‘Star Wars’: Is Temuera Morrison the Best Part of ‘Attack of the Clones’?
People might not know who Temuera Morrison is by name, but any fans of a particular galaxy far away likely know his work.
Morrison has been a hard-working actor for almost 50 years, but his heyday came during the last twenty years. That’s when he first donned Jango Fett’s helmet and helped provide some context for one of Star Wars‘ most beloved characters.
That role not only set him for life but keeps on giving him employment opportunities in the Star Wars universe to this day, thanks to projects like The Mandalorian.
Who is Temuera Morrison?
Morrison, who grew up in New Zealand, made his film debut in Rangi’s Catch in 1973 when he was still quite young. However, it was more than a decade until he appeared on screen again.
In 1986, the young actor starred in his first television series, Seekers, where he played Selwyn Broadhead for ten episodes. He continued his television work in Adventurer the following year.
Morrison continued taking on sporadic work over the next several years before he went to Hollywood, and more opportunities opened up. He starred in the Pamela Anderson vehicle Barb Wire, as well as the infamous adaptation of HG Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau.
Morrison continued bolstering his resume when in 2002, everything changed for good. George Lucas cast Morrison as Jango Fett, the father of the original trilogy’s Boba Fett.
In true Star Wars fashion, this helped secure steady work through movies, television, and video games until this day. However, Morrison’s other work has also improved. He had a significant role in 2011’s Green Lantern and continues getting high-profile gigs, such as Disney’s Moana, until this day.
Recently, he made his live-action return to the Star Wars franchise as Boba Fett, and he will next be seen in 2022’s Aquaman 2.
Defining a career
Jango Fett might have been introduced in one of the most criticized films in the Star Wars universe, but his role was a fascinating look into the history of a character, Boba Fett, who mostly existed as an unknown entity in the original trilogy. His story was a complicated web of cloning and politics, with his son, Boba, providing the missing link.
Before Attack of the Clones, Boba Fett was believed to be a standard bounty hunter. However, after the prequel trilogy revealed that he was an unaltered clone of his father, his role inside the universe got more complicated.
While Boba Fett was, by many means, a seemingly human child, his position inside the universe seemed preordained, given the fact that his father was the template for a literal army of clone warriors.
Jango Fett ultimately gets beheaded in front of his son after a battle breaks out between the clones and Jedi. Suddenly, his bitterness toward the world makes sense.
Many people see this story as a rare beacon of light in a movie that’s among the most reviled in the franchise, and with Morrison returning as a grown-up Boba Fett, many appreciate the groundwork that it laid.
The fans chime in
On a Reddit thread, user u/PrivateChurch13 took time out from their day to show appreciation for Morrison’s portrayal of Jango Fett, as well as the story arc around it.
“I’d like to give some love to Temuera Morrison as Jango Fett, as well as the whole planet and concept of Kamino. My absolute favorite part of Episode 2. The very idea of a secret cloning planet and a Mandalorian assassin being Boba Fett’s father is super awesome to me!”
As u/Jupiters pointed out, however, his inclusion in The Mandalorian leaves some questions as to whether Morrison’s character is mere fan service or if they will tackle some of the questions that are, thus far, unanswered by the series.
“Can someone explain to me Jango’s whole deal in episode 2? He’s providing his DNA for a republic clone army while working with the separatists against the republic? I get the fan service perspective (look! It’s the dad of the guy in the OT!), But what was his endgame in the story? Was it just simply he was paid for his DNA and is now getting paid to work for the separatists?”
Whatever the case may be, The Mandalorian is helping expand the Star Wars mythos one episode at a time. Perhaps, where the series best succeeds is providing some of the backstories that were once relegated to novels and other non-film canons.
After nearly 40 years of speculation, the series helps give some context as to what happened to Boba Fett after his perceived death and how that affects the greater Star Wars universe.
