At D23, Star Wars: Starfighter finally revealed a first look at the Ryan Gosling-starring movie. The catch: it's not going to appear online anytime soon, and was only for people in the room. However, we were on the ground and can bring you an exclusive description.

The teaser footage starts with Flynn Gray's as-yet-unnamed young character throwing the cover off a starfighter. Gosling, whose character was confirmed as Kade Auberon, tells him not to touch, it's a decommissioned Imperial model and the fastest ever built. Kade says there's a reason Gray's character has never heard of such a vessel, despite it's capabilities. Quick flashes of action, include flying/gliding across water, turning an ignition and, of course, plenty of flying.

Starfighter, directed by Deadpool and Wolverine's Shawn Levy, stars Ryan Gosling, Flynn Gray, Amy Adams, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, and Aaron Pierre. It is the first Lucasfilm movie to take us beyond The Rise of Skywalker on the Star Wars timeline.

"In a rebuilding galaxy, a solitary pilot becomes entangled in a crucial mission as new threats emerge. Their journey may alter the future of the Force itself," reads the synopsis.

"It is different in that it is an all-new non-sequel, non-prequel adventure," Levy has said previously of the film. "It's new characters, it's a new timeline. It inherits legacy themes, but it's really trying to give Star Wars [fans] – and just movie audiences – something fresh, something new. And with a spirit of play and big-hearted adventure with moments of real levity that, frankly, A New Hope had in a revolutionary way."

Starfighter arrives May 28, 2027. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows for everything else that's in the works.

You can keep up on more announcements and reveals with our D23 liveblog.

At D23, Lucasfilm has finally dropped the first trailer for Ahsoka season 2, and Grand Admiral Thrawn has declared war on the Rebel Alliance.

In the trailer, which you can watch above, Hayden Christensen's Anakin returns as both Force ghost and for a snowy Clone Wars-era flashbacks. In the present, Grand Admiral Thrawn is back in a galaxy far, far away and declares war on the Rebel Alliance – expect plenty of space battles, then. Quick flashes of action also reveal Huyang wielding multiple lightsabers like General Grievous for a fight with Shin Hati. The question of Ahsoka Tano's Jedi status will also be addressed, by the sound of things.

Season 2 will pick up with Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren stranded on Peridea after the Ahsoka season 1 ending, while Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn escaped back to the main galaxy. Also remaining on Peridea are Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati – following the tragic loss of Ray Stevenson, Rory McCann will take over as Baylan in season 2.

At Star Wars Celebration 2025, we learned that Hayden Christensen will return as Anakin Skywalker and Admiral Ackbar will face off against Thrawn. There was also a first look of sorts shown behind closed doors, which teased battles across two galaxies and giant, evil droids.

"Anybody who saw the sequels knows that there's a First Order coming in, like, 20 years from where we are now in the storyline," The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau has shared. "And then Ahsoka season 2 is coming out – which I've seen all of – and that's definitely more dealing with the larger [picture], a higher level. That's about the officers and we're the enlisted men – this is more of a ground-level experience of what's going on. You're seeing the backdrop – which, by the way, is what the first Star Wars started off as."

Ahsoka season 2 arrives on January 20, 2027 on Disney Plus. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

For even more, keep up with our D23 live blog.

An Ahsoka season 2 display at D23 has given away some fascinating hints about what might be to come in the second season of the Star Wars show.

GamesRadar+ is on the ground at this year's D23, which means we got to explore the Ahsoka display for ourselves. The main point of excitement is the costumes on display: as you can see in the post below, both Anakin Skywalker and a younger Ahsoka Tano have new outfits for season 2, suggesting we might see the return of Ariana Greenblatt as Padawan-era Snips.

They're both dressed in cold weather gear, intriguingly – though whether that means a flashback to the snowy events of season 1 episode 'Trespass' or a new scenario remains to be seen.

Some concept art is also on display, which reveals the return of Morai after the bird's appearance in season 1. Morai is a convor that watches over Ahsoka, associated with the Daughter Force god from the Mortis arc of Clone Wars. Put simply, the Daughter is a personification of the light side of the Force, and she sacrificed herself to resurrect Ahsoka during the events of that arc (read more in our World Between Worlds explainer). In one piece of art, the convor can be seen observing Ahsoka and Sabine Wren on Peridea.

Also seen in the artwork is Huyang wielding multiple lightsabers and going up against Shin Hati, as well as Grand Admiral Thrawn looking at a map on his ship, the Nightsisters of Dathomir using what look to be energy bows, and the return of Enoch the mysterious gold-masked stormtrooper wielding a green lightsaber.

At the convention, Ezra Bridger actor Eman Esfandi also shared more about the upcoming second season.

"There's going to be more lightsabers. A lot more lightsaber action. There's going to be some space battles, some space action, and there's going to be witches, and swords, and explosions galore," he teased. "It's going to be really fun, really fast-paced, and we may or may not hear something about that a little later today. So, stay tuned here at D23 for Ahsoka season 2."

Ahsoka season 2 is coming in 2027. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else that's on the way – and keep your eyes on GamesRadar+ for updates from D23's main studio panel for news on Ahsoka and more.

At D23, Ezra Bridger star Eman Esfandi has teased what's to come in Ahsoka season 2 – and it sounds pretty epic.

"There's going to be more lightsabers. A lot more lightsaber action. There's going to be some space battles, some space action, and there's going to be witches, and swords, and explosions galore," the actor shared during a talk attended by GamesRadar+ at the Disney convention. "It's going to be really fun, really fast-paced, and we may or may not hear something about that a little later today. So, stay tuned here at D23 for Ahsoka season 2."

Ahsoka season 2 is set to feature the return of Admiral Ackbar, who will face off against Grand Admiral Thrawn – which might be one of the space battles Esfandi is talking about. It also sounds like we can expect to see more of the fearsome Nightsisters of Dathomir.

The new season will also see the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, while Game of Thrones star Rory McCann takes over the role of Baylan Skoll from the late Ray Stevenson.

"A lot of action. Fights, battles, explosions, lightsabers, lasers," Esfandi has previously teased of season 2. "I'm having a flashback. So a lot of action, and I think everybody's gonna love it. Dave [Filoni] went nuts, and all of us were ready to follow suit of our fearless leader, and it's gonna be a lot of fun."

Ahsoka season 2 doesn't yet have a release date. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else that's on the way – and keep your eyes on GamesRadar+ for updates from D23's main studio panel for news on Ahsoka and more.

These days, it's easy to look at a movie's box office number and declare it a success or, in the case of both live-action remake Moana and Star Wars feature The Mandalorian and Grogu, a dismal failure.

New Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro clearly doesn't subscribe to such binary thinking, declaring on the company's earnings call (via Variety), "Even when our franchise films don’t meet our box office expectations, as with The Mandalorian and Grogu and the live-action Moana, our investments in these core properties fuel other parts of our company."

Disney CFO Hugh Johnston added, "Theatrical performance is important to us, of course, and we certainly aspire to deliver consistent financial results for our films. But the nature of the film industry is such that it is more of a portfolio game. The good news for us is our diversified business helps us basically cover the volatility that comes out of the film business."

As the pair of Disney leaders allude to, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Moana aren't film-only concerns. There is, of course, immense value in adding them to streaming on Disney Plus. That's without factoring in merchandise and synergy with Disney's theme park and cruise ship businesses.

Released on May 22, The Mandalorian and Grogu marked the next chapter in Din Djarin's journey in a galaxy far, far away after three seasons on Disney's streaming success.

Unfortunately, a low-stakes plot and general disinterest in the series led to disappointing takings at the box office, with the Star Wars movie only grossing $345 million – a record low for a live-action film in the franchise.

The Moana remake fared less well when stacked up against the gold rush of Disney live-action movies in recent years.

It's currently only just made more than its $250 million budget, a stark contrast to last year's Lilo and Stitch remake ($1.03 billion). It's not a disaster Disney is sweeping under the carpet, but it's certainly one the House of Mouse is taking positives from.

For more, check out the new Disney movies in the works, plus all the movie release dates we still have to look forward to in 2026.

Ahsoka season 2 is coming next year, and it sounds like we can expect big things from the second installment of the Star Wars show when it arrives.

"A lot of action. Fights, battles, explosions, lightsabers, lasers," Eman Esfandi, who plays the Jedi Ezra Bridger in the show, told Screen Rant of what he's excited about. "I'm having a flashback. So a lot of action, and I think everybody's gonna love it. Dave [Filoni] went nuts, and all of us were ready to follow suit of our fearless leader, and it's gonna be a lot of fun."

In a separate interview with the Thank the Maker podcast, Esfandi shared even more. "You guys will not believe how big it gets," he teased. "Dave just took the training wheels [off], it's like he took them all off for all of us and himself in some way. But obviously not himself, he's a legend. But, if you saw Rebels early, and you see Rebels towards the end, you see that he takes off training wheels. Clone Wars at the end. You're gutted. It's an adult drama… That similar transition where Dave started with kid shows, and then transitioned them into adults, as the kids do, not only who watch the show, but also the kids of the show.

"Ahsoka was a kid. Ezra was a kid. And they just have to grow up way too young," he continued. "But you watch that. And a lot of us who grew up, y'all's era, my era, the new era, we all had to grow up too young. There's war and everything going on all the time, trauma going all the time. We're all growing up too young, it feels like sometimes. It's impressive to see and I think Dave just does that really well. I think season 1 is almost like, 'Hey, Rebels season 5, here's some new characters, some set-up, some action, a lot of love, a lot of like, wow, oh my god.' And then season two is like guns blazing."

Not much is known about Ahsoka season 2 just yet, but, thanks to Star Wars Celebration 2025, we do know that Hayden Christensen will return as Anakin Skywalker, Grand Admiral Thrawn and Admiral Ackbar will go head to head, there will be battles across two galaxies, and Rory McCann is officially taking over the role of Baylan Skoll from the late Ray Stevenson.

Ahsoka season 2 arrives in 2027. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else that's in the works.

Given that Star Wars has been around for almost 50 years now, you’d be forgiven for being a little off in remembering certain portions of the beloved franchise. That’s the very issue one fan highlighted on Reddit, which sparked plenty more replies about revealing sequences that didn't play out like they originally imagined.

