be one of the most prolific and prominent media franchises. From movies to TV to video games, the galaxy far, far away has found its way into virtually every area of the entertainment industry.
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With so many projectsover the years, it seems inevitable that a few don’t become a reality. Some are probably better off canceled, but what about those that could’ve been great?Star Warshas plenty of cool projects that will never see the light of day, from video games to movies.
‘Battle of the Sith Lords’
Even before his revival inThe Clone Warsanimated series, Darth Maul has stood as one of the franchise’s most beloved characters. In 2010, fans would have finally been given control to play as him in his own game.
Heralded by Red Fly Studios, who handled the Wii port ofThe Force Unleashed II, the game would’ve focused on Maul working alongside expanded universe character Darth Talon as they fight Darth Krayt and his army of Sith. The game would ultimately be canceled in 2011, in a move largely attributed to the impending sale of Lucasfilm to Disney. Much of what is known about the game comes courtesy ofGame Informer, who have shared numerous pieces of artwork and story elements from its development.
‘Scandal of Blood’
Fans are probably a little more than familiar with the story of the galaxy discovering Leia Organa was Darth Vader’s daughter, as it was a key plot point in the 2016 novel,Bloodlines.However, according to Lucasfilm executive Pablo Hidalgo, the story was initially the focus of an entire animated short.
Intended to release alongsideThe Force Awakensin 2015,Scandal of Bloodwould’ve been an animated short film focused on this pivotal moment in the lead-up to the film. Described as theStar Warsversion ofHouse of Cards, the short was pitched in 2012 but never materialized.
‘Battlefront IV’
Everyone knows about Free Radical’sBattlefront III. The canceled follow-up to Pandemic’s originalBattlefrontgames would’ve allowed players to travel seamlessly between ground and space combat. However, few know that there was already a sequel to that game before it was canceled, simply titledBattlefront IV.
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The fourth entry would have flipped the entireStar Warsuniverse on its head ifits concept artis anything to go by. Players could take control of dark side versions of heroes like Luke Skywalker or a redeemed Darth Vader. Customization would have been a significant component in the game, eschewing the class system the series was known for. Alas, whenBattlefront IIIwas canned, so too wasBattlefront IV.
‘The Epic Continues’
Star Warsand toys go together like peanut butter and jelly, yet the action figures have rarely ever directly impacted the canon of the series. That would’ve all changed with 1986’sThe Epic Continues.
A new line in the classic Kenner series of figures, the storyline revolved around the new character Atha Prime, the mastermind behind the Clone Wars, who seeks to conquer the galaxy following the Emperor’s death. If that wasn’t bad enough for the rebels, Grand Moff Tarkin returns as well, now controlling the remnants of the Empire. While Lucasfilm enjoyedKenner’s pitch, they ultimately rejected it, feeling it was incongruent with their plans at the time. Kenner’sStar Warsline would end shortly afterward.
Untitled Droids Movie
AfterStar Warsbecame a smash hit in 1977,George Lucasbecame hard at workat not just sequels to the original film but spin-offs as well. One of those planned offshoots would have focused entirely on the droids.
The movie would be based solely on the lives of C-3PO and R2-D2, with no humans to appear in the film at all. While George discussed the film in a few interviews following the release ofA New Hope, never again would it be brought up afterThe Empire Strikes Backhit theaters. Though the movie was canceled, it seems like the upcoming Disney+ animated movieADroid Storymay fill that droid-shaped hole in all our hearts.
‘Episode VII: Shadows of the Sith’
AfterRevenge of the Sithwas released in 2005, Lucas was adamant that there would be no further movies in theStar Warssaga. He didn’t say anything about video games, though!
Pitched sometime in 2004,Episode VII: Shadows of the Sithwould have followed the son of Luke Ben Skywalker (pictured above) on a journey that saw him become more powerful in the force, culminating in a battle against one of the Solo children. The project didn’t survive past the pitching process, but gameplay aspects were incorporated intoThe Force Unleashedgames.
‘The Force Unleashed III’
The Force Unleashedremains one of the more popular video game series set in theStar Warsuniverse. Unfortunately, the second game in the series left fans on a cliffhanger, with no conclusion in sight even over a decade later. However, there were plans for a third entry that would’ve closed out the trilogy.
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As explainedin a Twitch streamwith series creatorHaden Blackman, the third game would’ve seen Starkiller team up with his former master, Darth Vader, against a new threat created by the Emperor. Co-op was also discussed, allowing players to fight together as the saber wielders. There was even the potential for the game to feature an open-world component. Sadly, Blackman left Lucasarts before the game entered development, taking his vision of the story with him.
‘Star Wars Underworld’
At the Celebration III fan convention in 2005, Lucas appeared to announce two new projects that would expand theStar Warsuniverse. One, a full-length animated series, becameStar Wars: The Clone Wars. The second, a live-action series, had a different fate.
Dubbed “Star Wars Underworld,” the show was to take place betweenRevenge of the SithandA New Hopeand would focus on various characters and storylines in that timeframe.From Boba Fett to Han Solo, no two stories in the show were the same. The series had animpressive set of writers, including names likeChris Chibnall(Doctor Who) andRonald D. Moore(Battlestar Galactica). Sadly, the show was shelved in 2010 due to budget problems, and it appears unlikely that it will ever be revisited.
‘Star Wars: 1313’
It wouldn’t be aStar Warsproject if it didn’t have its tie-in media. As it appears,Star Wars: 1313would have been a tie-in video game to the aforementionedUnderworldseries.
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The game would have starred a young Boba Fett, still trying to make it as a bounty hunter, as he explores the lower depths of Coruscant. The gameplay and narrative would have been significantly influenced by theUnchartedvideo games. It was canceled in 2013 following Disney’s closure of Lucasarts, but variouspieces of gameplay and artwork have leaked over the years.
‘Duel of the Fates’
BeforeThe Rise of Skywalker,Duel of the Fateswas the originalStar Wars: Episode IX. Helmed byColin Trevorrow(Jurassic World), the movie would’vefeatured a completely different story than the movie we got.
In this script, Finn would’ve led a revolution on the planet Coruscant, a location that was featured prominently in the storyline. Rey would now wield a dual-bladed lightsaber, while Kylo Ren learns more about the force from Darth Plagueis' master, Tor Valum. Rey and Ren would eventually clash one last time on the planet Mortis, a place strong in the force. However, after Trevorrow departed from the film in 2017,J.J. Abramsquickly came on board, leaving little from this version of the film in the one we got.
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