Live-action Star Wars is no longer afraid to overflow with Prequel Trilogy love, and it’s wizard

Although animated Star Wars is widely respected, the live-action films and series are still considered by Lucasfilm as the backbone of the franchise. It was therefore frustrating that the Prequel Trilogy was much less celebrated in the live-action projects than in Rebels of The Bad Batch, for instance. Even though it was nice to see live-action cameos of Darth Maul or Bail Organa, or a glimpse of Mustafar, these references were scattered and few in number.

The return of Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett was a nice step forward, but adult Boba remains symbollicaly a character from the original trilogy.

The fifth and latest episode of The Book of Boba Fett seems to have changed the situation. For the first time in post-George Lucas live-action Star Wars, we’re flooded by Prequel Trilogy love. Written by Jon Favreau and directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, this episode brings back the Naboo N-1 Starfighter, and not just for a cameo. The iconic ship from The Phantom Menace is put at the center of the story and is adopted by the Mandalorian, the main character of this particular episode.

Not only that, but Mando also flies to the old podrace circuit at Beggar’s Canyon, and brings back Kitster’s expression “wizard”. And as the cherry on the cake, the pit droids are there too.

Do you remember The Force Awakens, where the only references to the Prequels were a vague mention of clone armies and some other wretched stuff? What a progress.

It’s not the end of the road though. Putting Prequel Trilogy stuff in other eras is great, and I’m sure the Obi-Wan Kenobi series will be even greater in this aspect, but we’re still waiting for new live-action projects set in the Prequel era. There’s no reason for Lucasfilm to avoid that. The Prequel haters are now an endangered species, nobody cares about them anymore. Let’s go Kathleen!