"What's one of those things that you swear you remember happening in the movies that isn't actually from the movies at all?" wrote the fan, with plenty coming back with their own rather odd encounters with the Star Wars saga.

One moment was an obvious one, given that the whole world had seemingly been hit with the Mandela Effect when it came to The Empire Strikes Back. "There isn't one I can’t think of for myself, but 'Luke, I am your father' is probably the most famous historical example of this," wrote the fan, referring to the sequel's big reveal, which is often misquoted. It's "No. I am your father."

Another fan chimed in, saying that they misremembered the outcome of Luke's test. "When I was a lad I didn't understand that Luke's face was in Vader's mask in the Dagobah vision scene. I thought that was Vader." One fan also added the double-take that had lasted decades: that C-3PO was all gold, when in fact he had a silver leg instead of a matching pair. Clearly something we overlooked, what with being near-sighted scrap piles and everything.

Admittedly, given that there are various versions of the movies up to this point, we'd understand how some scenes are a little sketchy in the old memory banks.

For our list of favorite Star Wars moments, head on over here and see which one of yours makes the cut.

At this rate, there are enough canned Star Wars projects to fill an entire star system. Thankfully, though, news from SDCC reveals one forgotten show will be coming back from the brink and has been described by its creator as "Simpsons in the Star Wars universe."

During the "Inside the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art" panel, it was announced that a formerly shelved show, Star Wars: Detours, will be viewable at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which will be opening in September (via Entertainment Weekly).

The show was originally conceived by Seth Green, who is no stranger to the Star Wars universe after voicing a variety of characters in shows like The Bad Batch and Star Wars Rebels. He's also no stranger to getting laughs out of the galaxy far, far away by way of Robot Chicken and the Family Guy specials that saw his character Chris take up the mantle of Luke Skywalker.

Star Wars: Detours sounds like it's tickling a similar funny bone, with the show's original premise looking at the mundane daily goings on in the universe of Jedis and Jawas. "We made a show with George, an animated series," Green confessed to the audience. "He wanted to make Simpsons in the Star Wars universe. It's called Detours, and there's… going to be a curation of episodes from that show on display for the public."

The series, which was originally announced back in 2012, was set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. 26 episodes were done and dusted when it was originally revealed, and even featured guest appearances from Anthony Edwards, Ahmed Best, Billy Dee Williams, Lucas himself, along with a lot of the Robot Chicken alumni. Search for the right thing on YouTube, and you might even be able to find some of them (just don't ask us to help you).

The last time Green spoke about the show was back in March, when he recalled that Detours got put on the back burner when attention shifted to the new trilogy of movies that were on the horizon. He also didn't anticipate them getting revived for streaming.

"Detours itself would have to be edited, upgraded – they'd have to do new work on it to make it possible to put it on streaming," he told ComicBook. "I just don't think they're willing to commit the spend to update and release this when they can't see a clear benefit."

Thankfully, the show will now see the light in what is practically a treasure trove of Star Wars goodness, and Green couldn't speak highly enough of his lost little show getting some new time to shine. "It was the greatest," he said. "It was literally one of the greatest experiences I think I've ever had."

You'll be able to see just what we've been missing when the Lucas Museum opens in Los Angeles on September 22. As for any other Star Wars announcements, look on our SDCC 2026 live blog and our SDCC 2026 schedule.

Despite not being able to see our favorite duo on the big screen anymore, Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin and his little apprentice's beautiful father-son relationship lives on in a new Star Wars claymation.

The video, which was posted to Star Wars Kids on YouTube on July 15, shows little clay Mando and Grogu characters recreating some of the best moments travelling around the galaxy, including the duo taking a ride on the Razor Crest. Watch the clip below.

The claymation is, of course, inspired by The Mandalorian and Grogu, which recently finished its theatrical run. The movie debuted to mostly positive reviews, but only managed to earn just over $340 million worldwide. This is quite the dip, as the last Star Wars movie, The Rise of Skywalker, made over $1 billion at the box office in 2019. But with many Star Wars fans seemingly skipping The Mandalorian and Grogu in cinemas, they will soon be able to watch the new movie in the comfort of their own homes.

The newest Star Wars movie has finally locked down a digital release date and will be available to purchase on platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango from July 21. Fans will be able to add The Mandalorian and Grogu to their physical media collection from August 25, including the special SteelBook version.

But that's not the end of Mando and Grogu's story, as while we don't know if we will ever see The Mandalorian season 4, there is another adventure releasing soon. On July 14, Star Wars announced a new special episode, titled LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian, which will premiere on Disney Plus on September 2. As per StarWars.com, the animated special "celebrates your favorite stories and characters from all three seasons of The Mandalorian series," including when Mando met baby Grogu.

For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows, as well as our roundup of how to watch the Star Wars movies in order.

Star Wars creator George Lucas is the latest prominent voice to come out in support of AI in the creative arts, comparing its rise to that of the invention of the automobile.

Lucas's full-throated embrace of AI despite its inherent ethical and environmental risks – not to mention Yoda's outspoken skepticism of paths that are quicker, easier, and more seductive – is disheartening, but the Star Wars visionary says there's no point in resisting. It's "the future," in his words.

"Artificial intelligence means it's much easier for us to make movies," he tells A Rabbit's Foot. "It's very much like sitting here saying, 'Well, I believe the horse and the buggy is really where it's at. These cars, they break down, they need gas, there's all kinds of problems with them and pretty soon they'll be making them into tanks, and then they'll be killing people. It's terrible.' There's nothing you can do about it."

The car analogy is one of the most common rationalizations for AI complacency in the ongoing debate about the technology's role in various mediums, an inevitability one would be wise to adapt to or risk being left behind. But most analysts still see the worst implications of AI as far from inevitable, which is why in the video game industry many prominent developers refuse to use it at all. Meanwhile, other filmmaking auteurs are outright rejecting AI in movies, like The Odyssey director Christopher Nolan, who just recently praised Gen Z for its "rapid wholesale dismissal of a supposedly foundational jump in technology."

Lucas acknowledges that AI has its risks, but argues that it's smart enough to self-correct. "If you want AI that tells you when something is fake and where it came from, AI can do that," he says. "Humans can't, we're not that smart. The whole idea is you're a human being, you're responsible for what you say and what you do, and if you're doing something that's illegal you should be punished for that. Whatever you do, you should be recognised. It's just like real life."

Of course, Lucas is one of the most prolific, enduring, and beloved filmmakers of his generation, known for pushing technological boundaries and revolutionizing the film industry's approach to visual effects. If anyone's allowed a bullish take on an emerging technology, it's him, even if film buffs and creatives alike are grimacing at the implications.

Star Wars creator George Lucas says film studios nowadays care more about "what the fans think" rather than trusting filmmakers

The first trailer for new Star Wars anime show The Ninth Jedi has arrived, and it teases an epic new series.

In the brief clip, which can be viewed above, young Kara goes on a colorful, action-packed, and dangerous adventure through the galaxy. She goes up against a mysterious masked foe... who, it's revealed by his blue lightsaber, might just be a former Jedi.

The limited series picks up after adventures in Star Wars Visions Volume 1 and Volume 3, and sees Kara continue on her quest to find her missing father and evade Jedi Hunters.

The original The Ninth Jedi short was released in 2021 as an episode of Star Wars Visions and is set a thousand years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. A sabersmith named Lah Zhima builds six lightsabers to bring back the mostly non-existent Jedi order before being captured by the Sith. His daughter Kara arms herself with a lightsaber and sets off on a journey to find other Jedi to help her rescue her father.

The second installment, The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope, was released in October 2025 and continues Kara's journey, this time after an unexpected attack.

"It was such a big endeavor – the first full-on anime Star Wars series, so we would support the team from early pitch stages through designs and production as the story was built out," Visions executive producer Josh Rimes previously told Polygon.

The Ninth Jedi releases on Disney Plus this August 5. For more, check out our list of the best Disney Plus shows, or look ahead with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.

Before creator Tony Gilroy got involved and turned Andor into a thrillingly rich, thematically nuanced masterpiece, the Star Wars show was initially in the hands of Disney animation boss Jared Bush, and a new art book has revealed the Zootopia director's original take on the material.

As spotted by Cinelinx, new coffee table book The Art of Star Wars: Andor contains Bush's original pitch for the Star Wars show, taken from his 2018 series bible, and it reveals a radically different version of Andor that never was.

“The fledgling Rebellion experiences a crippling setback when an Imperial mole hidden within its ranks decimates a series of rebel bases. Cassian Andor, a young intelligence operative, is one of the few who survive, only to be falsely accused of being the mole himself. Out in the cold, Cassian discovers the only way to clear his name and find the mole is to infiltrate an Imperial planet which holds the key to uncovering the mole's identity.”

While this concept for the show retains the core idea of Andor being an espionage-powered story set in a galaxy far, far away, Bush's Andor would have been very different from the two-season show we got under Gilroy's stewardship. Instead of a simple mole hunt, Gilroy shaped Andor into a show about political oppression and resistance that mirrored real-world events to an almost eerie degree.

Andor was originally revealed in November 2018 after roughly a year of development. Initially, The Americans' executive producer Stephen Schiff was brought on board as showrunner, after Bush contributed a pilot script and series bible. Gilroy, who reportedly oversaw Rogue One's extensive reshoots, later shared his own vision for Andor with Kathleen Kennedy by penning a letter to the former head of Lucasfilm. Kennedy was evidently impressed, as Gilroy officially came on board in 2019.

The two-season show ran from 2022 to 2025 and is widely considered one of the high points of the Disney era of Star Wars. We even named Andor season 2 the best show of 2025. Gilroy provided some insights into the beloved show in our season 2 post-mortem, and even dispelled a fan theory around one of the finale's most ambiguous moments.

As for Bush, Andor may have slipped through his fingers, but the filmmaker had a pretty good 2025 too – he was the director of the highest-grossing Hollywood movie of the year, Zootopia 2, after becoming the chief creative officer of Disney Animation in late 2024.

Andor is streaming in full on Disney Plus. For more, check out our list of the best Disney Plus shows, or look ahead with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.

Live-action Ezra Bridger actor Eman Esfandi has posted a cryptic tease for Ahsoka season 2.

