Disney's D23 Expo began on September 9th - and already, fans are excited to see what the event has in store for their favorite franchises. Based on the previous D23 Expos, Lucasfilm has released some major announcements and reveals for upcoming Star Wars projects. With so many films and television shows on their release schedule for the next few years, there is much to talk about.
While none of the reveals have been formally announced or teased in advance, Star Wars fans can only make educated guesses based on what's in development and releasing in the near future.
Jedi: Survivor Gameplay Trailer
After receiving the reveal teaser at this year's Star Wars Celebration in May, it would only make sense for Lucasfilm to provide a closer look at the game at their next big event.
On September 9, Disney will be live-streaming a gaming panel, showing glimpses of the projects Lucasfilm, Marvel, Disney/Pixar and 20th Century Games will be releasing (via D23). This makes it very likely for a first look at the gameplay in Jedi: Survivor to be shown.
Thrawn & Ezra Casting Announcements
Thrawn and Ezra's fates remain a mystery in Star Wars canon. Since their disappearance in the Rebels finale, fans have been theorizing all over the internet as to their possible whereabouts. Initially rumored that this plot thread would be solved in an animated Rebels sequel series, it seems more and more likely that Ahsoka will follow this story.
Although no names have circulated around for Thrawn, Aladdin star Mena Massoud has been rumored to be the frontrunner to play Ezra for the past year (per ComicBook). He would make a great choice but, hopefully, the official casting will be announced at D23.
First Look at Ahsoka
Although attendees at this most recent Star Wars Celebration got a sneak peek at Ahsoka, no trailer has been released to the public as of yet. Attendees were treated to the first look at fan-favorite Rebels characters Chopper and Hera, in live-action.
Since this year's D23 will be live-streamed and Ahsoka's release date looms closer, it would make a lot of sense if an official first look is given to the public. Many are extremely excited to see what the creators and writers have planned, especially with Hayden Christensen returning to the role of Anakin Skywalker once again (according to THR).
The Book of Boba Fett Season 2 Announcement
While season 1 of The Book of Boba Fett disappointed many fans with an underwhelming finale, it still offered lots of fun activities and a memorable appearance from the notorious bounty hunter Cad Bane. Despite mixed reviews, the show was still a massive hit with its finale having a 36% viewer increase from The Mandalorian Season 2's finale (via Deadline).
With the success of season 1, season 2 does seem very likely. Regarding the possibility, lead actor Ming-Na Wen noted "Second season of The Book of Boba Fett, I hope! I never count my chickens before they hatch, because in this business, you just never know. But, knock on wood, they’ll be announcing that soon." (via TheDirect).
First Look at A Droid Story
During Disney's 2020 Investor Day, there was an announcement that Disney+ was working on an original film called A Droid Story (which would see the return of C-3PO and R2-D2 in a new stand-alone adventure starring Anthony Daniels).
Regarding the project, Kathleen Kennedy said "This epic journey will introduce us to a new hero, guided by legendary duo R2-D2 and C-3PO on a special mission known only to them. [...] Lucasfilm Animation will be teaming up with our unparalleled visual effects team, ILM, to develop a special Star Wars adventure for Disney+, 'A Droid Story.'" (via SlashFilm). SlashFilm also reports the film could release mid-2023, meaning a first look at D23 is very likely.
New Look at the Knights of the Old Republic Remake
The Knights of the Old Republic Remake made headlines in July after several news outlets released pieces on the game's indefinite delay, worrying many fans. For the next month, the game's fate was very much up in the air.
Luckily in late August, Saber Interactive, a company with lots of experience took over developing duties from Aspyr, a studio mainly known for porting older games to modern consoles (per Polygon). With the game back on track, a full-on reveal seems to be in order especially now that the game has been in development for two years.
First Look at Skeleton Crew
Following an official announcement at Star Wars Celebration 2022, Skeleton Crew began filming in June as the next Star Wars series after Ahsoka. Set during the timeline of The Mandalorian, Skeleton Crew will star Jude Law in the lead role as he mentors a group of young kids.
At Celebration, director Jon Watts said the series was a "galactic version of classic Amblin coming-of-age adventure films of the '80s". Filming is set to continue until December (via Disney Plus Informer) but with all the footage shot so far, a trailer could certainly be prepared. Regardless, the show offers a new premise for Star Wars with fresh talent involved. The series is set to release in 2023.
Mando-Verse Event Announcement
As all the Mando-based shows seem to set up a large event, it would make sense for this project to get a formal announcement at D23. In a 2020 piece, Variety revealed that these series would “culminate in a climactic story event.”
In 2019, Disney CCO (at the time) Alan Horn said "'The Mandalorian' is already proving to be a big thing, so if that series proves to be so compelling that we reverse engineer it into a theatrical release, a two-hour film" (via Variety). Whether all these series culminate into a film or limited series remains to be seen, but the looming threat seems to be that of Thrawn and the Imperial Remnant.
Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 2 Announcement
While some criticized the writing, most people generally really enjoyed Obi-Wan Kenobi with the series breaking several streaming records. The series brought the prequels full-circle with A New Hope, offering more insight into Obi-Wan's years before his sacrifice on the Death Star. Though no official announcements have been made, both Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and Ewan McGregor have expressed their enthusiasm over a second season.
McGregor said, per TheDirect "I want to do it. I’m absolutely honest, there's no plans made yet. But I think I’m pretty sure they’re just biding their time. But nobody has approached me as of yet." Given the initial announcement of the series happened at D23, it would make perfect sense for season 2 to follow suit.
New Film Announcements
While the television side of Star Wars has been thriving in the last few years, the films' side has been relatively quiet. Luckily, Taika Waititi's film is currently set for a December 2023 release, taking over the slot previously held by Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron.
In addition to Star Wars, Lucasfilm also has Indiana Jones 5 releasing next year, which could be an important project to showcase as well. Lucasfilm is notably very secret in terms of announcements so it's possible more Star Wars films could be on the way as well.