Ethan Sacks discusses his Star Wars: Jango Fett Marvel miniseries, putting the titular character in the crosshairs of Aurra Sing and other enemies.
Writer Ethan Sacks and artist Luke Ross begin chronicling some of those untold tales with their four-issue Marvel miniseries Star Wars: Jango Fett. CBR spoke with Sacks about the protagonist and the miniseries’ story — in which a quest to recover a stolen artifact puts Jango in the crosshairs of both new foes and fearsome, familiar ones like the bounty hunter Aurra Sing. Marvel Comics also provided CBR with an exclusive sneak peek at some of Ross and colorist Nolan Woodard’s pages for Star Wars: Jango Fett #1, which debuts March 20, 2024.
CBR: You’re moving from Star Wars: Bounty Hunters to this miniseries. What is it about this seedy corner of the Star Wars galaxy, where memorable bounty hunters like Jango Fett practice their trade, that makes it such an interesting place for you to tell stories?
Ethan Sacks: There’s something that just captures my passion about these flawed souls [who] eke out an existence on the fringes of society. I love that these bounty hunters are not part of some larger good versus evil battle for the fate of the galaxy, and that their lives wouldn’t be that much different if the Separatists won over the Republic, or if the Empire defeated the Rebellion. To me, those shades of gray are much more fun to play with than black-and-white heroes and villains. The street-level stories of Star Wars, like Andor, are what I naturally gravitate towards as a fan.
Approximately when in the Star Wars timeline is Jango Fett set?
This story takes place before the start of Episode I, but readers will recognize foreboding hints of what’s to come. To me, this is a very rich time in the history of that galaxy far, far away, just before the Sith hits the fan…so to speak.
What do you find most interesting about Jango Fett? And how is he similar to and different from the man his son would become?
Having gotten the chance to write Jango in Bounty Hunters #37, I caught the bug to write more about the elder Fett. What interested me about Boba Fett is that he carries this darkness with him — the result of the trauma of watching his father get murdered during his childhood. By contrast, I play Jango as much less haunted. At this point in the timeline — before Kamino — he’s a bounty hunter at the top of his game, making his mark in the wider galaxy. That makes him more of a swashbuckling, fun character, something we saw a bit of in Episode II.
You set this story up in Star Wars: Revelations with “Stolen Hope,” which revealed Jango Fett was on the trail of an artifact known as the Hope of Glee Anselm. For readers who missed that story or need a refresher, what can you reveal about this artifact?
The Hope of Glee Anselm is something of the highest importance to Chancellor Valorum’s government — and its theft has a planet on the verge of war. Who else would you call to track down the rogue responsible than Jango Fett? But there are sinister forces out to execute the hunter before he can execute his bounty.
One of the great joys of writing this Jango Fett series is that I was able to tap into some of my favorite Westerns as influences. There are some loving homages to movies like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, The Bounty Man, 3:10 to Yuma, and Red Sun, to name a few. If you’re a fan of the genre, keep your eyes peeled!
The Revelations prequel story also established that another infamous bounty hunter, Aurra Sing, is after Jango. What made you want to pit her against your protagonist?
I love Aurra Sing, particularly after getting to play with the character in an issue of [the Disney-inspired] Halcyon Legacy a couple of years ago. As a deadly assassin, she’s more than a match for our hero… but they have quite the complicated relationship. Let’s just say that she’s also not the only familiar face we’ll see crossing paths with Jango Fett over the course of this story.
What else can you say about the other adversaries Jango is up against?
There’s a new antagonist who goes by the name of Vigor Struk [who] I’m excited to throw against Jango. He has that Bullseye-like skill with weapons that makes him a formidable opponent. He’ll have to get in line with a slew of other deadly foes who are lining up either to compete with Jango for that bounty… or prevent him from finding the statue.
Read the interview in full here. Star Wars: Jango Fett #1, debuts March 20th, 2024 and can be preordered now from Amazon.com, ComiXology, your local comic shop, and at Forbidden Planet.
