It’s no secret that while “Star Wars” has largely been rooted in film and television, it’s no stranger to books and comics as well. Since the franchise’s inception, tales of all kinds have made their way into print, expanding on popular characters, recontextualizing canon events, and retelling big and small screen stories. One comic title from the early 2000s even took a swing at telling “What If…?” style stories before Marvel’s “What If…?” comic line was ever adapted for TV. The series is called “Star Wars Infinities,” and it’s one of the most fascinating anomalies in “Star Wars” history. Launched in 2001 and running until 2004, these comics take the original “Star Wars” trilogy and flip it on its head.
Each film is revised individually, with small changes leading to much larger, timeline-altering ones. For instance, in “Star Wars Infinities: A New Hope,” Luke Skywalker’s failure to destroy the Death Star leads to Princess Leia’s capture by the Empire and transformation into a Sith. In “Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back,” Luke is killed on Hoth, prompting Leia to train as a Jedi under Yoda, and in “Infinities: Return of the Jedi,” Luke and Leia team up to defeat the Emperor, which ends in their father, Darth Vader joining forces with them and returning to the light. He even adopts an all-white suit in the aftermath.
If “Star Wars Infinities” is of any indication, a “Star Wars: What If…?” series could be something special. Hopefully, there’s more to the report that such a production is in development and it’s not a mere unfounded rumor.
