There’s been a lot of talk about which Star Wars characters deserve a prequel. When the decision to move ahead with not just Cassian Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi shows on Disney+, but also Boba Fett and Lando Calrissian ones, was announced, fans turned their eyes to the sequel trilogy and started asking themselves: Which character in the new movies deserves a prequel? Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron is the right answer to this question. In fact, though there are other deserving and interesting characters in the sequel trilogy, Poe Dameron might be the only right answer to this question.
Fans have been clamoring for backstory for at least three of the characters that have already been announced to be getting prequel series for decades, so maybe it’s a little much to hope that we might be getting a Poe Dameron one anytime soon. Rogue One is a fairly recent film, however, and fans are getting a Cassian Andor prequel, so that probably means Poe is very much fair game, and for good reason.
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Poe is an interesting character that became much more than he was supposed to be, not just on the strength of Isaac’s performance, which is fantastic, but on the strength of the possibilities behind the character. Originally, Poe was supposed to die early on in The Force Awakens and never reunite with Finn. That’s why he disappears in the middle of the film, only to reappear what feels like a long time later in the movie.
That, of course, did not happen, and fans were treated to a reunion that spawned a ship and the continuation of Poe’s storyline, a storyline that, even then, always seemed to mostly revolve around what the plot dictated and what other characters needed him to do to move their stories along. It wasn’t about Poe then, not really. In The Last Jedi, fans got to know Poe better, and also got to explore his relationship with Leia a little bit – the first Han Solo comparisons are clear here – but the storyline didn’t really touch on the progression of that relationship or that comparison, and instead focused on his struggles to become the leader the Resistance needed him to be.
Then, in The Rise of Skywalker, he finally got to work with Rey and Finn, showing dynamics that fans had been waiting for breathlessly. Since the story required it, even more backstory on Poe was revealed. It was almost casually thrown in: he was a spice runner before becoming a pilot in the New Republic, and then a leader of the Resistance. All of this seems like a lot of information, but in reality, Poe Dameron was a fairly underused character in the sequel trilogy. Screen time doesn’t always translate to character development, and we ended the sequel trilogy still knowing very little about Poe, but caring a lot about him, which is the perfect setup for more. This is how fans ended up with Obi-Wan, Boba Fett, Lando and Cassian series, after all.
Poe Dameron, as a character, has been explored outside of the movies. He is mentioned and appears in multiple comics and books, and has a comic named after him that explores his backstory to some extent. There’s just a lot of grey area in that regard, as some could interpret The Rise of Skylwaker as actually retconning some of his canon backstory from his solo comic. Either way, the conclusion is simple. Poe Dameron is, in many ways, a blank slate, and though there are some beats they might have to follow to continue his story, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot there that could be explored. Considering the way The Rise of Skywalker ended, you wouldn’t even need any other established characters to do so, either. Poe Dameron, by himself, can carry a show.
The problem right now appears to be logistical more than anything. Isaac has been vocal about not being interested in reprising the role, and he has landed the lead role in the Marvel show Moon Knight, which would presumably imply a big-time commitment on his part. But Moon Knight is still an intriguing possibility, as it means Isaac is staying within the Disney family and that means, perhaps, he could, at some point change his mind about Poe. If not, there’s always the possibility that Disney could turn to animation to bring a story like Poe’s to life if, there’s still an interest to explore the character.
Disney+ has, after all, three high profile animated properties coming soon: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Visions and A Droids Story. An animated Poe prequel wouldn’t be ideal, but it could be a possibility of Disney wants to go that direction and Isaac is too busy or unwilling. Either way, there’s a lot to explore with Poe Dameron in the Star Wars universe should Disney choose to go that route, and a lot of fans who would appreciate it if they did.