Disney has announced a whole new slate of upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows - here's everything to expect over the next few years, including what details have been revealed. Although The Mandalorian has been an ongoing success, Star Wars' future has otherwise been murky for some time now. On the TV side, a few projects had been announced previously, while the movie schedule was even less clear, with release dates staked out for 2023, 2025, and 2027, but little idea of what would fill them. At the Disney Investors Day in December 2020, the Mouse House changed that with several major updates.
Disney used the call to provide news on new and upcoming projects across all of its major studios and brands, including Marvel and Pixar, but it's the Star Wars announcements that were perhaps most anticipated. Following the end of the Skywalker saga with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - in controversial fashion, no less - Disney and Lucasfilm have taken their time in revealing what comes next beyond The Mandalorian.
Now, there is a much clearer picture of just what that is. Star Wars' more immediate future remains on Disney+, where The Mandalorian will be joined by a slew of new TV shows (some previously announced, others not). At the same time, there is now more of an idea as to what the upcoming Star Wars movies will be as well.
Rogue Squadron
One of Disney's biggest new Star Wars announcements is Rogue Squadron, a new movie from Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins. Story details for Rogue Squadron are unconfirmed, but previously the group was established as a band of X-wing pilots founded by Luke Skywalker after the Battle of Yavin, and also featured Wedge Antilles among its ranks. Also known as Rogue Group, the squadron fought in notable conflicts such as the Battle of Hoth, although have an even more storied history in Star Wars Legends, which spanned over 100 years. Jenkins revealed the inspiration for the movie was drawn from her late father, who himself was a fighter pilot. Rogue Squadron will release December 25, 2023.
Ahsoka
From Star Wars: The Clone Wars to Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka Tano has long been a fan-favorite, so it's no surprise a TV show centered around the character is in the works. An Ahsoka TV show was rumored in May 2020 and, after the character made her live-action debut in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5, "Chapter 15: The Jedi," her story will continue. Rosario Dawson will once again play the role, with the Ahsoka Star Wars show set during the timeline of The Mandalorian. That show's creator, Jon Favreau, is developing the project alongside Dave Filoni, who has steered Ahsoka's journey through the animated series and The Mandalorian. No release date has been announced yet.
Rangers of the New Republic
Like Ahsoka, Rangers of the New Republic is another new Star Wars show set during the timeline of The Mandalorian, which also comes from Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. Other details weren't confirmed, but The Mandalorian has already introduced some New Republic pilots, such as Paul Sun-Hyung Lee's Captain Carson Teva, so it's possible he could return. Most intriguingly, Ahsoka, The Mandalorian, and Rangers of the New Republic will all build to a crossover event, so fans can expect the storylines to feed into one another, likely pointing to Grand Admiral Thrawn as an overarching villain.
The Acolyte
As first reported back in April 2020, Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland is making a Star Wars TV show for Disney+, which had previously been confirmed to explore a new timeline. Now Disney has confirmed just when it is set - The Acolyte is set at the end of the High Republic era, some 200 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. The Acolyte is described as a "mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era." Disney had previously said that the High Republic - which is the focus of a transmedia project including several books and comics - would not crossover with TV or movies, but clearly the opportunity was too good to resist. The High Republic will mostly focus on new characters, but it remains to be seen if any of them will appear in The Acolyte.
Lando
The galaxy's favorite soundrel is making yet another return to Star Wars, with a live-action series based on Lando Calrissian, simply titled Lando, in the works for Disney+. Lando is being developed by Justin Simien, the creator of Dear White People. Still in the early stages, few other details have been revealed, so it's unknown right now if Lando will bring back either Donald Glover from Solo, or Billy Dee Williams from the original Star Wars trilogy, who returned previously in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. A series focused on Glover's Lando has been rumored previously, but it's also possible a Lando show could feature different timelines and include both takes on the character.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Long confirmed to be in the works, Disney revealed that Obi-Wan Kenobi will begin filming in March 2021, ahead of a likely 2022 release. The Mouse House also had some big reveals about the show: not only was it confirmed that Obi-Wan will take place 10 years after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, but it was announced that Hayden Christensen would be returning as Darth Vader. The six-episode limited series will chronicle some of Obi-Wan's time in exile on Tatooine, where he keeps watch over Luke Skywalker. Deborah Chow (The Mandalorian) will direct the Star Wars show, with Hossein Amini (The Two Faces of January) set to write.
Andor
A prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story focused on Diego Luna's Cassian Andor was first announced in November 2018, but the Disney announcement brought some more concrete details about the show, including concept art showing Cassian in action, and confirming the series' title: Andor. The concept art sizzle reel teases the Rogue One hero working against the Empire, with the events taking place five years before the movie. A firm release date has not been announced, but Disney did confirm that Andor, described as a "tense nail-biting spy thriller," would premiere on Disney+ in 2022.
The Bad Batch
As previously reported in July 2020, Star Wars: The Bad Batch is the next major animated show set in a galaxy far, far away. The series will center on the titular Bad Batch, a group of defected Clone Troopers whose mutations give them abilities beyond that of their fellow clones. Set after the Clone Wars, a time in which the Galactic Empire rises and makes the shift to using Stormtroopers, the Bad Batch will be traversing the galaxy and taking on a set of daring mercenary missions as they attempt to find a new purpose. This is shown off in the first trailer for Star Wars: The Bad Batch, which included glimpses of Emperor Palpatine and Grand Moff Tarkin alongside the four members of Clone Force 99. The Bad Batch is expected to release on Disney+ in 2021.
The Mandalorian Season 3
It had previously been confirmed that The Mandalorian season 3 was already in the works (which was to be expected, given its already huge success), but now Disney has confirmed exactly when fans will be able to see it. In a break from tradition of the previous fall releases, The Mandalorian season 3 will premiere on Christmas Day on Disney+, making it a huge gift for Star Wars fans. While that is later than usual, it makes sense given Disney+'s increased slate across Star Wars, Marvel, and several other areas, while ensuring a prime release spot for its flagship show.
Taika Waititi's Star Wars Movie
It was previously reported in May 2020 that Taika Waititi, who helmed Thor: Ragnarok and is making Thor: Love and Thunder for Disney, would be switching to a galaxy far, far away to make a Star Wars movie. Disney announced Waititi's movie during the investors' call, but didn't provide any other details. With Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron coming in December 2023, however, it means that Waititi's Star Wars movie will most likely release in the December 19, 2025 slot it has staked out. It was also confirmed previously that Waititi will co-write the script alongside Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917).
A Droid Story
The story of Star Wars started with R2-D2 and C-3PO, so it's only fitting that Disney's new announcements include its long-serving droids. The oft-bickering pair will star in A Droid Story, an adventure series that will combine animation with ILM's visual effects. A Droid Story will introduce a new hero, who is guided by Artoo and Threepio. No release date has yet been announced.
Visions
The Disney investor Day also featured the announcement of Star Wars Visions, which will take the franchise in a whole new direction. While few details are confirmed, it was announced that Star Wars Visions will explore the universe through some of the world's best anime creators, with Lucasfilm describing Visions as "a series of animated short films celebrating Star Wars ." Visions will come from a variety of Japanese animation studios, with the anthology set to include 10 short films.