Fortunes of fate change quickly in Hollywood and the winds of discourse seem to blow particularly hard when it comes to Star Wars. The franchise has endured a tumultuous run in recent years that have exceeded the highest of highs and plummeted to the lowest of lows.
Lucasfilm delivered its first entry under Disney with 2015’s The Force Awakens, which earned north of $2 billion worldwide and became the highest-grossing film in U.S. history. Its sequel The Last Jedi appeared to fracture the fandom by deconstructing 40 years of Star Wars mythology. Rogue One proved that high-profile Star Wars spinoff blockbusters could be fruitful endeavors…until Solo became the first film in the franchise to lose money and put a halt to Lucasfilm’s anthology series. The Rise of Skywalker concluded the saga on a deflating note while Disney+’s The Mandalorian seemed to reunify the fandom once more.
Long story short: there’s been a lot of ups and downs. As such, it’s worth exploring the future outlook of Star Wars as Disney and Lucasfilm plan an ambitious expansion of the franchise with new movies and TV series on the horizon. Following the May 4 release of The Bad Batch of Disney+, here’s every Star Wars project publicly in development.
The Book of Boba Fett (December 2021)
Temuera Morrison, who played Jango Fett and the Clone Troopers in the prequel trilogy, returned as Boba Fett in Season 2 of The Mandalorian. The character’s reappearance and subsequent arc was one of the show’s best received elements as it paid off decades of fan fiction, expanded universe content, and theories. In a Season 2 finale post-credits scene, it was confirmed that a spinoff, The Book of Boba Fett, was in development. Ming-Na Wen, who plays Fennec Shand, will also be along for the ride.
Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni and Robert Rodriguez will executive produce.
The Mandalorian Season 3 (TBD)
Lucasfilm previously announced that Season 3 of The Mandalorian would enter production this year, though The Book of Boba Fett will hit screens first. Following the divisive appearance of Luke Skywalker in the Season 2 finale and the tearful goodbye between Grogu and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), fans are left wondering where the series might go from here. Luckily, we have a few theories.
Ahsoka (TBD)
Rosario Dawson was given the honor of playing fan-favorite character Ahsoka Tano in her first-ever live-action appearance following years of animated adventures. The pairing of talent and character went so well that Disney+ is planning a spinoff limited series. The former Jedi Knight will presumably return to her quest of finding Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn following the events of the Star Wars: Rebels finale.
Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni will executive produce.
Rangers of the New Republic (TBD)
Gina Carano’s Cara Dune was meant to lead a spinoff series set concurrently with The Mandalorian that followed rangers of the new Republic as they attempt to restore law and order throughout the galaxy. However, Carano was fired by Lucasfilm after repeatedly repeatedly making disrespectful comments regarding transgender peoples, Jewish peoples, and those that support COVID-19 vaccinations. Lucasfilm has said Cara Dune will not be recast for The Mandalorian. Other characters, such as Carl Weathers’ Greef Karga and Timothy Olyphant’s Cobb Vanth, could assume the lead role.
Favreau and Filoni will executive produce.
Andor (2022)
The long-gestating Andor is a prequel spinoff series set five years before Rogue One that follows Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor during the formative years of the Rebellion. The series has been hit with several behind-the-scenes speed bumps. Original showrunner Stephen Schiff was replaced by Rogue One co-writer Tony Gilroy, who also planned to direct. However, with filming disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Gilroy was unable to step behind the camera as planned. The series will see the Rebellion attempt to restore hope to a galaxy caught in the clutches of the ruthless Empire.
The 12-episode series will arrive on Disney+ next year.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (TBD)
After years of speculation, Ewan McGregor will return as Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi after portraying the younger version of the character in the prequel trilogy. (Fun Fact: Alec Guinness, who played Obi-Wan in the original trilogy, is the only actor ever nominated for an Oscar for a Star Wars role). The show is set 10 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith and will also see the return of Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader. Deborah Chow directs all six episodes. Production began in March.
