The Latest Star Wars Reference In Apple TV+’s Space Opera Brings The Show Full Circle (For The Second Time)

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Foundation season 3, episode 2, “Shadows in the Math.”The first of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation books predates Star Wars by over 25 years, so it’s understandable that George Lucas’ space opera would be inspired by Asimov’s, but the Apple TV+ adaptation of the legendary sci-fi author’s work has found ways to repay the favor to a galaxy far, far away.

The Star Wars movies and TV shows combine to form one of the most beloved and successful space operas of all time. However, the franchise would look very different, or perhaps not even have happened at all, if not for Asimov’s Foundation books. Now, the impact that Foundation clearly had on the Star Wars timeline has come full circle again.

First published in 1951, Foundation marked the beginning of a series of books by Isaac Asimov that would go on to combine with his Robot saga. The sheer scale of the storyline meant it was always going to be difficult to adapt for TV, but Apple TV+ has found a way after making some notable changes.

Isaac Asimov Has Argued That His Foundation Books Inspired Star Wars

The Foundation author claims Lucas was quietly a fan of his

The original Foundation author passed away in 1992, so he had the chance to witness the birth of George Lucas’ franchise as Star Wars‘ original trilogy came into existence. In the sci-fi writer’s posthumously-released autobiography, 1994’s I. Asimov: A Memoir, he openly stated that he believed Star Wars borrowed from his Foundation series.

“I borrowed freely from Edward Gibbon’s History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire in planning the Foundation series, and I believe that the motion picture Star Wars did not hesitate, in turn, to borrow from the Foundation series.”

– I. Asimov: A Memoir (1994)

Granted, Asimov also admitted that he borrowed heavily from real-world history when penning his space opera. Specifically, he used the decline of the Roman Empire as the blueprint for the ever-shrinking realm overseen by Cleon I. However, the concept of a galactic empire was popularized, but not developed, by Asimov himself. So, his theory doesn’t necessarily establish him as the trope’s originator.

I Agree With Asimov – Star Wars Probably Drew Inspiration From Foundation

It’s not a difficult assumption to make

George Lucas has never mentioned Foundation as a source of inspiration for Star Wars, but I think it’s a good bet that Isaac Asimov is right. I’m also sure I’m not alone in thinking the Star Wars creator is a big fan of Frank Herbert’s Dune series, as both sagas share several parallels.

Of course, there is no shame in drawing inspiration from works that have come before. Building upon existing ideas is a big part of what helps storytelling grow in general, not just within the confines of science-fiction. Asimov didn’t pluck his ideas out of thin air either, but he did add more to the formulas he so clearly adored.

Similarly, Star Wars has gone on to inspire numerous generations of writers, some of whom are probably writing for Apple TV+’s adaptation right now. In fact, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Foundation creator David S. Goyer once penned a script for a Star Wars movie that would eventually be axed.

Examples Of Star Wars’ Connections To Apple TV+’s Foundation

Emperor Palpatine returning as a clone felt like Star Wars foreshadowing the Foundation TV show

The live-action Foundation series being made after Star Wars means Apple TV+ has been able to fold in certain references to George Lucas’ iconic franchise, creating a cool full-circle phenomenon. As well as Foundation borrowing several of its visuals from Star Wars, there’s even a specific storyline that the former has borrowed from the latter.

Apple TV+ has made several additions and changes to Foundation, and the Cleonic Dynasty is one of them. While Cleon is a character in the books, he is an incredibly minor presence, and the whole system of an endless string of clone emperors is original to the adaptation.

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In 2019’s Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, Ian McDiarmid’s controversial return of Emperor Palpatine brought the character back as a clone. So, before Foundation had even aired its premiere in 2021, Star Wars had introduced its own clone emperor, a concept that Foundation would go on to use heavily.

Furthermore, the battle between Empire and the Foundation, while it exists in the books, has been altered in the TV show. Now, the centuries-long war looks and feels more like the conflict between the Empire and Rebels in Star Wars – only Star Wars generally isn’t a story that’s told over such a long space of time.

Foundation’s New Planet-Destroying Superweapon In Season 3 Also Links Back To Star Wars

The Novacula feels like Foundation’s version of the Death Star

Galactic empires and clones could arguably be credited to any number of sci-fi stories that predate Star Wars, so it’s not an especially watertight argument to attribute Foundation‘s Genetic Dynasty or their rule coming to an end to George Lucas’ space opera. On the other hand, Foundation season 3, episode 2, “Shadows in the Math,” contains something that feels undeniably like a Star Wars reference.

“Shadows in the Math” reveals that Terrence Mann’s Brother Dusk has secretly commissioned a planet-killing superweapon known as the Novacula, which draws its power from an ensnared black hole. What’s especially interesting is that the Novacula doesn’t appear in Isaac Asimov’s Foundation books, so it was added by the Apple TV+ adaptation.

So, Foundation‘s apparent take on the Death Star feels especially obvious. On the other hand, the show has put its own spin on the iconic Imperial base. Firstly, the Novacula looks to require a lot more containment than the Death Star in Star Wars‘, and Foundation‘s superweapon doesn’t so much reduce a planet to rubble as it does completely transform every molecule into something unrecognizable.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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  Foundation

  
  

  8/10

  Release Date

  September 23, 2021
  

  Network

  Apple TV+

  Showrunner

  David S. Goyer

  Directors

  Alex Graves, Roxann Dawson, Jennifer Phang, Mark Tonderai, Andrew Bernstein

  Writers

  Jane Espenson, Leigh Dana Jackson, Liz Phang, Eric Carrasco, David Kob, Addie Manis, Marcus Gardley, Lauren Bello, Olivia Purnell

  
  

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  • 

  
  

  
  

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  Created by

  George Lucas

  First Film

  Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

  Cast

  Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal

  TV Show(s)

  The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions

  Movie(s)

  Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order

  Character(s)

  Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren

  Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.