Esfandi made his live-action debut in the first season of the show, and he'll soon be returning when the show airs on Disney Plus early next year.

"'The pain you're feeling cannot compare to the joy that is coming' I tell myself as I await season 2," Esfandi wrote on Twitter.

The tease is so mysterious that even the official Star Wars account doesn't seem to know what to make of it, simply replying: "Eman"

Esfandi had a response, however: "Should've left that in the drafts my b"

At the end of Ahsoka season 1, Ezra safely made it back to the main galaxy by stowing away on Grand Admiral Thrawn's ship. But, Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren were left behind, along with Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati.

So far, Ahsoka season 2 is shrouded in mystery. What we know for sure, though, is that Hayden Christensen will return as Anakin Skywalker, Admiral Ackbar will face off against Thrawn, Rory McCann is taking over as Baylan from the late Ray Stevenson, and there will be battles across two galaxies.

"Anybody who saw the sequels knows that there's a First Order coming in, like, 20 years from where we are now in the storyline," The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau has teased of the second Ahsoka season. "And then Ahsoka season 2 is coming out – which I've seen all of – and that's definitely more dealing with the larger [picture], a higher level. That's about the officers and we're the enlisted men – this is more of a ground-level experience of what's going on. You're seeing the backdrop – which, by the way, is what the first Star Wars started off as."

Ahsoka season 2 doesn't have a firm release date yet beyond early 2027. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

Back in 2020, The Mandalorian season 2 broke the internet when it brought back Luke Skywalker in the finale. The cameo was a total secret, even to the actors on set, bar Pedro Pascal.

But, Ming-Na Wen, who plays Fennec Shand in the Star Wars universe, has revealed she knew the truth the whole time.

"Oh, I knew it was Luke. How could you not? The glove, the lightsaber, the R2-D2 that they painted freaking green," Wen said in conversation with Katee Sackhoff, who plays Bo-Katan Kryze (and had no idea they were dealing with Luke Skywalker). "I just turned to Jon [Favreau] and Dave [Filoni], I'm like, 'Are you kidding me?'"

The cover story was this mysterious Jedi was none other than Plo Koon, who died during Order 66 – a story Sackhoff apparently believed.

"I'm like, 'Come on. It's R2-D2.' They're like, 'No it's not,'" Wen added, confirming no one would tell her the truth in the moment. Check out the conversation below.

In the finale, Luke Skywalker showed up to save Mando, Grogu, Cara Dune, Bo-Katan, Koska Reeves, and Fennec Shand from the Dark Troopers.

"But even when they didn't admit it, I didn't know how they were going to present it," Wen added. "So, I was very surprised, because I didn't see all those other stuff… It was amazing. I still cried and freaked out."

Luke Skywalker showed up again in The Book of Boba Fett, but hasn't been seen since – though a Star Wars fan spotted a background detail in The Mandalorian and Grogu that might have hinted at his presence on Adelphi Base.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently in theaters, and, right now, we don't know what's next for Din Djarin and Baby Yoda. The next Star Wars release is Ahsoka season 2, which is arriving in early 2027.

In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

After the success of Maul – Shadow Lord, Darth Maul voice actor Sam Witwer says he wants Star Wars to take more risks, because if not, the sci-fi franchise won't grow.

"You have to take creative risks. It’s like the Maul character – if you’re not going to take risks with the Maul character, do something really new with him, you should not be taking the character out," said Witwer on the Pause for Thought podcast. "I think it’s the same thing with Star Wars in general… Certain things are gonna hit with certain audiences – everyone has their favorite. But without that spirit of experimentation, you don’t get anywhere."

Maul – Shadow Lord is quite out of the ordinary for the franchise. Using noir-inspired animation style with real paint strokes mixed with computer-generated visuals, the series looks different from anything we have seen before in Star Wars and shines a more positive light on a once-hated villain. However, doing something different paid off. Shadow Lord sits at a near-perfect 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and we awarded it 4 out of 5 stars in our Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord season 1 review.

The same goes for Andor. Differing from traditional Star Wars movies and shows, which adopt typical space-fantasy themes, Andor gives fans an insight into the reality of living under oppressive Imperial rule. Andor has a 96% score on RT.

Witwer says Star Wars should be taking these risks more often. But fans are feeling it too. Just last month, Star Wars fans were complaining about the number of projects set between the prequels and original trilogy, wondering if now is the time to move on.

However, it seems as though the tide is turning. As well as Maul – Shadow Lord season 2, which is already in production, the franchise is ready to tell some fresh stories, starting with Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter starring Ryan Gosling. Levy has also shown interest in making a Star Wars horror movie, which we are well overdue for.

For more on the way, check out our list of upcoming Star Wars movies and shows, and keep up with the Galaxy Far Far Away with our guide on how to watch Star Wars movies in order.

It's time to discuss the Star Wars prequels like it's 1999.

Speaking on the Class Clown podcast (H/T Variety), Peter Serafinowicz – who voiced Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace – recalled his displeasure with the experience.

"The design of it… I wasn't that into it," Serafinowicz said of Maul's Dathomir look. "When I saw the film, it was the biggest disappointment of my life at that point. It really was."

Serafinowicz, who was replaced as the voice of Maul by Sam Witwer in future projcets, even revealed how Star Wars creator George Lucas compared him to Darth Vader's voice actor, James Earl Jones. It didn't seem to go down that well.

"Suddenly there I was with George Lucas, and he was like saying, 'Well, Peter, you're the new James Earl Jones,' and I was like, 'Fucking hell, am I? Then why are you paying me such shit money, George?'"

Whatever Serafinowicz's opinion, it can't be doubted that Darth Maul emerged from the prequels as one of its most iconic aspects. The twin-blade lightsaber-wielding Sith went on to play a key role in Star Wars: The Clone Wars before starring in his own Disney Plus animated series, Maul – Shadow Lord.

Recently, fellow Star Wars villain actor Ian McDiarmid has revealed that Lucas once had plans for a Palpatine TV show, seemingly charting his life from Chancellor to Emperor. But that's not a story Disney will tell you.

For more from a galaxy far, far away, check out the upcoming Star Wars movies currently in the works.

Long before the current Disney Plus era of Star Wars, it turns out George Lucas wanted to make a TV show centered around Ian McDiarmid's Emperor Palpatine.

McDiarmid himself revealed the news at Spacecon San Antonio 2026, via The Popverse.

"[George Lucas] was talking about, I think I can tell you now, a television series," McDiarmid shared. "At the time we didn't think about Star Wars in terms of television series. Very speculative. We had lunch one day, and he said I've got this idea, and I hope you might want to be involved. We could sort of follow the Emperor's progress, like Hitler's, some of that. There might be an assassination attempt, and of course it wouldn't succeed. It sounded really exciting. And he also said that maybe you could direct one, and then I fainted. But sadly, that didn't come to pass."

While this does sound like a separate project, especially since McDiarmid says it was "speculative," it's possible this could have been part of the Underworld TV show, which would've been set between the prequel and original trilogies and focused largely on Coruscant's criminal underworld. However, it really does seem Lucas had an entirely separate, Palpatine-focused project in mind.

Of course, while Andor season 1 and 2 never actually featured the Emperor on screen, they did deal heavily with Imperial politics, which might be the closest we get to seeing a project like the one envisioned by Lucas. McDiarmid, meanwhile, returned as Palpatine for a cameo in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

Next up for Star Wars is Ahsoka season 2, which has a confirmed release window of early 2027. The Mandalorian and Grogu, meanwhile, is in theaters now.

You can keep up to date on everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows.

The Mandalorian and Grogu star Brendan Wayne has defended the movie's box office performance – and also hinted at Lucasfilm co-president Dave Filoni's grander plan.

Wayne is one of the Din Djarin suit performers and has played Mando since season 1 of the Disney Plus show.

Speaking to Brandon Davis, Wayne was asked what makes Filoni the right man for the top Lucasfilm job. As part of his answer, Wayne explained: "Dave's understanding of like, 'Hey, we're going to tell a story, and we're going to tell it over, three movies, or this next episode, this next season of Ahsoka.' He understands that it's not all about, did we open well against Solo, or whatever it was? We were amazing because we didn't have the budget of those movies, and we still did something."

The Mandalorian and Grogu debuted to a $165 million opening weekend on a budget of a matching $165 million, and its total global gross now stands at $297 million. While it has made almost double its production budget, it is the lowest grossing Star Wars movie ever, behind Solo's $392.9 million.

What's especially intriguing about Wayne's answer, though, is the concept of telling a story over three movies and the next season of Ahsoka. Whether Wayne is just speaking hypothetically, or whether there really is a plan for more movies, remains to be seen…

What is clear, though, is that Ahsoka season 2 is going to have huge ramifications for the galaxy far, far away.

"Anybody who saw the sequels knows that there's a First Order coming in, like, 20 years from where we are now in the storyline," Jon Favreau has previously teased. "And then Ahsoka season 2 is coming out – which I've seen all of – and that's definitely more dealing with the larger [picture], a higher level. That's about the officers and we're the enlisted men – this is more of a ground-level experience of what's going on. You're seeing the backdrop – which, by the way, is what the first Star Wars started off as."

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. For more, check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review, or see our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order.

Jon Favreau says The Phantom Menace inspired a tiny detail in The Mandalorian and Grogu.

In the in-theater director commentary, Favreau revealed that the red laser barriers in the stadium where Din Djarin is forced to fight Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White) were inspired by the Duel of the Fates sequence in The Phantom Menace (H/T Laughing Place). Remember those laser gates on Naboo in the infamous fight scene where Obi-Wan Kenobi faces off against Darth Maul? It's a subtle reference, but a cool one nonetheless.

Favreau also revealed that the video game Star Wars: Jedi - Fallen Order was used as a reference for what the inside of an All Terrain Armored Transport, aka an AT-AT walker, looks like. The worlds depicted in various Star Wars graphic novels also helped the art team figure out what the planet of Nal Hutta should look like.

The director commentary is available in over 6,000 US theaters via the TheaterEars app, and is currently only available in the United States. The commentary itself, and more, will likely arrive with the later streaming and VOD release of the film. As the movie is still in theaters, we likely have quite a while to wait before that happens.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. For more, check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review, or see our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order to get caught up on the galaxy far, far away.

