There’s so little we know about Yoda. In decades of films, comics, novels, video games and more, we still don’t even know what the ancient Jedi Master’s species is. But he remains one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars universe, thanks in part to his ironic design – unassuming, tiny and elderly, contrasting with his immense Jedi powers – and his unique speech pattersn. Er, we mean… “Unique, his speech patterns are.” It makes sense that Disney, who recently acquired the rights to the whole Star Wars franchise, would want to showcase the character in their new films. Now, we’re hearing that he might do more than simply appear in an upcoming Star Wars movie… he could very well star in one all by himself.
That’s the rumor we’re hearing from Ain’t It Cool News, where Harry Knowles just dropped a report that Disney’s first stand-alone Star Wars movie – separate from the already announced trilogy directed by J.J. Abrams – would be Yoda-centric. That is, it’s very important to note, all that Ain’t It Cool is reporting so far. No sources, no details. No way of knowing if Yoda, or whatever it will be called, will focus on the near-millennia of backstory Yoda had before the events of The Phantom Menace, or perhaps taking place concurrent with either of the existing movie trilogies, or even the period of time in between.
As far as we’re concerned at CraveOnline, a little Yoda goes a long way. (Yes, he’s ALWAYS little, but let’s not get hung up on semantics.) His storyline was pretty incredible in The Empire Strikes Back, thanks in part to the apparently direct influence of Akira Kurosawa’s Dersu Uzala, which was also about cocky men in the jungle encountering an outwardly unassuming but secretly wise and resourceful little person who changed their lives. Once the irony was out of the way, Yoda was henceforth used only as a wise old sage character or an unstoppable badass who just happens to be relatively short in stature.
That said, if true, we would certainly be intrigued to learn more about the mysterious figure, whose own life story has never really been elaborated upon in the Star Wars mythos to date. But can he carry his own movie? Do you really want Yoda to save the galaxy all by his lonesome, get the girl, and then make out with her? Is Yoda a more effective supporting character or could he really carry a whole movie by himself.
If this rumor is true, we may get to find out. We’ll try to reserve judgment until we hear more, even if it’s a flat out denial from Disney.
William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel, the co-host of The B-Movies Podcast and the co-star of The Trailer Hitch. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
