When I heard about the most-recently-reported version of George’s ST ideas, I was heartbroken by how badly I wanted it, only to know that now it will never be.

I’m not sure about the specifics of Maul surviving and bringing in a version of Darth Talon, but putting the challenges of postwar rebuilding front and center would have been perfect for making the trilogy a relevant part of a single story, and the idea of a criminal underworld helmed by a darksider also would’ve made for a much more distinct threat than Empire 2.0 in the First Order. Of course, it also had the exact story I wanted for Luke.

And though it might not have ultimately been the best decision, even the Maul idea could have had potential if handled right. Plus, the revelation that George was considering it means that he was laying the groundwork for a Star Wars Episode VII that was never so much as teased, leaked, or hinted at all the way back in 2011, which is absolutely wild to me.

Also, while George’s interest in Talon was kind of eye-rolling to me, it also inspired some additional crazy speculation. First, consider that this Talon obviously would not have been the same character as the EU one (who lived over a century after the movies). Second, consider that Solo was the brainchild of the Kasdans and the idea of a Han Solo movie was at least on George’s mind prior to the Disney sale.

So let’s imagine that, in a world where George keeps the company, a version of Solo comes out that may differ in plenty of details but has the same broad strokes as the Disney one…including ending with Qi’ra heading to Dathomir.

Maybe George’s Qi’ra is a Force-sensitive Twi’lek who Maul takes as his apprentice…