Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Skeleton Crew’s creators have revealed why there weren’t any major Star Wars cameos in the new series. Starring brand-new characters Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), KB (Kyriana Kratter), and Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), this group of kids from a hidden lost world is thrust into a galactic misadventure involving legendary treasure and scores of greedy pirates, including Jude Law’s Jod Na Nawood. However, no big names show up in the series as might have expected (like Hondo Ohnaka or Carson Teva), despite being set in the same era as shows like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka.
Speaking with Screen Rant’s own Joseph Deckelmeier, Skeleton Crew creators Jon Watts and Christopher Ford revealed why they didn’t feel the need to include any major Star Wars characters or appearances in their new show:
ScreenRant: Skeleton Crew isn’t only in the same time as the Mandoverse, it’s in the same sector of space. Did you consider any cameos?
Christopher Ford: We were open to it.
Jon Watts: Yeah, and it’s not like anyone at Lucasfilm was like, “You can’t do that.” If anything, they were like, “Yeah, if any opportunities come up, we’re totally open to that,” but we were focused on making our story work. It was kind of a scenario where we got to the end of writing the first season, and we made it through without needing any cameos.
Christopher Ford: And then when we’d look back and be like, “Could we stick one in?” It would mess it up, so we didn’t. We built this little thing.
Jon Watts: I’m much more interested in the idea of getting people to like these characters without using cameos as a crutch. And then potentially in the future, seeing our characters as they grow up, [we’d see] how they would fit into the larger galaxy. I think there’s a lot of possibilities there.
Having been neither discouraged nor encouraged by Lucasfilm to include cameos, it seems Watts and Ford determined that major names popping up in Skeleton Crew were unnecessary, at least for this first season. While known Star Wars names could certainly show up to interact with these new characters in the potential future, it does look like the Skeleton Crew creators made the right choice for this debut story.
Jon Watts Is Right That Cameos Can Be A Crutch In Star Wars
It’s Happened Before
During the interview, Watts commented that he wanted audiences to meet and like the crew of The Onyx Cinder without needing to use “cameos as a crutch”. After all, this is certainly something Lucasfilm has been accused of before. In past Star Wars projects, cameos and big-name appearances have been the focus and relied upon in favor of stronger character development and more nuanced storytelling.
Related
The Best Thing About Jude Law’s “Jedi” Backstory? It Didn’t Really Matter At All
Star Wars fans were fascinated with Jod Na Nawood’s backstory in Skeleton Crew – but after the reveal, it turns out it didn’t even matter.
Darth Vader’s Rogue One hallway scene or Luke Skywalker’s rescue at the end of The Mandalorian season 2 are examples where big character reveals are used well, enhancing the story being told in dynamic ways that ultimately serve the plot. However, the other side of that coin is projects like The Book of Boba Fett where one episode features the likes of Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, Ahsoka Tano, Grogu, Din Djarin, Cobb Vanth, and Cad Bane all in one episode (with barely a mention or appearance from the show’s titular lead). Furthermore, Bane’s rivalry and history with Boba could have been explored to enhance the plot, but was not.
Our Take On Skeleton Crew’s Lack Of Cameos
The New Stars Of The New Star Wars Show Got To Be The Stars
Conversely, Wim, Neel, KB, Fern, and Jod stay at the forefront for Skeleton Crew’s entire duration. Audiences get to be engaged with each new character as they interact with each other, the galaxy, and their place within it. It’s pretty refreshing as far as this first season is concerned. Now that the crew of The Onyx Cinder has been established, it now makes sense for them to perhaps step into greater roles in the future, which could indeed involve other Star Wars characters in the Mandoverse era. After all, who wouldn’t want to see Neel and Grogu on-screen together at some point?
All episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew are now streaming on Disney+.
Skeleton Crew follows four ordinary children who become lost in the expansive Star Wars galaxy. As they navigate unfamiliar worlds and the challenges they present, the group endeavors to find their way back to their home planet, undertaking a journey across the iconic Star Wars universe.
- Release Date
-
December 2, 2024
- Network
-
Disney+
- Cast
-
Jude Law
, Ravi Cabot-Conyers
, Ryan Kiera Armstrong
, Kyriana Kratter
, Robert Timothy Smith
, Nick Frost
, Fred Tatasciore
, Jaleel White
, Dale Soules
, Geoffrey Lower
, Marti Matulis
, Sisa Grey
, Dominic Burgess
, Vivienne Sachs
, Esai Daniel Cross
, Shane Almagor
, Paloma Garcia-Lee
, Alan Resnick
, Anthony Atamanuik
, John Gemberling
, Tunde Adebimpe
, Kerry Condon
, Alia Shawkat
, Cass Buggé
, Geneva Carr - Character(s)
-
Jod Na Nawood
, Wim
, Fern
, KB
, Neel
, SM-33 (voice)
, Brutus (voice)
, Gunter
, Chaelt
, Merchant Captain
, Vane
, Kona
, Beef
, Mean Kid
, Human Kid
, Bonjj Phalfa
, Melna
, Tuut Orial
, Fry Cook (voice)
, Greasy Creature (voice)
, Wendle
, Fara
, Kh’ymm (voice)
, Maree
, Nooma - Producers
-
Colin Wilson
, Jon Favreau
, Kathleen Kennedy
, Christopher Ford
, Dave Filoni
, Jon Watts
, Karen Gilchrist
, Chris Buongiorno
, John Bartnicki - Seasons
-
1
- Writers
-
Jon Watts
, Christopher Ford - Directors
-
David Lowery
, Bryce Dallas Howard
, Jake Schreier
, Lee Isaac Chung
, Daniel Scheinert - Showrunner
-
Jon Watts
, Christopher Ford
|
Upcoming Star Wars Movies |
Release Date |
|---|---|
|
The Mandalorian & Grogu |
May 22, 2026 |