If Boba Fett Can Have A Series, Why Not Captain Phasma?
Once upon a time ... no, wait. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the bounty hunter clad in Mandalorian armor, Boba Fett, was a silent "Man with No Name" type, becoming a fan favorite despite doing very little in either "The Empire Strikes Back" or "Return of the Jedi." The Legends universe, "Clone Wars" series, and "The Mandalorian" helped give depth to the character, and now he's got a series all of his own with "The Book of Boba Fett" on Disney+. Temuera Morrison is a joy to watch as Fett, but his series makes me think of another helmeted "Star Wars" character who got short shrift: Gwendoline Christie's Captain Phasma.
The chrome-plated Stormtrooper was one of the most hyped characters in the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy, but she met a quick end in "The Last Jedi" without contributing much to the movies. In a way she became the Boba Fett of the sequel trilogies, with a great costume and some cool moments, followed by a really silly death. If Fett can survive the Sarlacc pit, who's to say that Phasma didn't survive falling into flames?
In Star Wars, No One's Dead Unless You See Their Ghost
Characters in "Star Wars" have a history of coming back from their apparent graves. Boba Fett escapes the Sarlacc pit and Emperor Palpatine transferred his consciousness into a clone of himself, so is it really a stretch to think that Phasma might have survived the aftermath of her fight with Finn (John Boyega) in "The Last Jedi?" Though she didn't return for "The Rise of Skywalker," the potential for her return was always a consideration. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Rian Johnson joked that Phasma is the "Kenny of the series," referring to the oft-dying and returning Kenny from "South Park." Even Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, shared his hope for her return:
"I think she's got to survive. She falls through the flames and lands on a big pile of rubbish."
In the "Star Wars" universe, a character is only dead if you see their Force ghost, otherwise you just can't know for sure.
Gwendoline Christie is Game
In order to make a live-action Phasma series, the folks at Disney would have to bring back Christie, but that shouldn't be a problem. The actress was vocal about her desire for the character to come back in "The Rise of Skywalker," and she apparently had a lot of ideas about how to continue the story. In an interview with the British outlet The Times, Christie explained that she was worried about not getting to play Phasma again, because the character had really gotten into her head:
"In truth, I don't know. And that scares and upsets me because I really want to see this character explored. I'm actually very invested in the character now. And that's genuine. That's not just chat. It has opened up a chain of stories and events in my mind about who Phasma is."
While Christie is going to be plenty busy with other big franchise roles, including Lucifer in the Netflix "Sandman" series, I'm willing to bet she'd carve out a chunk of time to don that sweet chrome armor once more.
There's Plenty of Material to Work From
If the folks at Disney+ decided to make a Phasma series, they would have plenty of great canon material to draw from. There's the novel "Phasma" by Delilah S. Dawson, which reveals her history through the frame narrative of a Resistance spy being tortured for information about the mysterious silver Stormtrooper. The novel gives her an enemy in the stormtrooper Cardinal, known for his trademark red armor, and it would be interesting to dive into their rivalry in the First Order. Her history was further detailed in the comic book series "Star Wars: Phasma" from writer Kelly Thompson, which filled in the gaps between "The Force Awakens" and "The Last Jedi."
Phasma's backstory is fascinating: she's from a warrior culture that's very Viking-like, on a forgotten and technologically-impaired planet called Parnassos. Phasma has a tough childhood in her nomadic clan, comprised of scavengers who must survive on the wreckage of ships unfortunate enough to collide with her homeworld. When a General in the New Order crash-landed, he offered a way off-planet for anyone who could help him. Desperate to escape her brutal life, Phasma joined the New Order. Her origin story makes her a more sympathetic villain, and one that would have been a lot of fun to explore.
While some fans might not be interested in a Phasma series, I would love to see more from the galaxy's shiniest Stormtrooper. Here's hoping Disney+ decides to keep making "Star Wars" spin-offs, so I might one day get that chance. Until then, I'll just keep watching "The Book of Boba Fett" and rooting for that other mysterious, masked, morally ambiguous protagonist.