I very much enjoyed The Book of Boba Fett when it came out. I understood the Mods, even if they didn’t drive very fast, I liked the debut of Krrsantan and the Daimyo hierarchy of Tatooine, and I even enjoyed the quick channel-change to the Mandalorian and Grogu at Luke’s place (although it didn’t quite fit into the overall story arc of Boba). I really liked Cad Bane, the return of Luke’s drinking buddies and Garsa Fwip’s awesome band starring Max Rebo. Was it the best Star Wars series ever? No, but like The Acolyte, it deserved better and more.
I think some of Boba Fett’s best stuff came not from his few minutes in The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi or Attack of the Clones, but his comic appearances, be they canonical or otherwise. It would be awesome to see these stories adapted from comics into a live-action Disney Plus show. Some stories are stronger than others.
‘Jango’ in Black Armor, AKA “Precious Cargo”: This first one is canon, meaning it takes place post Disney takeover, only a few years ago. Takes place in the first issue of the multi-issue War of the Bounty Hunters. While delivering the frozen carbonite slab of Han Solo to Jabba, he runs into trouble: Han starts thawing, so Fett brings him to a Nar Shadda doctor who is a Besalisk (like Dexter Jettster, a great opportunity to bring back some CGI alien with a mustache). This doc/technician convinces him to enter a deadly tournament in order to pay for the Han Solo treatments (and have Fett kill his enemy that owes the doc credits) and doesn’t lose his bounty.
Boba agrees but doesn’t want to be recognized; his armor is known. No problem, we’ll paint you black! The Mandalorian armor and all his weaponry and pouches are temporarily painted black for the gladiatorial arena games. This look becomes so iconic in the real world, there are Black Series action figures and Hot Toys manufactured with this new look. Boba gives his name as…JANGO! Jango goes up against cool-looking opponents that would be interesting to see on-screen: Jonny the Sting, Skullicon and other rivals until he finally reaches his target, Wyrmen Lictor, a spider-like opponent. Another CGI creation! Jango wins, is threatened by guys who lost money…and just walks away. His job done, he goes back to the Doc…and finds his dead body and no Solo slab. Thus begins the War of the Bounty Hunters!
“Twin Engines of Destruction”: My favorite Legends Boba Fett story ever! It first showed up in Star Wars Galaxy Magazine. I had to follow the story for three months and it was worth it! It was pre-internet, and before I discovered Star Wars Insider! In the first several pages, you’re introduced to a guy who appears to be Boba Fett, with his Mandalorian armor and tricks. However, this bounty hunter’s name is Jodo Kast and he’s chasing a bounty when Dengar (another bounty hunter from The Empire Strikes Back) shows up and Kast confronts him at blaster-point, a no-no in Hunter rules. Anyway, Jodo Kast lets Dengar live so Dengar goes right to Boba Fett to tell him of this imposter.We finds Fett in the next issue defeating a fake Sith Lord for a fee. Fett then goes to The House of Benelux, a bounty hunter middleman firm in disguise – all wrapped up in bandages like the Invisible Man. He deals with an intermediary named Cas Ennyl Yllek and sets up the bounty. He hires Jodo Kast for a bounty because “Boba Fett isn’t available.” Fett has a conversation with Dengar with his armor back on and says the immortal line: “This is my face.”
Jodo Kast shows up to where the bounty is supposed to be in an old Imperial shuttle that’s seen better days – perfect for that Star Wars aesthetic. Kast begins his hunt, escaping several traps and encountering the real Fett at gunpoint. The two briefly fight before Fett shoots Kast with an incapacitating venom dart. Fett monologues for a while about earning his armor and reputation while stripping Kast of his armor. He is dismayed to find out this hunter is absolutely no one of importance – not a clone, not an old enemy, nobody. Fett seemingly puts the antidote in front of Kast and leaves before a bomb goes off. Turns out, Kast being dead was always the plan, and he didn’t really leave an antidote behind. The end.
This story would be perfect (with some modern canon changes) for the current version of Boba Fett: Daimyo and crime lord of Tatooine, looking after his people, when he hears of a guy wearing almost identical Mandalorian armor hunting for bounties using Fett’s good name (and if he messes up, that’s under Fett’s name too). Fett doesn’t want anybody using his reputation as a bounty hunter now that he’s in charge on Tatooine. That would be bad for business and him.
