As a self-proclaimed Star Wars geek, I had been anxiously awaiting Disney+’s latest Star Wars live-action series, The Book of Boba Fett, since that feeling of sadness and emptiness washed over me after the incredible first season of The Mandalorian was over. The Book of Boba Fett debuted on December 29th with its first episode, “Chapter 1: Stranger in a Strange Land.” After watching, I was left with a feeling that this series may fall way short of not only my own expectations, but that of legions of Star Wars fans who can’t get enough of the beloved and iconic bounty hunter.
According to a BusinessInsider.com article from January 11th, Parrot Analytics’s audience-demand data of both series shows that The Mandalorian experienced a significant increase in popularity following its debut compared to The Book of Boba Fett. It went on to say that demand for the former during its first 11 days of availability was 75% higher than demand for the latter in the U.S., and 101% higher globally. So, it’s clearly taking some time for the new series to resonate with fans.
As I continued watching, Episodes 2 and 3 were about as compelling as the first – not very. It wasn’t until Episode 4 that I started to feel that I could appreciate where The Book of Boba Fett storyline was heading. In an effort to avoid spoilers, let’s just say that the character is now well-established in all his glory and I’m very much looking forward to the Episode 5.
Bringing The Book of Boba Fett to life through licensed products
Now that I’m “all in” on this series, I’ve taken a closer look at all of the licensed products available for The Book of Boba Fett. There’s quite a bit and much of it is well-conceived and beautifully-executed. After doing just a little bit of research, I found that Lucasfilm has created a series of weekly product drops called “Bring Home the Bounty,” which offers merch from across the entire Star Wars universe, including products from the Skywalker Saga movies, Star Wars: Visions, The Mandalorian, The Bad Batch, and, of course, The Book of Boba Fett.
A few of my favorite licensed products that feature Tatooine’s newest Daimyo: the Boba Fett Lives! smartwatch band by Moby Fox, which brings your smartwatch right to Mos Espa and comes bundled with 20+ exclusive watch faces; the Boba Fett on Throne Premier Collection 1/7 Scale Statue by Gentle Giant, which actually depicts The Book of Boba Fett teaser scene at the end of The Mandalorian Season 1; the 2022 Star Wars TOPPS NOW 5-Card Pack – Book of Boba Fett digital card sets from Topps that allow you to relive the greatest moments from the series as they’re released; and the Nerf LMTD Boba Fett’s EE-3 Blaster by Hasbro, which features accurate blaster sounds and an electronic scope with an illuminated lens.
The series may have gotten off to a slow start, but it’s redeeming itself through beautifully-designed licensed products, including a broad range of gorgeous apparel by Zavvi.com and Fifth Sun.
The Disney+ plan for the Star Wars franchise
The Book of Boba Fett is just the latest of a dozen new Star Wars shows being developed for the Disney+ streaming service, which will include: Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi, which takes place 8 years after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith; Star Wars: Andor, a spy thriller set 5 years before the event of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story; Ahsoka, a spin-off of The Mandalorian featuring the Jedi Ahsoka Tano; The Acolyte, which is being teased as an action thriller with martial arts elements; Lando, which may or may not pick up where Solo: A Star Wars Story left off; and Star Wars: Rangers of the New Republic, which will be set in the timeline of The Mandalorian, and may or may be tied to the intergalactic police force featured in the Clone Wars animated series.
Questions:
- If you’re a fan of the Disney+ Star Wars series, and are watching The Book of Boba Fett, what are your thoughts on it as it compares to The Mandalorian?
- What do you think of the licensed products associated with the new series?
- Given the upcoming Disney+ roster of content associated with the franchise, do you feel that the future of Star Wars is rooted in TV?