The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau has shared which scene from the Star Wars movie was filmed first, and it's my favorite moment.

In the director's commentary currently available to moviegoers via the TheatersEars app, Favreau revealed that the very first thing shot for the film is the plate of the ocean at Adelphi Base, where Grogu and Rotta the Hutt play in the tides together (via Laughing Place).

Now, if you're not up on filmmaking lingo, a plate shot is something filmed to be used in a VFX shot. So, this means the ocean itself was filmed, and Grogu and Rotta added later.

The scene is my favorite in the whole movie – which might come as a surprise, considering all the action, or that beautiful sequence involving Grogu fending for himself. But, the brief, adorable moment acts to emphasize the growing friendship between Rotta and Grogu (one of the reasons Rotta is my MVP of the movie), and, as Din Djarin watches on, it's a sweet reminder that these two get to play in the surf because they have a protector willing to save them from the galaxy's villains.

The director's commentary has revealed all kinds of fun behind the scenes facts about the Star Wars movie, including that Favreau sought George Lucas's permission for one part of the film, Edgar Wright had some advice regarding Embo the bounty hunter, a Luke Skywalker reference was added last minute, one of the best lines was improv, the Droid Gotra were inspired by a scrapped Star Wars game, and Jedi: Fallen Order helped with one action sequence.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. For more, check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review, or our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order.

The Mandalorian and Grogu may be a standalone movie, but the Star Wars film includes a flurry of nods to the franchise and has brought up many discussions within the fan base, including how powerful the Hutts are.

Over on Reddit, one fan pointed out how the new movie shines a new light on the Hutts after Jabba made a rather weak first impression in the original trilogy. "For the longest time, I've heard about how Legends paints the Hutts of Old as these great warriors," said the fan, "I never really believed it when my only point of reference was the likes of Jabba and the Hutt Council… Then I saw how Rotta was moving in the new movie and completely understood all of it."

Let's face it, when we meet Jabba in Return of the Jedi, we see a bloated, idle crime lord who, yes, has immense power, but he is not exactly a warrior. The sluggish villain made it hard to understand how he got into such a position. Enter Rotta the Hutt in The Mandalorian and Grogu. The new movie gives us insight into what the Hutts can do at the peak of their power, which is demonstrated in the arena scene, where we see a jacked Rotta, voiced by Jeremy Allen White, show off his talents.

"Sure, he's still probably not beating anything in a foot race," added the fan, "but the sheer intimidation factor of this Slug Hulk charging at you like a demon, followed by the strength to lift some of the most deadly creatures in the galaxy and toss them around like toys… Combine all of this with the aforementioned blaster-resistant hide, and I can finally understand why these guys are so feared even before their empire."

Other fans seem to agree, as one replied, "Hutts are like tongues, pure muscle, but leisurely life makes them fat," and another added, "Honestly, Rotta has become one of my favourite new characters just because of how he makes people realise how dangerous Hutts are when they aren't fat and lazy."

When the movie first hit screens, our writer singled Rotta out as the real MVP of The Mandalorian and Grogu, writing, "from the moment Rotta is introduced in the film, it's obvious he's going to be a ton of fun."

The Mandalorian and Grogu is out in theaters now. In the meantime, check out our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order, and keep up with upcoming Star Wars movies and shows heading your way.

Star Wars stories in a galaxy far, far away often take inspiration from wider media in the iconic franchise. But we didn't expect this.

As Jon Favreau revealed during a cinema-exclusive director's commentary on The Mandalorian and Grogu, the cancelled Uncharted-like Star Wars 1313 was influential to the droid group guarding the Nal Hutta palace.

As per Laughing Place, the Droid Gotra were 'borrowed' from the scrapped LucasArts title, which would have centred around Boba Fett on Coruscant.

Perhaps the most famous Star Wars video game that never was, 1313 was dropped after Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm and the shuttering of LucasArts. Perhaps it's no surprise that remnants of the project live on, however.

Ex-Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy told Slash Film back in 2015 "we don't want to throw any of that stuff away" in regards to 1313 or George Lucas' ambitious TV show Star Wars: Underworld.

The Mandalorian also has previous history with repurposing 1313 concepts. So, even if we never get to play as Boba Fett in a fully-fledged rampage through the galaxy's criminal underworld, some of the game's legacy stretches out into streaming and big-budget blockbusters.

The curious case of the in-cinema director's commentary, meanwhile, has thrown up several gems for those listening via the TheatreEars app – including why director Edgar Wright gets a thank you in the credits and how a Luke Skywalker reference was added on the day of filming.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is now in cinemas. For more, see our The Mandalorian and Grogu review, or our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order.

Filmmaker Edgar Wright had one key note after watching an early screening of The Mandalorian and Grogu, and it has to do with the movie's evil bounty hunter, Embo.

According to the director's commentary provided by Jon Favreau, which movie-goers can listen to in-theater thanks to the TheaterEars app, Wright suggested that the best way to introduce Embo in the film was to have him appear earlier (H/T The Holo Files). Initially, our live-action introduction to Embo was when he breaks into Din and Grogu's house to capture Din on the orders of the Hutt Twins. Having him subtly appear in the corner of the screen when Din and Grogu fly back to Nevarro makes things a little more ominous (especially with his overall sinister appearance), and sets up the danger to come.

We first met Embo in The Clone Wars season 2 episode 17, and his arc ended with him and his anooba Marrok joining the Fett syndicate. It's also worth noting that Embo has a different anooba (his wolf-like hunting partner) in The Mandalorian and Grogu.

The director commentary is only available to United States fans (at least for now), as the TheaterEars app is available in over 6,000 US movie theaters. The commentary itself, and more, will likely arrive with the later streaming and VOD release of the film.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. For more, check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review, or see our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order to get caught up on the galaxy far, far away.

A Luke Skywalker reference in The Mandalorian and Grogu was added during filming, Jon Favreau has revealed.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is still in theaters, and now you can listen in on Favreau's director's commentary with the TheatersEars app. As you might expect, the commentary is revealing all kinds of interesting details about the film.

During the movie, when Mando is injured and Grogu must fend for himself, we see Baby Yoda seated on a tree trunk and meditating. It's a call back to Grogu's stint training as a Jedi Padawan with Luke Skywalker, as seen in The Book of Boba Fett: in episode 6 of that show, we saw Luke and Grogu meditating together.

According to Favreau (via Laughing Place), he had the idea for the meditation scene in The Mandalorian and Grogu on the day of filming, and he used some spare time to capture the moment. He explained that he thinks Grogu learned to meditate from Luke, and the former-Padawan could be "continuing Jedi training on his own."

During The Book of Boba Fett, Luke gave Grogu the choice to either continue his Jedi training or return to Din Djarin. Grogu chose Mando, and now Grogu is officially a Mandalorian apprentice.

"He's not on the typical Jedi path of a youngling, but he has trained with some of the best Jedi teachers that there are," Favreau told us of Grogu's Jedi journey before the film's release. "We know for sure he's studied with Luke Skywalker. There's implications that he may have crossed paths with Yoda, because he does recognize the name, is what we imply. And he also was there at the Jedi Temple before Order 66.

"So, it's a big part in talking to Dave Filoni, and by extension, to what he learned from George [Lucas], which is that the Force is about training," he continued. "It's about refining, just like an athletic ability or any skill. And we do see that, although Grogu is not serving under somebody who is teaching him, he still clearly is meditating and going through some version of the Jedi discipline. So, I think that his Force use has definitely leveled up a bit. Luke Skywalker didn't study under Obi-Wan for very long, but still refined his skills. So, I think that that's part of the path that's available to Grogu, as per what we've already learned from the previous Star Wars films."

This might not be the only reference to Luke in the movie, either: one fan spotted what could be R2-D2 being lifted from an X-wing in the background of the movie's opening credits.

In the same director's commentary, Favreau also revealed that he sought George Lucas's permission for a specific aspect of the film, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order provided inspiration for a major action sequence, and the movie's best line was improv.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. You can check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review to read our verdict on the film, or see our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order to get caught up on the galaxy far, far away.

It turns out everyone's favorite line from The Mandalorian and Grogu was actually some genius improvisation.

That's according to Jon Favreau, who revealed the behind the scenes tidbit in the new director's commentary for the film, which is available via the TheatersEars app.

In the new Star Wars movie, Din Djarin is captured and taken to Nal Hutta by Embo the bounty hunter, and Grogu and his Anzellan pals set off on an adventure to rescue him. This involves climbing up to a pipe that leads deeper into the Hutt palace. As the camera pans down the long, dark tunnel the tiny friends will have to traverse, one of the Anzellans observes: "Big pipe, huh?"

It's a line that has taken on a life of its own online already, and Favreau shared in the commentary that it was improv from Shirley Henderson, who provides the voices for the Anzellans (H/T The HoloFiles).

Favreau has also previously revealed that he reached out to JJ Abrams about the Anzellans, since Babu Frik debuted in Abrams's The Rise of Skywalker. "When I was working with the Anzellans, I called up JJ," he explained. "And JJ came to the set. Because you want him to know that, you know, 'I appreciate what you did. Can we – do you mind? Are we handling this well? Are you happy?'"

In the same director's commentary, Favreau also revealed that he sought George Lucas's permission to use the original Red Jammer model, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order provided a key piece of inspiration for a major action sequence in the film.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. You can check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review to read our verdict on the film, or see our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order to get caught up on the galaxy far, far away.

Boba Fett actor Temuera Morrison was hoping to make an appearance in The Mandalorian and Grogu, and it actually would've made a whole lot of sense.

"I was hoping to pop in there, too, and maybe help [Din Djarin and Grogu] out with something," Morrison told a fan who said that he hoped Boba would've made an appearance. "They might want him back one day… you never know."

It wouldn't have been out of the realm of possibility for Boba Fett to appear in The Mandalorian and Grogu given that he appeared in The Mandalorian season 2, specifically in episodes 6, 7, and 8 (though his subsequent survival after falling into the sarlacc's mouth is implied in episode 1).