Dengar shows up a lot in Fett’s adventures, and the performer who originally played him (Maurice Bush) died over 25 years ago. I’m thinking of Jonathan Banks (from Breaking Bad and millions of other shows) after he puts on a few pounds. Cas Ennyl Yllek doesn’t play a prominent role, but somebody British like Carey Mulligan would be good. As for Jodo Kast, I see Logan actor Boyd Holbrook. He physically looks like Kast and has an action background to make it a fight. A voice changer in a helmet can make you sound like anybody. There’s only a brief amount of time in the comic for a helmet-less Kast, but a TV show can obviously expand on that for more actorly pursuits.
One final thing: since this would in theory be part canon, Boba Fett has already met with the Mandalorian and knows his fixation with armor belonging to Mandalorians. You know Jodo Kast stole that armor from somebody worthy of it! I would hope that Fett returns the stolen armor to the Mandalorian, Din Djarin.
Attack of the Clones / Solo flashbacks: Let’s take a break from comics for a second here. Much of Boba Fett’s legendary moments (with the exception of swinging a gafferdi stick at a bunch of stormtroopers) take place off screen, usually in the past between movies. Perhaps while in his bacta tank, he has flashbacks to important moments in his life. You can use the “kid” Fett Daniel Logan as a grown adult for the appropriate age period. He would have met Jabba, Han Solo, Chewie and Lando. Another big one is Q’ira, head of Crimson Dawn. She can once again be played by Emilia Clarke, and they can have her on screen either before or after The War of the Bounty Hunters with a giant Harrison Ford carbonite prop. You could also have a new Jabba puppet and Alden Ehrenreich with Donald Glover (just in time for his new series that he’s writing). Since we’re in the right time period, let’s hire actors for Doctor Aphra and Aurra Sing.
I would love to see a CGI version of young Mace Windu with a purple lightsaber fighting Jango in the Geonosis Arena in an Attack of the Clones flashback!
“Agent of Doom”: A dying alien named Brighteyes contacts Boba Fett to put out a contract on two Imperials who killed or imprisoned his entire species. This is Fett during Legends after he was defeated at the Sarlacc and his reputation took a hit. All this dying alien can offer is 100 credits, everything their species has. Fett agrees but only after the alien appeals to his ego and reputation. Admiral Mir Tork and Dr. Leonis Murthe are the bounties in question, still just as violent and sadistic, even after the fall of the Empire. Fett takes down their ship (on planet, picking up more slaves and subjects) with an ion cannon worthy of a Hasbro play set.
Fett attacks the troopers on the ship (‘the Azgoghk’) and frees the prisoners. He tells them to gather weapons and fight for their own freedom. He then goes up against a clumsy Dr. Murthe with a lightsaber. Fett then sets Murthe on fire with his wrist flamethrower. He then encounters Tork and shoots him after a confrontation. Suddenly, Murthe comes out, still on fire with his lightsaber. Fett shoots him too and brings the heads back to Brighteyes, his reputation back and stronger than ever.
“Outbid but never outgunned”: Finally, this story states that Boba Fett has a wife and son (at least in Legends). We find out that a cowardly scumbag named Pizztov has stolen a hologram of Fett and family, something he intends to sell to the highest bidder. Obviously, this could be used against Fett and harm his loved ones (even though he doesn’t seem to care). Nobody does this to Boba Fett.
Fett’s wife/baby mama is named Sintas Vel. She is a Kiffar with markings on her face and deadly fighting abilities. She was a bounty hunter and grew up around Mandalorian culture. Her background in Legends is long and complicated, so Season Two would have to simplify things. She married Boba and they had a secret child together, The hologram was stolen, so both go after Pizztov.
Soon, they’re all in the city of Bidamount at the Eport Auction House. Sintas, with double electrical pistols takes out Pizztov’s security but is saved by Fett. Fett subsequently kills Pizztov. Sintas tries to open the canister with the hologram but is shot by Fett, non-lethal. He tells her Pizztov booby-trapped the canister and always uses his own retina. Sintas gets her hologram back and Boba decides to auction off Pizztov’s body to make some credits back.
Actor-wise, I see Pizztov as Kevin J. O’Connor who played Beni in The Mummy. He plays a similarly cowardly and greedy individual in that movie too. I’ve always seen Sintas Vel as being played by Fast & Furious’ Michelle “Letty” Rodriguez due to her hair and attitude alone. Fett settling down on Tatooine as its Daimyo would be the perfect opportunity for her to come back into his life, let alone for somebody wanting to mess it up.
And there you have it. Some storylines and ideas for The Book of Boba Fett, Season 2. As Dave Filoni and John Favreau have shown, sometimes the best ideas for Star Wars’ future comes from its nostalgic past.
