This project came to mind as I was in the midst of a transitional experience as a fan by reinvigorating my love for Star Wars. I wanted to reanalyze what I thought I knew about Star Wars and Marvel after reigniting my passion for the franchises. 

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Throughout the course of this semester long endeavor, my former English teacher, Ms. Burke, has guided me as a mentor. She was my inspiration for even being interested enough in writing to consider minoring in the subject. I felt it only right that she have a part to play in the largest piece of writing I've ever undertaken.

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I would like to thank her for her support, encouragement, and help along the way.

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Through this project I wanted to demonstrate how the vibe and tradition of the originals and prequels was being expanded in Star Wars in really neat ways. 

 

In addition to drawing these connections across different eras of Star Wars content, I felt it would be wise to demonstrate the effectiveness of Marvel Studios and how Lucasfilm could be trying to emulate that.

 

Marvel Studios has for me been extremely deliberate and successful in the ways they’ve adapted complex lore to the big screen. I enjoy their process and think it’s a good model. Knowing that Lucasfilm is under the same umbrella and has interacted with some of the same MCU directors/producers for some past and a lot of future projects gives me comfort as a fan knowing these stories are (knock on wood) in safe hands.

 

That’s really what I wanted to go out and show within this project. I wanted to reassure myself and others that the stories we care about can be done in ways that are interesting, enjoyable, and rhyme with original source material. Whether that be Marvel Comics or the Lucas era of Star Wars. 

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Only recently (the last year) have I jumped headlong into the MCU and really appreciate just how delicately they have been able to handle the weight of expectation from Marvel Comics fans and the weight of expectation they've created from MCU fans by virtue of their success. 

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Seeing that level of lore develop so effectively on the big screen gave me a lot of joy and helped to reaffirm my faith in Disney to get hyped up for the fantasy content they produce.

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As far as Star Wars goes, I ranged from an original 6 only lover to something that encompassed much more of that once I took the time to sit down and engage critically with some content I'd deemed unworthy. I'd been a big proponent of live action Star Wars until I had an epiphany while watching the animated series early last year. I didn't need real humans to make good Star Wars, I just needed good Star Wars.

 

I had internally criticized the series for so long that looking at the content critically for what they did well was a new perspective for me. I apologize if you don’t find my deep dives into the connective tissue between Disney properties as exciting as I do. They represent a new mindset for me and an organization of what appeals to me like nothing I’ve ever laid out before.

 

After the debacle of no planning and guidance that was the sequels, finding these moments that Disney has done well or reflects the identity of the original. I included the MCU because it offered a juxtaposition in how I’ve felt about it more generally and represented a property Disney has been praised for. This was to provide a certain lens from which I could view narrative choices more generally and apply those takes to Star Wars in a way that addressed certain issues that I have had.

 

In much of the same way, I wanted to show Marvel's fallibility after lauding them as a high standard of production by introducing the Fietro Maimoff/Ralph Bohner fan speculation mix up. Fan attitudes can really influence the perception of something. 

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Early on in the process I established that I wanted to avoid toxicity and avoid bashing on certain things because I feel that happens enough online. I surpassed part of my voice in order to magnify another, often quieter, portion of that voice of mine. 

 

Anyways, I think the point that I’m trying to emphasize is that I wrote this deep analytical dive into Star Wars and the MCU to help me identify some of what captivates me to keep returning. In addition, to continue to be hyped up for new narratives within them. 

 

This project was framed to me in a way that I could choose to write about anything I wanted. So I did. I took a topic that I have so much knowledge on (for no reason other than pure love and interest as a child and now) and dive into depths I've only briefly contemplated in my mind. I sit here today contemplating this piece and the more I sit and read it over, the more I realize it’s for me and others like me.

 

By that, I mean people who need to take a step back and give something you feel you hate another chance. I chose to let go of that hate and let myself fall into that excitement again. 

 

Star Wars: The Bad Batch debuts May 4th, 2021 and I couldn’t be more pumped.

The tone change for Star Wars in the animated series should be encapsulated once again within a Dave Filoni show. A grittier and more lore based experience is what I am expecting.

 

What of the MCU?

 

The tone shift in the MCU towards more grey and darker narratives comes with certain consequences. Wanda torturing an entire town and John Walker smashing someone's face in on the Captain America shield changed the game. The one liners in action sequences or stupid surface level jokes don't hit the same when the content is exploring the complexities of race and symbolism.

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It can be jarring. 

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I think the best way to handle this is gradually. Less serious properties need to be ever so slightly transitioned into the more emotional, dark, or serious tone that is being employed by newer projects. If not, I think certain characters will feel left behind by the audience. Or even worse, the carefully crafted world of the MCU will feel incoherent. 

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Consistency is key and it is important to leave fans with the same messages, ideas, and values that have been incorporated throughout the show. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier had a slightly more upbeat ending than I anticipated. I enjoyed it; however, it didn't perfectly blend with the rest of the season's mood. John Walker getting a large sanitization job after his earlier actions. I'd like to believe he'll continue down this path of right and wrong that hopefully incorporates more morally bankrupt actions so as to stay true to his character.

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It would be disappointing to see a continuous stream of positively spun endings. The horrors of war and message that everybody loses after massive conflict left you feeling the weight of the seven seasons of The Clone Wars on your mind. It demonstrated that Disney is capable of such nuance and should tap into it to a higher degree going forward. Especially given the emphasis on narratively dense streaming shows.

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There is a balance. Disney must find it in order to continue crafting worlds full of characters that are believable, enjoyable, and logically makes sense.

 

The success and missteps I outlined through the recent Disney+ Marvel shows provide a barometer for which to view new projects with and was an inspiration for my title. That being my cautious optimism. 

 

I’ve let myself buy back into the ‘hype’ of these stories. In order to do that, I had to convince myself of their validity. This is how I’ve chosen to do that. 

 

Cautiously Optimistic is a love letter to stories I thought I’d lost and have found again in my heart. 

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-William Scott Mattox