You might also recall that Boba's arc ends with him sitting upon the throne that once belonged to Jabba the Hutt. Given that The Mandalorian and Grogu takes place on the Hutts' planet and involves a rescue mission for Jabba's son Rotta... it would've actually made perfect sense for Morrison's bounty hunter to make an appearance, and, as Morrison said, help Din Djarin and Grogu out with something.

The Book of Boba Fett ran for just one season on Disney Plus back in 2022, with Morrison previously saying that the show's reception "seems to have impacted the future of the character in the franchise." As a staunch defender of The Book of Boba Fett and the Star Wars Christmas Special (where Boba made his first official on-screen appearance), I have full faith that we'll see the bounty hunter again.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. For more, check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review, or see our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order to get caught up on the galaxy far, far away.

Over the past decade, Star Wars has focused heavily on the period of time between the prequels and original trilogy, so much so that fans are wondering if it is time to move on from releasing projects set in this era.

When the Star Wars prequels were released, there was no doubt that fans had a lot of questions about what had happened in the 19 years between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. But thanks to the ever-growing franchise, many projects have filled in the blanks and introduced lots of new characters. But when is enough enough?

"Considering the sheer amount of media we've gotten that takes place between III-IV, is there STILL some plot holes that need to be addressed? Or is it finally time to move on?" asked one fan on Reddit. Many others agree, as one pointed out, "Personally, I’m over the timeline between Ep1-6... give us the Luke Han Leia story post-6. Take some heavy swings at the lore. Dig deep and do some mythological heavy lifting."

Many fans are seeing the funny side of Lucasfilm and Disney's overexploration of The Dark Times. "There's still a dude in the back of the Mos Eisley's cantina in ANH we don't have a full 3-season show about," joked one fan, and another added, "You joke, but the Tales From Mos Eisley Cantina literally gave us the backstory of Han Solo's vest."

There are now 10, yes ten, projects set between the prequels and the original trilogy, and that's not counting Tales of the Jedi, which has episodes set slightly before. On the Star Wars timeline, Tales of the Empire, Tales of the Underworld, The Bad Batch, Maul – Shadow Lord, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Star Wars Rebels, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story all take place during that 19-year gap.

It doesn't look like Lucasfilm is quite finished with the period known as the Reign of the Empire, as Maul – Shadow Lord season 2 is already in production, and a third Star Wars Jedi games is expected to continue the story of Cal Kestis in this period. However, the franchise is exploring pastures new in Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter, which will take place approximately five years after The Rise of Skywalker. Starfighter hits cinemas on May 28, 2027.

For even more, check out our guide on how to watch Star Wars movies in order, and keep up with upcoming Star Wars movies and shows heading your way.

The Mandalorian and Grogu might be directed by Jon Favreau, but Star Wars creator George Lucas was still involved in one specific way.

Moviegoers are currently able to listen to Favreau's director's commentary for The Mandalorian and Grogu while watching the film in theaters via the TheatersEars app, and Favreau reveals plenty of fascinating details about the flick.

In the commentary, Favreau explains that he was at Skywalker Ranch, using the parking lot to film a Razor Crest miniature, when he learned that the original Red Jammer Y-wing starfighter model was being prepped for display at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Favreau then obtained the permission of George Lucas himself to use the model in the film (via Laughing Place).

The Red Jammer was created as a reference for A New Hope, but the model itself never appeared in the film. The Mandalorian and Grogu marks its first appearance in Star Wars.

"After a lengthy negotiation, George Lucas gave us permission to borrow the model," visual effects supervisor John Knoll previously told VFX Voice (via ComicBook.com). "We shot two motion-control elements of it. It's in the movie and will go by quickly. Unless somebody points it out, you won't notice it, but there are two photographed elements of a 1976 original model from Star Wars, which has never been seen onscreen before."

The Red Jammer shows up during The Mandalorian and Grogu ending, in the Nal Hutta X-wing action sequence. It's being piloted by filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung. For more The Mandalorian and Grogu Easter eggs and cameos, check out our guide through the link.

Lucas's American Graffiti was also an inspiration for The Mandalorian and Grogu, Favreau shared, specifically Mando wanting to boost the Razor Crest's speed by stripping his new ship of restrictors.

Favreau has also previously revealed that he reached out to JJ Abrams about using the Anzellans again, since Babu Frik debuted in Abrams's The Rise of Skywalker.

Plus, during the commentary, Favreau explained how Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order helped inspire a key sequence in the film.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. You can check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review to read our verdict on the film, or see our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order to get caught up on the galaxy far, far away.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is still in theaters, and moviegoers are currently able to enjoy an audio track of Jon Favreau's director's commentary running alongside the film via the TheatersEars app.

As you might expect, the director's commentary lifts the lid on plenty of interesting details about the latest Star Wars film – including a link to the game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Per Laughing Place, Fallen Order was used as a reference for the look of an AT-AT walker's interior. The Mandalorian and Grogu's action-packed opening sequence sees Din Djarin and Grogu battling Imperial remnants across three different walkers, destroying the giant vehicles as they go.

In Fallen Order, Cal Kestis climbs inside of an AT-AT on the Wookie homeworld planet, Kashyyyk, and he even uses the walker itself in a showdown against his Imperial foes.

That's not the only way Fallen Order figures into the movie, either: on Adelphi Base, BD unit droids can be spotted wandering around (they made their live-action debut in Peli Motto's garage in The Mandalorian). For more The Mandalorian and Grogu Easter eggs, check out our guide through the link.

Recently, it was confirmed that Cal Kestis's story is not over, and a new Star Wars book even revealed that Luke Skywalker knows Cal survived Order 66 by 34 ABY on the Star Wars timeline (AKA after the Death Star's destruction). What might be next for Cal remains to be seen, but here's hoping he returns sooner rather than later.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. For more on the film, check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review, or see our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order to get up to speed on the galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars series The Book of Boba Fett was met with a mixed reaction when it hit Disney Plus back in 2021. Critics were more up on the show than audiences, based on its divisive Rotten Tomatoes score, and there was a general consensus that the best episodes were when the series diverted course to tell The Mandalorian's story.

However, despite not winning over viewers, it seems that Lucasfilm may have considered a second season of the show at some point. Speaking at Fan Expo Philadelphia, Jonny Coyne, who played Lord Janu Coin in The Mandalorian and Grogu and briefly in The Mandalorian season 3, shared the insight.

"They said they were going to put me into [The Mandalorian] season 4, and maybe a possible Boba Fett episode as well, and then it all went away," he told audiences. "It all went away, and then the movie happened."

Per Screen Rant, it seems that Coyne was referring to conversations that happened after he appeared in The Mandalorian season 3, meaning that he can't have been referring to The Book of Boba Fett season 1. If this is true, then it does suggest that Lucasfilm was actively considering a second outing of the Temuera Morrison-led spin-off.

It seems quite unlikely that would happen now, but you never know what the higher-ups at Lucasfilm are considering next for the galaxy far, far away. What has been confirmed is Ahsoka season 2, which will be arriving in 2027. You can also check out all of the other upcoming Star Wars movies and shows that have been confirmed.

Andor might be a direct prequel to Rogue One, but it does have one key difference with the movie – its tone.

While Andor is a gritty political thriller, Rogue One still has more of an edge to it, but is less intense than the show.

"I watched Rogue One right after the finale of Andor and they really are played completely differently," says one person on Reddit. "The characters are paper thin in the movie compared to the depth they all get in the show, the pacing is far quicker and there's never a moment to [ruminate] on things. Now some of these are expected because one is a blockbuster movie and the other is a methodical serial television show so the very medium they're both in pretty much means they will feel different."

"When I rewatched Rogue One right after I finished Andor, I was struck by how mystical the former seemed in comparison to the latter," says another fan. The Force does play a part in Andor season 2, but in only a few scenes.

"The tonal changes between R1 and Andor have quite a bit to do with format and genre. One was a single movie, and the other a 24 episode series; one was basically a war movie focused on a specific action and the circumstances that led up to it, and the other was a political/espionage thriller. Also, there were differences in writing and production style that impacted tone for each," argues someone else.

"I find R1 waaaay colder and emotionally distant than Andor," says another person, while another says: "I cared about the characters in Andor and... not in the other"

"Cassian in Andor doesn't perfectly line up with Cassian in Rogue One, but it's close enough," says someone else.

"My biggest gripe with the Andor/Rogue One 'Trilogy' is that Rogue One uses the classic, lighter music and emotional themes. It has those momentary flashes of whimsy that the OT/PT/ST have. Also, while I loved C3PO and R2 on first release, their very brief presence did disrupt the flow a bit on rewatches, and after Andor, I actively dislike them showing up," is another person's take. "I know Andor Cut fixes most continuity errors that were introduced from what I understand, but it's unfortunate that the official release is so tonally different from Andor from purely an entertainment standpoint."

Andor season 2 ends just moments before Rogue One begins, with Cassian Andor setting off on the mission that will eventually lead to him helping steal the Death Star plans on Scarif.

Next up for Star Wars is Ahsoka season 2, which has a release window of early 2027. The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently in theaters.

You can keep up to date with everything else on the way with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.

Shawn Levy may be busy working on Star Wars: Starfighter, but he has an idea for another story in the universe. It's all inspired by Backrooms, the new world-of-mouth horror movie from YouTuber Kane Parsons, which sees a shopkeeper get lost in an endless stretch of rooms that he can't escape from.

Speaking at a screening of the film, which Deadpool and Wolverine director Levy was an executive producer on, he revealed that he'd love to explore something similar in a galaxy far, far away.

"Right now, I'm making a movie called Star Wars: Starfighter, and so I very much have Star Wars on my mind," Levy told Vanity Fair. "And I can't help but be captivated by a Backrooms, Star Wars mashup and, luckily, I've got a little bit of involvement in both, so I'll see what I can do."

It's definitely a fun idea. Part of the appeal of Backrooms, and why it has already been winning over audiences at the box office, is that it is a unique, original idea. We'd love to see this kind of thinking brought into the Star Wars universe. It wouldn't be the first time that the franchise has expanded beyond its core story, finding success with original stories like Andor, The Acolyte, and Skeleton Crew.

While these genre experiments have had mixed success, we'd love to see more of them. It's true too that horror is not a style that Star Wars has explored yet – and this isn't the first time that it has been suggested.

