Can I ask a serious question, no snark implied-what did the fan base expect? GL was the fandom's punching bag for years, with the PT routinely taking body shots for its failings, both real and imagined. George Lucas had a pretty loose connection with the EU anyway, and so I never labored under the assumption that any EU character would make it in to a film in any significant capacity. It may have been canon, but if Lucas had decided to shoot a sequel trilogy, Mara Jade, Thrawn and the like would probably not have appeared in any of the films, for good or for ill.
And, even if they did, the reaction would be similar to Thrawn in "Rebels"-some would like it, and others would bash it to the point that you would think someone had tried to burn Zahn's collective works after killing him. And Lucas would deal with the same mud slinging as in the PT.
So, tell me? What would be different that fans wouldn't complain about with Lucas? Instead of Lucas, therKnightleythe monolithic "evil" of Disney to bash. Nothing's changed.
I have a confession... I still love the Phantom Menace. Yes, I said it. The pod race, the Naboo fighters. The droid control ships and fighters. Qui Gon Jin, and obi wan..Darth Maul. Darth Sidious, the first time we learned of Palpatine's Sith name.
Some failings yes. Midichlorins, jar jar, the flying mosquito Italian slave owner, the acting and casting of Queen Amidala with Natalie Portman, when Kiera Knightley would have made a much better lead, rather then the decoy. Better actress and yes, imho more attractive.
Despite that, I still get to see Kiera Knightley. In that cool queen outfit. The movie has the duel of the fates fight, yes, yes we're supposed to hate it by now, but I still get chills hearing its high tones during the battle. Anakin, the boy wonder. I would have expected as much, him being the chosen. It's clone wars where the story gets too bogged down in politics and advancing thru pointless bar fight and city case scenes. Lucas was a lot older when he went and adapted his story in the prequels. The interplay was important for his telling of how the political system worked. Short skits, in between as in gundam, the Senate votes, there's cheers, boos, and it's a few seconds, back to main storyline.
Introducing Jango Fett could have started sooner then that whole banter. Plus, they should have cast a different Anakin, someone with great chemistry with Kiera Knightley.
Just gonna type it one more time...
Kiera Knightley.