The future of Star Wars is now in the hands of Disney+, at least for the next few years. Rather than depend on theatrical releases, the monumental franchise will be switching the primary focus to the small screen. Disney launched its over-the-top streaming service last November and made a big splash with the release of The Mandalorian, the streamer's first scripted series set in the Star Wars universe. Disney+ has been lacking as of late, aside from the churning interest thanks to Hamilton, but that could change with the forthcoming Star Wars slate of programming.
2019 was a bittersweet year for Lucasfilm; it was the first year that Disney's era of Star Wars truly deviated from what George Lucas created. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker marked the end of the Skywalker saga and the conclusion of the sequel trilogy, but then with The Mandalorian, the Mouse House launched their first truly original Star Wars property that only had minor connections to the past.
No matter which way someone looks at it, the future for Star Wars as a whole is still bright. Movies are still being announced and scripts are being worked on, albeit in completely different settings than many viewers will be familiar with. For now, though, the emphasis will be on Disney+ as the service will look to build brand new immersive stories or expand on a few familiar figures. Here's what's in store for Star Wars for the foreseeable future.
There's No New Star Wars Movie Until 2023
Last year, Disney announced a release date schedule which set aside three specific dates for Star Wars films. According to the schedule, the untitled Star Wars movies were planned for December 2022, 2024, and 2026. Those dates have since shifted a year, resulting in the absence of a big-budget Star Wars movie until at least 2023. This means that four full years will have passed between Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the very next franchise title.
Even with a date to look forward to, it's still unclear what the movie plans are for those 2023, 2025, and 2027 dates. Earlier this year, Disney announced that Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) was penning a script for a Star Wars movie he was hired to direct. This news came after an announcement that director J. D. Dillard (Sleight) and writer Matt Owens (Luke Cage) were developing a film set in the fictional world. In addition, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy is teaming up with Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige for a film while Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island) is reportedly developing a script based on the Knights of the Old Republic video games. There's also still a chance that Rian Johnson's planned trilogy still comes to fruition.
Star Wars' Future Is On Disney+
Star Wars' future on Disney+ is a lot more clear compared to the development on the big screen. Shortly before hitting the one-year anniversary of Disney+'s launch, The Mandalorian will drop its follow-up season. Season 2 is officially scheduled for October barring any delays. Sometime in 2021, the streamer will welcome the arrival of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, an animated spinoff of The Clone Wars centered on the titular clone trooper squadron; it will take place after the events of Order 66 and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
Aside from the aforementioned titles, Disney+ will also be home to a series featuring Diego Luna reprising his Rogue One role of Cassian Andor. Fans of the Star Wars prequel trilogy are patiently waiting for the highly anticipated Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Not only is Ewan McGregor returning to the role but rumors are circulating that Hayden Christensen will be involved by reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker. Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) is hoping to join the Star Wars family by developing a future female-centric series. Last but not least, there's speculation that Donald Glover is set to reprise his portrayal of Lando Calrissian for a solo TV show. As of the time of writing, there have yet to be credible sources that confirmed a Lando series was in development.
Why Star Wars Is So Focused On Disney+ Now
So why exactly did Disney turn away from movies and push the focus into Disney+ content? There could be several justifiable reasons. For one, the response from recent Star Wars theater releases wasn't up to par with Disney and Lucasfilm's expectations. Following The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, a clear divide in reception emerged. Solo: A Star Wars Story was also a bit of a disappointment in the eyes of some viewers. It's likely that Disney wanted to take a break before taking the film segment of the franchise in a new direction.
It's no coincidence that Disney's movie break occurred shortly after the launch of Disney+. The service has been planned for years and the company is going all-in to compete with the other streaming giants. Much of Disney+'s initial buzz was credited to the Pedro Pascal-led series, and of course, the introduction of Baby Yoda. As with the slate of forthcoming Marvel content, the Star Wars titles are a major selling point for potential and existing subscribers. At the time, it might be easier for Disney and Lucasfilm to expand the franchise in the world of TV. If that's the case, most, if not all, of the current Star Wars series in development will probably debut before the next film.
Will Star Wars Movies Be Made For Disney+?
From the very first franchise film in 1977, it was made abundantly clear that Star Wars movies were intended for a theatrical experience. The nature of the plots and the box office power made the installments a must-see scenario. That was reiterated with the prequels, recent sequel trilogy, and standalone movies. With the current trend of VOD popularity and big-budget titles set for streaming release, it wouldn't be a shock to see Star Wars movies developed specifically for Disney+ at some point in the future. Perhaps they would be smaller-scale plots and more character-focused than fans are accustomed to seeing. For now, though, the focus for Disney is the streamer slate. If the content drives in customers, fans can expect a balanced mix of streaming content to support forthcoming Star Wars movies through the next decade.