New Rumor Appears To Provide More Evidence That Dave Filoni Is Replacing Original Star Wars Characters With His ‘Star Wars Rebels’ Characters

John F. Trent |

May 17, 2023

Ahsoka Tano returns in the trailer for 'Ahsoka' (2023), Disney+

A new rumor claims to reveal the title of Dave Filoni’s recently announced theatrical film that is supposed to connect into shows like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka. This rumor, if true, also appears to be more evidence that Filoni will be placing his Star Wars Rebels characters into the role of the original trilogy characters such as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia.

This new rumor comes from scooper MyTimeToShineH, who seemingly got the recent Mila Kunis as Thing in the Fantastic Four scoop wrong. Nevertheless, the scooper said, “Shocker (not really): Dave Filoni’s movie is called Star Wars: Heir to the Empire.”

He also added, “Jon Favreau is only producing for now. It’s all Filoni.”

MyTimeToShineH Twitter

As MyTimeToShineH notes, it would not be a shocker that the movie would be titled Star Wars: Heir to the Empire. Rumors about Lucasfilm adapting Zahn’s Heir to the Empire go back to 2021.

Scooper Mikey Sutton at Geekosity Mag detailed back then that both Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni were working on adapting the novel trilogy as part of their ongoing The Mandalorian series on Disney+.

However, he explained it wouldn’t be a direct adaptation at the time, “Heir to the Empire won’t be interpreted exactly how it is on the printed page, but it’s shadow will be looming over the show.”

Sutton even noted in his 2021 scoop that the adaptation might be turned into a theatrical release, “One insider said he wouldn’t be surprised if the endgame of the Mandalorian putting together his team of galatic, ragtag cosmic Avengers will result in a theatrical film named after Heir to the Empire.”

Heir to the Empire #1 (1995), Dark Horse Comics

However, what is interesting about MyTimeTShineH’s new scoop about Filoni’s film is that fellow scooper WDW Pro claims it’s another piece of evidence that Lucasfilm is trying to marginalize Luke Skywalker and the original trilogy characters in favor of Dave Filoni’s Star Wars Rebels characters.

WDW Pro explains, “Here’s what I think is happening. Yet again, we are seeing Dave Filoni come in and put his characters, his creations in place of the characters that we all want to see.”

“What do people want to see? They want to see Luke Skywalker,” WDW Pro continues. “That’s what they want to see. Are they going to get Luke Skywalker? No, they’re going to get the name of a book that prominently featured him. And it’s going to be another bait and switch where we replace that character with characters of lesser interest.”

“Who knows how interesting The Mandalorian characters will be by the time we get here?”, he questioned. “I have no idea, but interest is dropping, I can tell you that.”

Later in the video, WDW Pro opines, “Fans want Luke Skywalker. They want Luke Skywalker in a heroic fashion. Disney purchased Star Wars to have the Star Wars characters, but for whatever reason Disney seems to desire not to use them.”

“Instead they’re putting these B-tier characters in the place of Luke Skywalker in yet another movie,” he continues. “We’ve already watched The Last Jedi. We don’t need to see it again. We know what it feels like to have a character should not replace Luke do so.”

“And I don’t see how how having Dave Filoni do it once more, replacing Luke and the other characters with his own creations, even if Ahsoka is cool, even if we like The Mandalorian and Baby Grogu. Those are not the characters who should be at the prominence in a movie called Heir to the Empire. That should be true to the novel either that or remove the name,” he declares.

“And if Disney continues to do so, which they seem to be determined to do, then we will continue to see more dropping of Disney+ and the Disney box office,” he predicts.

He goes on, “Disney needs consumers and consumers need popular characters. And Disney does not want to give that. Until they change that plan. Until they step aside from divisive content and divisive messaging, and putting stuff into children’s programming that parents don’t want then Disney will continue to drop. That’s just the way it is.”

What do you make of WDW Pro’s speculation that the rumored Heir to the Empire is more evidence that Filoni is replacing classic Star Wars characters like Luke Skywalker with his Star Wars Rebels and The Mandalorian characters?

NEXT: Lucasfilm Announces New Star Wars Film Focused On Daisy Ridley’s Rey, Appears She Will Continue To Completely Supplant Luke Skywalker’s Story

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