Andor creator Tony Gilroy previously shared his hopes that the franchise would lean into genre. "I always fantasised that the show would break new ground, that someone would be able to make a three-camera sitcom in Star Wars or a horror movie," he previously told SFX magazine.

"I think the first thing I said to Kathy [Kennedy, Lucasfilm president] when she said they wanted to open a line, was, 'Could you do a courtroom drama?' And why not? We've worked really hard on Andor to make our lane, and it's up to other people now to find another way to do it."

For more on the galaxy far, far away, check out our guide to upcoming Star Wars movies and shows and our breakdown of the Star Wars timeline.

The Acolyte season 2 would have connected to the sequels through Manny Jacinto's Qimir, showrunner Leslye Headland has said.

The Star Wars show was scrapped in 2024, reportedly for low viewership, though it was actually Disney Plus's second most-watched show of the year. This year, the show had a resurgence and returned to the streamer's top 10, apparently bolstered by Maul – Shadow Lord.

"I'm having a resurgence of The Acolyte in my real life," Headland told Empire magazine. "I speak with people who are really big fans, and were disappointed in the cancelation. I went to a play last night, and somebody was like, 'I just have to tell you that I loved it.'"

Headland also explained that she'd be happy to return to Star Wars. "I would still want to do it! Absolutely," she said. "As more people discover it, I think people may want to see some form of the story come back."

As for what that might look like, Headland revealed more. "We did have a lot of stuff that we wanted to explore – including tying in lore to the sequels," she shared. "Getting into who exactly Manny [Jacinto]'s character is, his connection with [Jedi Master] Vernestra, his connection with [Sith Lord] Plagueis, and then his connection with other sequel-established things."

Jacinto's Stranger, AKA Qimir, did appear to have some kind of relation to Kylo Ren, as hinted at by a musical cue in the show.

A new Star Wars book has also enhanced The Acolyte lore with a reference to Vernestra. "Some even say that it was during this brightest of times that the Sith began to crawl their way back out of the darkness," says Luke Skywalker of the High Republic in the updated version of Marc Sumerak's Star Wars: The Secrets of the Jedi, subtitled The Chronicles of Luke Skywalker. "There are even whispers that legendary Jedi like Vernestra Rwoh may have been complicit in their return. But we may never know for sure."

Next up for Star Wars is Ahsoka season 2, which is arriving in early 2027. The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently in theaters.

You can see everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.

Before making his live-action debut in The Mandalorian and Grogu, we first met villain Embo in The Clone Wars series. However, Lucasfilm boss Dave Filoni says the bounty hunter was actually supposed to appear way earlier, in George Lucas' scrapped series Star Wars: Underworld.

"While we were writing and creating The Clone Wars, George was also developing a live-action series called Star Wars: Underworld," said Filoni to StarWars.com. "He had a lot of visual development done where he was exploring new designs for ships, planets, droids, and aliens. When we would meet to discuss upcoming Clone Wars [episodes], George would use some of that visual inspiration for our stories."

First announced at Star Wars Celebration 2005, Star Wars: Underworld was supposed to be a live-action show that would bridge the gap between the prequel and original trilogies. Set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, Lucas wanted the series to take on a more mature tone than the space opera. Over the next few years, the team built huge set pieces and wrote over fifty scripts. However, in 2010, the project was abandoned due to budget constraints.

Just last year, producer Rick McCallum shed a little more light on why Underworld was cancelled. McCallum told Young Indy Chronicles podcast that the show would have cost upwards of $40 million per episode, adding, "each episode was bigger than the films... It would’ve blown up the whole Star Wars universe, and Disney would’ve definitely never offered George to buy the franchise."

It is not clear what part Embo would have played in Underworld, but it was the first piece of concept art that prompted both Lucas and Filoni to include him in The Clone Wars. "I gave Embo the species name 'Kyuzo,' which was a character from the Seven Samurai played by Seiji Miyaguchi," added Filoni. "I really liked that character so I gave a nod to the performance in Embo's character." That was just the beginning, as Embo went on to make more appearances in the show and even gained a trusty companion, a dog named Marrock.

After the Clone Wars, Embo retired and went to live a quiet life on the planet Felucia. In The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is set around 30 years after the end of The Clone Wars, we meet Embo in a new era, where he has a new pet and is quickly pulled back into the bounty hunter life. Embo is just one of the antagonists against Din Djarin and Grogu in the new movie, as the pair join forces with the New Republic in order to save what the Rebellion fought so hard for.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is now in cinemas. For more, check out our guide to The Mandalorian and Grogu ending, plus a look at the full Star Wars timeline.

The Way isn't just a nifty catchphrase. For Din Djarin and his fellow Mandalorians, it's a way of life that adds 'never showing your face to an enemy' to its list of many rules and regulations.

Pedro Pascal's Mandalorian has already broken that creed on multiple – albeit necessary – occasions, but The Mandalorian and Grogu movie has unmasked the Star Wars character for longer than at any point in Din's prior history across three seasons on Disney Plus.

As per numbers crunched by Star Wars Holocron, Din Djarin is unmasked for 270 seconds in The Mandalorian and Grogu. By comparison, The Mandalorian seasons 1-3 offer a shade fewer moments of unmasked action, clocking in at 259 seconds.

Towards the movie's third act, The Mandalorian and Grogu sees Din Djarin pulled in front of the Hutt Twins and his helmet removed – a moment that Pedro Pascal said made "perfect sense."

"When we got to that part, all I can say is that it made perfect sense, and it was what I was hoping would be the reason," Pascal told Empire. "If I were to pitch something, I would say, ‘The only thing that makes sense is...’ And that’s exactly it. He filled that blank. I said immediately, ‘Jon, that’s exactly what I was hoping to hear!’"

Previously, Mando has taken off his helmet to say goodbye to Grogu, as well as showing his face to IG-11 after being seriously wounded at the tail-end of the first season. This is the first time he has been forcefully unmasked, however, which is probably why we saw Pedro Pascal's face for so long.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is now in cinemas. For more, check out our guide to The Mandalorian and Grogu ending, plus a look at the full Star Wars timeline.

12 years ago, Charlie Cox was officially announced as Daredevil, and Marvel fans are celebrating the occasion.

The Marvel Twitter account shared the news on May 28, 2014. All these years later, Cox has appeared in multiple seasons of the Netflix show, two seasons of Daredevil: Born Again (with Daredevil: Born Again season 3 on the way), She-Hulk, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

"12 years ago today, Charlie Cox was officially announced as Daredevil One of the best castings in superhero media," said one fan on Reddit, which kicked off a celebration.

"Time flies. He is so awesome as Daredevil," said one person, while another said: "Top 5 casting in the MCU for me. He owns this role for life."

"S-Tier comic book casting," said another fan. "Matt Murdock is one of the more complicated roles in the MCU to play and Charlie nails everything about him to perfection," agreed someone else.

"12 years later and he is still giving us phenomenal acting moments in the role that blows me away," said another person. "One of the Marvel [goat]s for sure"

Daredevil: Born Again season 3 doesn't yet have a release date, but Bullseye actor Wilson Bethel has recently teased his new suit.

"There will be a small time jump, but it's not too significant. It's not like we're jumping ahead five years or anything," Marvel TV boss Brad Winderbaum has said of the upcoming third season. "We're probably jumping ahead a year or so, kind of like the real-life distance between seasons."

While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else that's on the way.

The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau has revealed he got in touch with J.J. Abrams about using the Anzellans again.

The very first Anzellan brought to screen was Babu Frik, everyone's favorite little guy from The Rise of Skywalker – which was directed by Abrams (he also helmed The Force Awakens).

Speaking to SFX magazine about bringing Dave Filoni's creation Embo into live-action in The Mandalorian and Grogu, Favreau explained: "We were developing the live-action version of him and showing Dave versions – we've got to show Dave. Because there's a special thing, when you use a [character] – even though it belongs to Star Wars, if somebody came up with the character, you go [to them].

"Like when I was working with the Anzellans, I called up JJ," he continued. "And JJ came to the set. Because you want him to know that, you know, 'I appreciate what you did. Can we – do you mind? Are we handling this well? Are you happy?' And with Embo, same thing with Dave."

Now, the Anzellans first returned in The Mandalorian season 3, so it's not totally clear if Favreau reached out about the Anzellans for the show or the new movie. But, J.J. Abrams is thanked in the credits of The Mandalorian and Grogu, so it seems this story explains why.

The Anzellans end up having quite the pivotal role in the first Star Wars movie in seven years, too, so we're sure Abrams is very happy with how the little guys are doing.

Next up for Star Wars is Ahsoka season 2, which has an early 2027 release window.

Until then, check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review or our guide on how to watch all the Star Wars movies in order.

Skeleton Crew season 2 might be possible, star Kerry Condon has revealed.

The Star Wars show debuted in December 2024 to a very positive Rotten Tomatoes score of 92%, but, since then, updates on its future have been scarce.

"I mean, I heard maybe possibly, but I don't know," Kerry Condon, who played Fara, mother of youngster Fern, told Screen Rant. "You never know in this business, but I really hope so because I thought the kids were great."

Skeleton Crew followed a bunch of kids who, after accidentally leaving their planet, have to try and find their way back home – only, nobody has heard of their planet, and it also turns out to be the rumored home of legendary treasure.

Jude Law starred as Jod Na Nawood, while Nick Frost voiced droid SM-33. The young cast was made up of Kyriana Kratter as KB, Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Wim, Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Fern, and Robert Timothy Smith as Neel.

While the show was well received, its debut didn't make it into the Nielsen top 10, with its first two episodes netting only 382 million minutes watched in their first week. That's the lowest of any live-action Star Wars show.

Still, a recent Production Weekly update said Skeleton Crew season 2 is "in development," so more could well be on the way.

Our own Skeleton Crew review awarded the show 4 stars, calling the show "a fun adventure story with lots of promise for Star Wars TV."

We'll just have to wait and see what happens next for Skeleton Crew, but in the meantime, Star Wars has returned to the big screen for the first time in seven years with The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is currently playing in theaters.

Up next is Ahsoka season 2, which has an early 2027 release window.

Until then, get up to speed on everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.

