Skeleton Crew’ Just Introduce a New Group of Villains?

This article contains SPOILERS for Episodes 1 & 2 of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is the next exciting chapter in the Star Wars franchise. Created by MCU Spider-Man director Jon Watts, Skeleton Crew has been marketed as the Amblin Star Wars project, basically E.T. or The Goonies, but in the Star Wars galaxy. Skeleton Crew is also a pirate show. While Star Wars has used “pirates” as an archetype, with Lando Calrissian even calling Han Solo a pirate in The Empire Strikes Back, Skeleton Crew embraces the pirate’s life. It harkens back to stories like Treasure Island or Peter Pan.

The Peter Pan connection is apparent, knowing that Peter Pan & Wendy director David Lowery is directing Episode 2 and the upcoming Episode 3. That film also featured Jude Law and the droid SM33, which is a clear reference to Captain Hook’s first mate, Mr. Smee. Indeed, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew digs deep into the pirate culture of the Star Wars franchise that had largely been relegated to the animated series before now. Here is everything to know about the pirate crew in Skeleton Crew and their possible ties to the larger Star Wars universe.

Cast Jude Law , Ravi Cabot-Conyers , Ryan Kiera Armstrong , Kyriana Kratter , Robert Timothy Smith , Tunde Adebimpe , Kerry Condon , Nick Frost

Seasons 1

Main Genre Sci-Fi

The Pirate Crew in ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’

At the beginning of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, a New Republic ship is attacked by a band of pirates led by a mysterious masked figure (more on him in a bit). The first mate, and eventually captain, appears to be Brutus. Brutus is played by Stephen Oyoung on set and voiced by the legendary Fred Tatasciore. Brutus’ werewolf design is similar to that of the werewolf creature seen in the Cantina in the theatrical cut of Star Wars but was removed in the Special Edition re-release because George Lucas hated the design, which was a cheap Halloween mask. The species was later called Shistavanen, and while it is unclear if Brutus is also a Shistavanen or a separate species, it is an excellent reference to an alien design that has largely been missing from Star Wars.

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Actor Jaleel White, best known for playing Steve Urkle in Family Matters and voicing Sonic the Hedgehog in a number of cartoons, plays a cyborg-enhanced pirate named Gunter, who appears to be Brutus’ first mate. Other pirates include Mike Estes Pax and Dale Soules as Chaelt. One of the crew members is a character audiences already met in The Mandalorian, a Nikto named Vane, played by Marti Matulis. Nikto was first seen in Return of the Jedi, while Vane first appeared in The Mandalorian Season 3 episode “The Apostle” as part of pirate king Gorian Shard’s crew. Vane was last seen fleeing the battle of Navarro when Din Djarrin and Bo Katan assisted the people of the planet in holding off against the pirate invasion. Since his last appearance, Vane has found himself a new crew.

Is Jude Law’s Character a Pirate in ‘Skeleton Crew?’

Not much has been revealed about Jude Law’s character, currently known as Jod Na Nawood. In the context of the first two episodes, he only appears at the end of the second episode. All press for the series, including the trailers, have highlighted him as a potential Jedi that can use the force as he teams up with the heroes. But in Skeleton Crew’s first scene, audiences are introduced to a mysterious masked figure leading the pirates before being seemingly double-crossed by the pirates following their displeasure with him, leading them on a wild goose chase. The masked figure is not seen or referenced again…but his voice sounds like Jude Law.

Seeing how the kids meet Jod Na Nawood locked up in the pirate’s jail cell, he is likely their original captain before Brutus leads a mutiny. This puts Nawood as a Jack Sparrow figure, and that certainly fits the description Law gave People when he described Jod Na Nawood as “someone who uses quick thinking, charm, and conversation to get out of all sorts of scenarios.” This also makes Brutus Captain Barbosa, in this scenario, a first mate who turns on his captain. Brutus himself shares a name with Marcus Brutus, famously known for betraying and assassinating Julius Caesar.

Yet what is interesting is, if Jude Law’s character is the original leader of the pirates, this might draw him closely to one of the most famous pirates in literature, Long John Silver. Debuting in Robert Louise Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Long John Silver originally posed as the cook on the Hispaniola before revealing himself as the pirate leader. Silver gains the loyalty of the young Jim Hawkins, and it appears that Jod Na Nawood could be pulling a similar ruse on the kids in Skeleton Crew. It will be interesting to see if he is the series’ real villain, or if, like how Long John Silver developed a soft spot for Jim Hawkins, so will Jod Na Nawood on these young kids.

How These Pirates Might Impact Future ‘Star Wars’ Stories

As with past pirate stories, the main pirate crew is likely after riches and treasure. The homeworld of the young kids in Skeleton Crew, At Attin, appears to be a legendary location that nobody in the galaxy has heard of, seemingly a planet filled with secrets and treasures. This might seem like a reference to Treasure Planet, but it might also be a connection to the famous Lucas Arts video game series Monkey Island. Beginning in 1990 with The Secret of Monkey Island, the game series revolves around the titular island and the vast secrets it holds, similar to the mystery around At Attin. “I’m also a big fan of Monkey Island. That’s also classic Lucas,” said series co-creator Jon Watts in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “So somewhere between Star Wars pirates and Monkey Island pirates. I think we found our sweet spot.”

The inclusion of Vane firmly plants Skeleton Crew as taking place in the same time frame as The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka. All of these stories take place after the destruction of the Second Death Star and about 28 years before the events of The Force Awakens. With the New Republic having trouble keeping order in the galaxy and without the Empire or the Old Republic enforcing any rules, a new age of piracy has begun in the Star Wars galaxy. This means the young heroes will likely be on their own. The story will likely be largely disconnected from the larger conflict of the New Republic trying to maintain order and the Imperial Remnant trying to regroup and eventually assemble The First Order.

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However, that doesn’t mean these pirates might not have a significant role to play in the future of the Star Wars franchise. There is a good chance Brutus and his crew of pirates could find themselves employed by the emerging First Order, specifically under Grand Admiral Thrawn. This would be a similar dynamic to bounty hunters like Boba Fett working for The Empire during the original trilogy. Thrawn is seemingly set up as the major antagonist of the upcoming crossover film that Dave Filoni is planning.

A crew of pirates could do missions for Thrawn and the Imperial remnant that wouldn’t draw direct concern from the New Republic. Brutus’ pirate crew could be a recurring foe in this era of Star Wars, ones that could show up in The Mandalorian & Grogu or Ahsoka Season 2. At Attain itself might be vital to Thrawn’s plan, as the planet’s natural resources might be vital to creating the First Order. While only two episodes of Skeleton Crew have aired, more details about these pirates will likely be revealed in the coming weeks. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is streaming on Disney+.

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