We're in a golden age of Star Wars streaming: The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, and Maul – Shadow Lord are just some of the small-screen adventures populating a galaxy far, far away's output on Disney Plus.
So, spare a thought for those who didn't make it, including Star Wars: Detours, a Robot Chicken-style madcap animation brought to life by Seth Green. 39 episodes were produced, but fell by the wayside after Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm.
"George [Lucas] wanted to make something that was The Simpsons in the Star Wars universe, and so that's what we set out to do," Star Wars: Detours creator Seth Green told ComicBook.
However, with Kathleen Kennedy coming in as the new Lucasfilm boss just months after footage debuted at 2012's Star Wars Celebration, the mission statement was now for Star Wars to exist in audiences' minds for decades, not just a few years with a handful of smaller-scale projects.
"She said it's more valuable for us to point everything towards the [sequel] movie," Green said, adding that Star Wars: Detour's light tone would give muddied portrayals of these icons for a younger generation coming to the franchise fresh.
On whether it would be possible for Star Wars: Detours to see the light of day, Green was downbeat, "Detours itself would have to be edited, upgraded – they'd have to do new work on it to make it possible to put it on streaming. I just don't think they're willing to commit the spend to update and release this when they can't see a clear benefit.
With legacy actors such as Anthony Daniels, Ahmed Best, and Billy Dee Williams set to appear in the series alongside some unique casting choices (Seth MacFarlane as Emperor Palpatine, anyone?), it seems a shame that Star Wars: Detours is likely consigned to the archives, never to be excavated.
With Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan coming in to head up Lucasfilm after Kennedy's departure, there remains some hope – a new hope, perhaps – that Star Wars: Detour could take an unlikely left turn onto Disney Plus. For now, though, hearing about hijinks such as Vader's Life Day celebrations will be a snapshot of what could have been.
For more, check out the upcoming Star Wars movies currently in production.
