It’s been common knowledge for the past couple of years thatDave Filoniis the prime inheritor of the magic of George Lucas. His story of joining theStar Warsuniverse has become genuinely similar to the tale of Luke Skywalker himself. He was called to meet George Lucas and couldn’t believe it when it happened. And when he was found to be worthy, he was thrown into a world of infinite possibility. Walking the path of his own Hero’s Journey, Dave Filoni has now become the creative force behind most thingsStar Wars.
Filoni likely had no idea he was meant to be inheriting such a prominent position when he was chosen for the job. While hisrelationship with George Lucashas always been described as being like a padawan to a Jedi master. When Disney boughtStar Warsin 2012 and Lucas stepped away from the world, Filoni might not have expected to become the new Lucas. But that’s the way a journey works. The hero triumphs over incredible challenges, making him the master of two worlds. And now, this modest boy from Pittsburg is the ruler of his own galaxy.
Dave Filoni’s Rise to the Top
Dave Filoni started his career working in the art department for animated shows likeKing of the Hill, Teamo Supremo, andKim Possible. But some may also know that he directed the first season ofAvatar: The Last Airbender. While working on the iconic 2D animation is when he got his call to adventure. And just like every hero does, he refused it; metaphorically, that is.
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Filoni couldn’t believe it when he got the actual call from a producer with Lucasfilm Animation. According toLooper, Filoni said:
“I was working at Nickelodeon, and somebody called from Lucasfilm Animation, and I’m like, ‘There’s no Lucasfilm Animation.’ I thought I had been just so excited aboutRevenge of the Sithcoming out and talking about it all the time that the guys fromSpongeBobwere just, you know, busting my chops overStar Wars.”
While it’s good to know that the people who produceSpongeBobhave a sense of humor, his attitude almost cost him the job. Filoni was so convinced it was a prank call that he was very sarcastic with the person on the phone, but his disbelief saved him in the end. Once Filoni realized this wasn’t a joke, his insane fanboy side kicked in, and “that same producer told Filoni that she wanted to hang up on him.” But they had already scheduled the interview.
After he met Lucas, they began working on what would become the animated series,The Clone Wars. There he created Ahsoka Tano, a Jedi padawan who would quickly become a fan favorite and whose character arc seemed to mirror Filoni’s as he was being trained by Lucas. But when Disney boughtStar Wars, Lucas retreated from production, and the series ended. However, Filoni stayed on with the studio and was quickly introduced to people like Jon Favreau and J.J. Abrams. He famously crafted the hit showStar Wars: Rebels, along withResistance, Bad Batch,and many other belovedStar Warsanimated series.
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When he made the jump to live-action, helping direct and produceThe Mandalorian,he cemented his position of involvement in most of theStar Warsextended universe. InVanity Fair, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy spoke on why he is such an essential resource:
“What I find about Dave is you don’t just sit down and have a discussion about plot or review characters inside the Star Wars world. You end up having meaningful, thoughtful discussions about what it is we’re trying to say inside the storytelling. He has a lot of empathy.”
Star Wars' Future
Now that Filoni has the trust and ability to manipulate theStar Warsuniverse, he can exert his influence in big ways. While we’ve already seen his creative hand at work, the Disney+Star Warsminiseries seem to be mounting in ways that intersect and merge with each other. For example, Filoni will be directing theAhsokaseries, starring everyone’s favorite padawan, who is no longer a padawan. The series is rumored to intertwine somewhat with the events ofThe Mandalorian,and there is talk of resurrecting his infamousStar Wars: Rebelsvillain, Grand Admiral Thrawn.
He is also working on the newlive-action seriesStar Wars: Skeleton Crew,in which a group of kids gets lost in theStar Warsuniverse. This is another series that will take place around the time ofThe Mandalorian. Filoni will also return to his animation roots by working on the recently announced seriesTales of the Jedi. This is an anthology series that will follow the stories of several familiar Jedi. While it may be canonical, it will not happen on the same main canon timeline as every other miniseries.