The Acolyte (TBD)
Russian Doll showrunner Leslye Headland will finally take audiences outside of the same 60-year window the entire on-screen Star Wars franchise has taken place. It’s a much-needed breath of fresh air considering the Star Wars universe has 25,000 years of history to explore.
The Acolyte is a mystery thriller that takes place during the final days of the High Republic era (hundreds of years before the prequel trilogy) and explore the shadowy secrets and emerging dark side powers of the time.
Rogue Squadron (December 22, 2023)
The next big screen Star Wars adventure will arrive four years after the previous film thanks to pandemic-related delays. Hopefully, the Patty Jenkins-directed feature will be worth the wait.
“We’re doing something original with great influence from the games and the books,” Jenkins told IGN. “There’s a lot of things being acknowledged and understood about the greatness of all of those things, but yes, it’s an original story and I’m so psyched to do it.”
Rogue Squadron was a Rebel Alliance starfighter suadron founded by Luke Skywalker during the events of the original trilogy. They were named in honor of the team of Rebels that gave their lives to capture the plans for the Death Star in Rogue One.
Untitled Taika Waititi Star Wars Film (TBD)
While preparing to direct his episode of The Mandalorian, Observer asked Taika Waititi which universe has the stricter guidelines: Marvel or Star Wars? “Star Wars, yeah, easily,” the filmmaker told us. Yet as Waititi has become Disney’s Golden Goose, he’s been given more creative freedom, which should bode well for his Star Wars feature film.
“Taika’s approach to Star Wars will be fresh, unexpected, and… unique,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said at the time of the announcement. “His enormous talent and sense of humor will ensure that audiences are in for an unforgettable ride.”
No plot details have been announced yet, but it is believed that Waititi’s film will move beyond the Skywalker Saga timeline and potentially assume the 2025 release date Lucasfilm currently occupies.
Lando (TBD)
Lando Calrissian will headline an event series for Disney+, though it isn’t known who exactly will be playing the character. The return of Billy Dee Williams in The Rise of Skywalker appeared to set up a potential spinoff series while Donald Glover’s portrayal in Solo was widely well-received. Could the Lando series toggle back and forth in time to utilize both actors? We hope so.
Justin Simien (Dear White People) is developing the series.
Visions (TBD)
Visions will be a CG animation series that consists of 10 short films “celebrating the galaxy through the lens of the world’s best anime creators” and “offering a fresh and diverse cultural perspective to Star Wars.” The show hails from Japanese anime studios, though not plot specifics have yet been revealed.
A Droid Story (TBD)
What is Star Wars without R2-D2 and C-3PO? The two trusty sidekicks will be getting their own series that will feature a mix of animation and visual effects.
Untitled Kevin Feige Feature Film (TBD)
In 2019, Lucasfilm announced that Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige would produce a Star Wars film. Kennedy explained how his passion for the franchise made it an easy fit despite his demanding schedule. Unfortunately, both timing and plot specifics surrounding Feige’s film are completely unknown. However, Lucasfilm has already staked out a 2027 release date for an untitled Star Wars film.
Untitled Rian Johnson Trilogy
Shortly before the release of The Last Jedi in 2017, Lucasfilm announced that Rian Johnson would spearhead his own original trilogy disconnected from the Skywalker Saga. However, there hasn’t been a single concrete update ever since The Last Jedi divided the fanbase. Though Johnson has repeatedly said that he’s still working on the planned trilogy, his schedule says otherwise. The creative filmmaker locked in a $450 million-plus deal with Netflix (NFLX) for two Knives Out sequels. At this point, it’s looking doubtful that this project comes to fruition.
Untitled J.D. Dillard Feature Film (Rumored)
In February 2020, Sleight filmmaker was reportedly tapped by Lucasfilm to direct a Star Wars film written by Matt Owens (Luke Cage, Agents of SHIELD), according to The Hollywood Reporter. The report was subsequently confirmed by Deadline, though Lucasfilm has still not officially weighed in and Dillard is now on the shortlist for Warner Bros.’ Black Superman film.