It's been almost a decade since Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi hit screens, but one eagle-eyed fan has spotted a big difference between the final cut of the movie and the trailer.

The trailer for The Last Jedi, which landed on Star Wars' YouTube page in October 2017, includes a shot of Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 approaching the Jedi Temple only to find it destroyed and on fire. However, one Reddit user has found that the shot in the trailer does not include the many bodies strewn all over the ground in front of the temple, which is shown in the movie. "In the final version for The Last Jedi, you can see [dead] bodies in this shot, unlike in the trailer version," pointed out the fan.

The scene is actually a flashback from Luke's memory, as he recalls finding the bodies of the students he placed in his Jedi temple between Return of the Jedi and The Last Jedi. He believed that Kylo Ren killed the students. Kylo's motivations stemmed from his paranoia and dark thoughts due to his shift to the dark side. He thought that his uncle wanted to kill him after finding Luke standing over his bed one night with his lightsaber drawn.

The post has opened up a big discussion. One fan pointed out, "At the time the film came out, I think the implication was that the Knights of Ren are what some of the surviving Jedi students became, because Luke says, 'When I came to... the temple was burning. He had vanished with a handful of my students. And slaughtered the rest.'" Another added, "It would also better explain why Luke gave up. He trained all these people only for the dark side to rise in some."

It is thought that Skywalker had brought Padawans to the temple to train, including his nephew, Ben Solo. Luke's sister, Leia, had previously expressed her wish for her Force-sensitive son to be trained under Luke, after she discovered a dark presence attempting to influence him. But after Skywalker entered Ben's room one night and briefly considered slaying him, Ben lashed out, creating a lightning storm that destroyed the temple and killed almost all of the students. However, in the movie, we don't actually see Kylo causing the destruction or harming the students.

Since The Last Jedi in 2017, the Galaxy Far, Far Away's cinematic universe has grown with movies Solo: A Star Wars Story and The Rise of Skywalker. This year, the first Star Wars movie in seven years hit the big screen. The Mandalorian and Grogu follows Din Djarin and his young apprentice Grogu, who join forces with the fledgling New Republic after the fall of the evil Empire.

For more, check out our guide to the Star Wars timeline, and keep up to date with upcoming Star Wars movies and shows heading your way.

One Star Wars fan has given us all a full tour of the Din Djarin and Grogu homestead, and now I'm wondering if Mando is accepting applications for roommates.

The homestead was introduced at the end of The Mandalorian season 3, when Din Djarin and his newly adopted son, Din Grogu, settled down on Nevarro. In the show, though, we only got to see the house from outside.

The duo return to it in The Mandalorian and Grogu, and this time, while we get to see inside, it's only a glimpse before Grogu is forced to flee (with his Anzellan pals) and Mando literally blows up the roof to get to bounty hunter Embo.

But, thanks to the Fortnite collaboration, we can see the entire household. In the video, which you can watch below, we can see the grounds outside, including two blurrgs outside in a callback to season 1. The N-1 starfighter is also parked nearby, and there's a target range behind that. Round the front, you can even see Mando himself sitting next to the front door and enjoying some downtime, in a reference to the season 3 finale.

Inside, the house is simple, but very cozy. There's a bed against the wall and what looks like a smaller bed for Grogu on the floor beside it. On the other side of the house, there's a fireplace – with Mando's blaster mounted in pride of place above it – and a small kitchen and dining area. The whole interior is pretty spartan, but there are some rugs for decor. Check it out below.

Honestly, the whole place looks adorable, and I hope someday – in a potential The Mandalorian season 4 or somewhere else – we get to see Mando and Grogu spending a peaceful stretch of time in their homestead together.

"We wanted to build something that, yes, was a gaming experience, and you drop in with, I think, up to [12 players], and it's a fun adventure, but the backdrop is a very immersive one," Jon Favreau told us of the Fortnite collaboration. "And you could choose to go on the adventures within it, but you could also choose to explore. And we even developed other areas that we had either explored [or] thought about, so that you can actually explore and go throughout that planet."

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. For more, check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review, or our roundup of how to watch the Star Wars movies in order.

The Mandalorian actor has reacted to the positive reaction of The Mandalorian and Grogu. We're not talking about Pedro Pascal though, but instead the man inside the suit, Brendan Wayne.

Wayne took to Instagram to thank fans, writing, "The audiences have been heard from and we are overwhelmed by the positive response. We loved what we were making and hopefully now we can make more!!!"

The movie currently stands at 62% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it seems like fans are loving it a lot more than critics, as the movie holds an 88% audience score. In our The Mandalorian and Grogu review, we called the movie "a lot of fun with Baby Yoda's sheer adorableness doing a lot of heavy lifting."

Wayne booked the role of Din Djarin for the first season of Disney Plus series The Mandalorian back in 2019, and has helped bring the bounty hunter to life for three seasons, and now in the new movie. But wait, you might be thinking, 'I thought Pedro Pascal played the Mandalorian?', which is true, but it actually takes a number of actors to play Mando. Pascal provides the voice of Mando, and is who we see under the suit whenever he takes his mask off, which has only been four times so far.

However, most of the time, when the hero is in full metal armour, it's Wayne under there. When it comes to the stunts, mixed martial artist Lateef Crowder takes the wheel. Thanks to Mando following the strict creed that all Mandalorians live by, which involves never revealing their faces out of fear of banishment, you never really know who is under there.

Pascal, Wayne, and Crowder all return to play the bounty hunter in The Mandalorian and Grogu. Set after the fall of the evil Empire, which has displaced Imperial warlords throughout the galaxy, the movie follows Din Djarin and his young apprentice Grogu as they join forces with the fledgling New Republic. Directed by Jon Favreau, the movie also stars Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward, Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt, Steve Blum as Zeb Orrelios, and Jonny Coyne as Lord Janu.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently in theaters. For more, check out our guide to the Star Wars timeline, and keep up to date with upcoming Star Wars movies and shows heading your way.

Cal Kestis still has more to come, according to Lucasfilm.

Cameron Monaghan's Jedi is the protagonist of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (and the novel Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars), but he hasn't been seen in canon elsewhere just yet (he had a non-canon appearance in Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy).

"Never say never. We've got his lightsaber in the park. We've got more Cal stories coming," a Lucasfilm representative (also identified as a Disney representative in the report) told GameRant.

What that might mean is a mystery, but it might be hinting at another game, another novel, or even a live-action debut for Cal. It all remains to be seen.

Recently, Star Wars confirmed in a new book that Luke Skywalker knows Cal Kestis survived Order 66.

In the book Star Wars: The Secrets of the Jedi: The Chronicles of Luke Skywalker by Marc Sumerak, Luke writes: "Order 66 might have seemed like a quick and efficient method of eliminating the Jedi, but not every member of the Order succumbed to this act of betrayal. A small handful of Jedi managed to escape execution, such as Master Jaro Tapal's Padawan Cal Kestis, but their numbers continued to fall during the years that followed."

So, whatever might happen next for Cal Kestis, Luke Skywalker at least knows about him by 34 ABY on the Star Wars timeline (AKA 34 years after the Death Star blew up). Cal has already made quite a name for himself in his appearances so far, which could explain how Luke comes to learn of him, or the two Jedi could even cross paths in a future Star Wars project. We'll just have to wait and see.

Up next for Star Wars is Ahsoka season 2, which has an early 2027 release window. Next year also brings with it Star Wars: Starfighter, while The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently in theaters.

You can keep up to date with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.

When Grogu first debuted way back in the first season of The Mandalorian, he was a tiny, green, and very defenceless youngling.

Over the years, the Child has done some serious growing: his bond with Din Djarin has flourished from bounty hunter and target to father and son, and his mischievous, wilful, and snack-obsessed personality has made itself known. Along the way, he's moved from a baby stuck in his pram, to a Jedi Padawan – for a little while, anyway – and now to a Mandalorian apprentice with his own Beskar armor and a wrist-mounted (paintball) blaster. Grogu might still be tiny (and green), but he's no longer defenceless.

It's in his latest adventure, The Mandalorian and Grogu, that Grogu really comes into his own, too – and proves that he's so much more than just a cute sidekick.

The young protect the old

In the first half of the new Star Wars film, Grogu spends his time hanging out on Din Djarin's shoulder, occasionally jumping into action to destroy a mouse droid with the Force, or to shimmy up a building and unlock it from the inside. He also has plenty of lovely little moments that are guaranteed to make you aww aloud, like sneezing after the snowy AT-AT action scene, jumping on the bed of the new Razor Crest and giggling, or waddling through the Adelphi Base on his teeny legs.

It might seem, then, that Grogu's only purpose in his first big-screen outing is to help out Papa Mando and look adorable while he does it. But, halfway through the film, everything changes. Din Djarin is taken captive by the ruthless bounty hunter Embo after crossing the Hutt Twins, and Grogu and his Anzellan pals watch in dismay as Mando is taken away to Nal Hutta.

Back in The Mandalorian season 3, Grogu faced a similar dilemma when Din Djarin was attacked by a gruesome cyborg on Mandalore. Baby Yoda jumped into Mando's N-1 Starfighter and asked its astromech to pilot him to Bo-Katan Kryze, and, in this way, he was able to rescue his father. This time, however, Grogu and the Anzellans take on the challenge of saving Din Djarin all alone.

Grogu suits up in his Beskar armor and heads to Nal Hutta with the Anzellans, and, together, they manage to sneak into the Hutt palace, where Mando is battling a dragon snake for his life. Grogu fixes a bomb – yes, really – onto the bars of the dragon snake's lair, which frees Mando (and spares him a grisly fate as a snack). When it becomes obvious Din Djarin can't fit into the Anzellan's ship to escape, Grogu stays behind to save him, even though Mando told him to go.

Grogu Force heals Mando's wound, but the dragon snake's poison isn't so easily vanquished. Here, the film shifts to a beautiful, meditative sequence showcasing some stunning puppetry work, in which Grogu, completely alone on a planet where danger lurks in every corner, nurses Din Djarin back to health. Grogu – who, don't forget, is just a baby – builds a mud hut for Mando and uses the Force to slide him into it (with a few head bumps), collects water for them both, and manages to steal some fish from a nearby stranger.

