Some were a bit wary when the Disney+ series Star Wars: The Bad Batch was announced. Star Wars spinoffs are nothing new right now, but at the time, they were still a bit of a novelty since other upcoming series like Ahsoka and The Book of Boba Fett hadn't been revealed yet. But luckily, the series has turned out to be a worthy addition to the mythos, and creator Dave Filoni made sure of that.
Fans of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV show are among some of the most passionate of the franchise's followers. It's why the series itself earned a proper final season after its untimely cancelation, and the fans were rewarded for their devotion with arguably some of the best storytelling in the entire Clone Wars series. Yet, even after the series got to end with a bittersweet yet satisfying note on its own terms, fans still continued to call for more.
Some might call this sort of behavior entitled, but Filoni has been nothing if not grateful for the constant support his creations have received. It's perhaps for that reason that he wanted to create a new spinoff before The Clone Wars even ended, introducing the lead characters of The Bad Batch in a 7th season episode of the fan-favorite series. Even before earning his new title as Executive Creative Director at Lucasfilm, Filoni had the wheels in motion to keep giving fans of the series what they wanted, and a newly uncovered quote from the man himself shows that much.
A recent episode of the Star Wars-centric Blast Points Podcast unveiled a quote from an unspecified time that displays Filoni's heartfelt gratitude towards fans of The Clone Wars as well as his intentions to do right by them. "This [The Bad Batch] is a response to you guys, the fans," Filoni said in the quote. "We were creating so much content for [Star Wars: The Clone Wars], and when we finished the series, you guys just kept saying, ‘We want more. Save The Clone Wars’. And, I hear you." Again, it's unclear exactly when the quote was given, but it was likely shortly after the finale of The Clone Wars or shortly before the premiere of The Bad Batch, with Filoni reassuring fans that he hasn't forgotten about them.
It's certainly heartwarming to see a creator like Filoni so willing and eager to listen to the fans, especially considering just how large the Star Wars fandom is. But it's always a slippery slope when this sort of thing happens. Sure, it starts off with some callbacks to classic characters and moments, with maybe a few surprise cameos here and there. But then it might move on to inadvertently perpetuating the wishes of some more toxic viewers. Then, all of a sudden, the louder sectors of the fandom begin to feel empowered, and they start to bully actors and other people involved that they don't like, ultimately resulting in a mess of a movie like The Rise of Skywalker.
The point is, listening to the fans is a good idea to an extent. But ultimately, the creative decisions shouldn't be left to them. Filoni has proven that he's a more than competent director, so he might be better off following his own heart in the future. It's a given that The Bad Batch is a good show, and largely a response to fan feedback, but it may be only a matter of time until things go south. Basically, just hope that the same fans who called for it don't start crying for the removal of Omega.
Source: Blast Points Podcast