Last week Disney dropped a heaping ton of new Star Wars projects and series during Walt Disney’s Investor Day event. From new animated shows, to live action series, this announcement has us ready for hyperspace! If we had to sum up the day in one TikTok it would probably be this one.
@daweidemena I guess it’s not really that hard, huh? #disney #disneyplus #starwars #marvel #mandalorian #investorday #pitch
Struggling to keep up? We’ve got all the latest Star Wars news and announcements rounded up here for you.
Andor
A long awaited update on the Andor Disney+ series was shared in the form of a sizzle reel. With a release set for 2022, Andor is a series that dives into what Cassian Andor (first seen in Rogue One) was doing before we see him in his film debut. A spy thriller all about building up the Rebellion? Count us IN. We’re hoping to dive deep into the backstories of some lesser known characters in the series!
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Originally announced in August 2019, the Obi-Wan Kenobi series will be premiering on Disney+. Set 10 years after the end of Revenge of the Sith, the special event series will follow the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi, with Ewan McGregor (!) returning as the ex-Jedi Master. During the Investor Day event, it was shared that Hayden Christensen will be returning in the series as Darth Vader. Our bodies aren’t ready for all of this prequel hype!
Hayden Christensen returns as Darth Vader, joining Ewan McGregor in OBI-WAN KENOBI. The Original Series begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Revenge of the Sith, and is coming to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/9WR2npRUkk
— Star Wars (@starwars) December 10, 2020
What does Hayden Christensen’s return to the franchise mean? Sadly, we don’t really know yet! This could hint at some kind of rematch between Obi-Wan and his former apprentice (let’s just hope no one stumbles up to the high ground this time around.) One of our favorite announcements of the day, seeing McGregor back in Obi-Wan robes has us stoked!
Rangers of the New Republic
Set within the timeline of The Mandalorian, Rangers of the New Republic is a new live-action series from Mandalorian showrunners Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. Not too much was revealed beyond that the series will interact with other Star Wars story lines.
With Favreau and Filoni at the helm we’re anticipating more Disney+ Star Wars greatness.
Ahsoka
A big, big surprise announcement during the Investor Day event was a live action Ahsoka series. After recently debuting in live action for the first time in The Mandalorian since she was introduced to Star Wars in 2008, Ahsoka Tano is getting her own series starring Rosario Dawson as the titular character!
Ahsoka has been a long time fan favorite, especially for The Clone Wars lovers. We’re happy to welcome another female jedi to the Star Wars spotlight, and can’t wait to see what this series has in store!
The Bad Batch
A sizzle trailer for the newly announced series The Bad Batch popped up during the Investor Day event too! Following the Bad Batch – an elite group of four genetically enhanced clones first seen in The Clone Wars, the series promises to deliver some intense action.
A sneak peek at Star Wars: The Bad Batch, an all-new animated Original Series from Lucasfilm Animation, coming soon to #DisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/V0jQc4XNIe
— Star Wars (@starwars) December 10, 2020
From what we can tell, it looks like we’ll be following the “batch” post rise of the Empire while they take on mercenary work across the galaxy.
Lando
Another fun surprise announcement was a Disney+ series all about Lando Calrissian. The show is currently being developed by Justin Simien, creator of critically acclaimed series dear white people. Since the series is still in early development stages, not much is known about it. We’re looking forward to seeing Billy Dee Williams or Donald Glover returning as Lando.
Given the huge gap in Lando’s story (~30 years) there’s no telling what part of the timeline the series will follow – but we’re sure to get a few sets of wild runs on the Falcon in!
The galaxy’s favorite scoundrel, Lando Calrissian, will return in Lando, a brand-new event series for @DisneyPlus. Justin Simien (@JSim07) is in the early stages of developing the project.
— Disney (@Disney) December 10, 2020
Rogue Squadron
A surprise announcement on the next feature film to come from the Star Wars universe, Rogue Squadron will tell the story of the next generation of starfighter pilots. Patty Jenkins, director of the Wonder Woman film franchise, will be directing the new film that’s slated to be released around Christmas 2023. Jenkins shared a video on her Twitter after the announcement:
— Disney (@Disney) December 10, 2020
Though not much else was shared in regard to the plot of the film, it’ll be really exciting to see what Jenkins brings to the Star Wars galaxy!
Star Wars: Visions
Anime fans have something unique to look forward to! Star Wars: Visions will be coming to Disney+ in 2021 with animated short films that tell stories from the Star Wars universe. All short films are being created by “the world’s best Japanese anime creators”.
A Droid Story
Rollout droid team! Amidst all of the announcements, Lucasfilm definitely hasn’t forgotten the droids of the Star Wars universe. A Droid Story will be developed for Disney+, and will feature the story of a new hero who is being guided by R2-D2 and C-3PO. The series is being developed between Lucasfilm Animation and Industrial Light & Magic, who serve as Lucasfilm’s visual effects team.
Untitled Film
Finally – more Star Wars movies! A new feature film that’s currently untitled was also announced. It will be directed by Academy Award-winner Taika Waititi (director of Thor: Ragnarok and JoJo Rabbit). Not much else was shared, but we’re sure Waititi will likely bring his signature humor to the Star Wars universe.
Waititi also wins the prize for best social media reaction, with his hilarious post on Instagram announcing the news:
The Acolyte
Last but certainly not least, The Acolyte will be a new series available on Disney+. It “is 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.” We’re really interested in this series because the High Republic era is a newly-introduced part of Star Wars that will launch in January 2021 through books, comics, and the series.
There are still a lot of unknowns with the High Republic era and with a “mystery-thriller” like the Acolyte, there’s going to be plenty of new secrets and stories to dig into for sure.
Walt Disney’s Investor Day gave us a ton of new Star Wars content to look forward to and to digest. From complete surprises to feature films in the coming years, we’re really excited to see what this next decade of Star Wars brings.
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