The latest trailer for The Mandalorian has a subtle tie to the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. It's an exciting time for Star Wars fans; the impending launch of the Disney+ streaming service includes the first ever live-action Star Wars TV series, The Mandalorian. Set after the events of Return of the Jedi, it stars a new bounty hunter with a fearsome reputation.

Lucasfilm's current priority appears to be to ensure the Star Wars galaxy is a cohesive one, and they're subtly stressing narrative links that run from the Prequel era to the Sequel Trilogy. The final Star Wars 9 trailer, for example, featured a stunning shot in which the Millennium Falcon took its place at the forefront of the Resistance fleet. There were identifiable vessels from all the different eras, as well as the various animated shows.

Related: Star Wars: Original Trilogy Characters Who Can Appear In The Mandalorian

The new trailer for The Mandalorian includes another key shot that helps bind the franchise together. At 1:04, there's a glimpse of a CIS HMP gunship from the Clone Wars. It was a model of repulsorlift airspeeder created by the Geonosians, heavily armed with missile pods and laser cannons. The gunships were typically used to transport small armies of battle droids, deploying them into battle.

The Mandalorian Prequel Gunship

The Clone Wars came to a dramatic end in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and the droid armies were instantaneously deactivated. The newly-established Empire would have attempted to collect it as quickly as possible, but it's safe to assume that smugglers and criminals would have seen the opportunity, and stolen as much as they could from the battlefield. It's doubtful that the CIS HMP gunship is carrying its usual complement of droids - it would take a skilled droidsmith to reactivate them - but it would still be a fearsome weapon. The shot in The Mandalorian's trailer appears to show it flying over a battle scene.

The interesting question, of course, is just who owns the CIS HMP gunship. It could potentially be flown by another bounty hunter; The Mandalorian features the droid bounty hunter IG-88, and he would find it easy to fly the gunship, with his artificial intelligence communicating at speed with its droid brains. Alternatively, it could have been picked up by some of the people the Mandalorian is targeting; one of the main antagonists is a character called Moff Gideon, an ex-Imperial Governor who has risen to power in the chaos following the fall of the Empire. He could have obtained Clone Wars technology to bolster his forces.

More: The Mandalorian Cast & Character Guide

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