This stranger turns out to be friendly, and he makes Grogu a poultice to cure Mando, which the Child dutifully feeds him. It works, and Mando wakes up – and, naturally, gets right back to holstering his weapons.

In a touching moment, Din Djarin also affirms that Grogu, by saving his life, is following the Mandalorian Creed: "The old protect the young, and then the young protect the old. This is the Way." It's hard to think of any higher praise for a Mandalorian apprentice.

Your turn, Grogu

Of course, that's not to say that Grogu has ever just been "shoulder candy," as one of the movie's bad guys calls him. Grogu has always been at the heart of The Mandalorian: the entire show revolves around the hugely meaningful father and son bond that grows between the Child and Mando himself, and all the ways it changes them both. Just compare how brutal and merciless Din Djarin was back when he was introduced to the paternal ease with which he confiscates Grogu's macarons until after dinner in the movie.

But Baby Yoda's adventure in The Mandalorian and Grogu is the biggest responsibility he's ever had on his tiny shoulders, and it proves how much potential he has as he continues to learn the Way of the Mandalore and grow older. At the end of the film, he's able to use his Force powers to rescue Rotta the Hutt from falling into the dragon snake's pit – back in season 1, lifting the mudhorn to save Mando knocked him out for the entire episode.

The film even ends on a note that sets up the future. As the duo flies away from Adelphi Base, Mando calls Grogu up to the controls and lets him push the button that sends them to lightspeed. "Your turn," he tells his adopted son, in a very clear passing of the torch.

Grogu probably isn't ready to become a fully fledged Mandalorian just yet – he's still pretty small, after all. But it's obvious that, whatever comes next, Grogu has plenty more ahead of him, both as his Force powers get stronger and as he learns more as a Mandalorian apprentice. They really do grow up so fast…

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. For more, check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review, or our roundup of how to watch the Star Wars movies in order.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is out in theaters now as it takes Star Wars back to the big screen for the first time in seven years. The film follows Din Djarin and his apprentice Grogu on an adventure around the galaxy, but there's one moment that fans think could be setting up the little green guy's future.

This revolves around the scene when Mando is brought back in front of the Hutt twins after his betrayal. They show him that they've caught Rotta the Hutt and they're keeping him in a state where they can torture him constantly. They tell Din Djarin that he'll be in pain for centuries as the Hutts can live for many, many years.

This has sparked a theory from a Twitter user called RebelScum_MF, who wrote: "I'm calling it, Rotta will be the one to take care of Grogu after Din is gone. They put the line that the Hutts can live centuries for a reason!"

Grogu is a member of Yoda's species, which means he can live for centuries. Indeed, by the time he died in Return of the Jedi, Yoda was 900 years old. Unfortunately, Mando won't be able to live that long, as his species has the same life span as humans. This means – and we shudder at the thought – he will die long before his ward Grogu.

Grogu is still just a youngling in the show and the movie, and it's not clear when he will reach maturity. If it takes many more years, then it does seem like Rotta could step in. The pair certainly had a good bond in the new film, especially when it comes to snack sharing.

Other Star Wars fans have been reacting to the theory – and it seems the responses are pretty mixed. "Does he not become a grown ass man at some point? Bros already pushing 60, it’s about time to grow up," wrote one, while another added: "Was thinking that! Love it!!! wonder if they were part of the Resistance against the First Order."

Meanwhile, a third pointed out: "It’s foreshadowed in the movie about a growth spurt, which is likely what will happen with Grogu by the next installment. Rotta was the example…" Jon Favreau has opened up about the character's future in the Star Wars universe, saying he has "a lot of plans" for him. So we'll just have to wait and see…

In the meantime, check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review, as well as how to watch Star Wars in order.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is now in theaters as it reunites Din Djarin with his young apprentice Grogu. The pair are now both working as bounty hunters for the New Republic in the new Star Wars movie, which focuses on their mission to find Rotta the Hutt.

The movie stays in the present with the duo and doesn't feature any huge reveals or flash forwards to the future of these two characters. However, in a new special debunking fan theories, it seems like something around showing Grogu's future in the franchise may have been considered.

Entertainment Weekly showed director Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni a theory from a user called 4forlore that suggested a post-credits scene could show Grogu as a grown-up member of Yoda's species.

While this doesn't happen in the final film, Favreau teased: "There are things that 4thelore has brought up that we have actually…" At this point, Filoni cut in to add: "He's not that far."

The pair don't reveal anything more about what they discussed, but when Pedro Pascal adds that, "If Grogu ever gets that old I'll be long dead," Favreau clarified that the user was "saying a flash forward, that you would get a glimpse of the future." Could this be what the Star Wars filmmakers might have considered?

We do know that Favreau has thought a lot about Grogu's future on screen. In an interview with GamesRadar+, he revealed: "Creatively, I have a lot of plans, and I have a lot of thoughts about these characters, especially for Grogu. Grogu is a character that is – his species lives for centuries. He's on a path to be both a Jedi and a Mandalorian. He's making certain choices and decisions, and he has a great teacher now. And so, as he develops and grows, there's opportunities for stories that would emanate from that."

It's not yet clear where these characters will end up next. The Mandalorian season 4 hasn't been announced, nor has a return for Din Djarin and Grogu in another project. So it seems like we'll have to just wait and see whether we'll ever see a grown-up Grogu in the Star Wars franchise. Here's hoping…

While we wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows as well as our The Mandalorian and Grogu review.

The first Star Wars movie in seven years, The Mandalorian and Grogu, is now playing in theaters. But before Disney scooped up Lucasfilm for a cool $4.5bn, Star Wars was in a very precarious place, and Ahsoka voice actor Ashley Eckstein credits animated series The Clone Wars with turning that around.

Speaking at MCM Expo, where the cast of The Clone Wars were reunited on stage, Eckstein talked about being a Star Wars pioneer, as the voice of Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano on The Clone Wars.

“For us, it’s easy to forget, but when Clone Wars was on the air, there was no other Star Wars. We thought Star Wars was done," Eckestein said. "This was before Disney bought it and we were the only thing on the air… Without the success of Clone Wars we might not be seeing Mandalorian, Boba Fett, etcetera.”

It's a fair point, as much of Star Wars' recent output (Andor aside) has spun out from the world established by The Clone Wars. The Mandalorian season 3, in particular, featured numerous story threads that tied back to The Clone Wars, while Ahsoka, Maul – Shadow Lord, and The Bad Batch all pick up with characters and events depicted in The Clone Wars and Rebels.

Whether this is a good thing for Star Wars is debatable. The Mandalorian season 3 is widely considered the show's weakest season, in part because of its connections to Star Wars' animated output. The influence is plain as day, though: Rebels fan-favorite Zeb Orrelios plays a noteworthy supporting role in The Mandalorian and Grogu, while Ahsoka season 2 will further the story of The Clone Wars and Rebels in live action.

Originally, The Mandalorian season 4 would have set up the new season of Ahsoka in a major way, but Favreau started from scratch after pivoting to a feature instead of a new season. As it stands, The Mandalorian and Grogu continues the adventures of Din Djarin and his tiny green ward. But despite being a "standalone" story, the new movie does feature "subtle stuff that relates to Ahsoka season 2." We've got a wait to find out what, exactly, as Ahsoka season 2 won't hit Disney Plus until early 2027.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. For more, check out our list of upcoming Star Wars movies or here's how to watch The Clone Wars in order.

It's been three years since The Mandalorian season 3 ended on Disney Plus, but one fan has found a way to continue the story by splitting up new Star Wars movie The Mandalorian and Grogu into chapters as if it were The Mandalorian season 4.

Warning, the following contains mild spoilers for The Mandalorian and Grogu, so turn back now if you haven't seen the film. But first, check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review.

Over on Reddit, the fan split the new movie up into eight chapters, following on from where season 3 left off with Chapter 24. Chapter 25, which the fan aptly titled 'The Warlord', focuses on the first part of the movie where we catch up with Din Djarin and Grogu on a new adventure, Chapter 26 titled 'The Contract, sees the duo meet Sigourney Weaver's character Colonel Ward and get given their mission to find Rotta the Hut, Chapter 27 titled 'The Heir' introduces us to Rotta, and Chapter 28, titled 'Abduction' sees the Grogu and Mando kidnap Commander Coin.

As we get into the movie's main action, the Star Wars fans' next chapter, titled 'The Hunter,' is when Embo comes into the picture and kidnaps Mando, and Chapter 30, 'The Trial', sees Pedro Pascal's Mandalorian stand before the Hutts, before Chapter 31, 'The Guardian', sees Grogu nursing Din Djarin back to health. Then, to finish the season off, the fan's final chapter titled 'Retribution' finds Mando and Grogu back together again as they kill the Hutts.

Below, other Star Wars fans theorised over whether the movie could span across a whole season, with one reply, "I'd split the movie into 2 chapters: 1: The Old Protect the Young 2: The Young Protect the Old This is the way," and another joked, "And the titles would have leaked before the season came out and everyone would speculate that 'The Guardian' was referencing a Jedi guardian and get hyped that Luke or Ahsoka were going to show up."

However, others were quick to point out that The Mandalorian and Grogu isn't actually a replacement for The Mandalorian season 4, and they're quite right.

Before the movie was announced, director Jon Favreau was working on the fourth season, but the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike and the WGA writers' strike brought production to a halt. Then the plan changed to bring the duo to the big screen.

Favreau looked at The Mandalorian season 4 scripts and decided he could not make a feature film out of them, so he rewrote the whole thing. Moreover, The Mandalorian and Grogu is a standalone Star Wars adventure, which is why the movie steers away from the show. At this point, it is not yet clear when or if the show will return for a fourth season.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows, or our roundup on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order.

Hideo Kojima has shared his latest review, and it's pretty glowing. The video game maestro has watched new Star Wars movie The Mandalorian and Grogu and it seems like he's a big fan.

"I watched Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu in IMAX," the Death Stranding creator wrote on X. "Back in 2019, I had only seen the opening of The Mandalorian while examining the LED-shot "virtual production" technology, but this time I had no problem diving in."

He went on to add: "Action, car chases, close-quarters combat, sword fights, gun battles, death matches, aerial combat, giant monsters, giant mechs. A complete "everything versus everything" showcase. CGI, puppets, special makeup, animatronics, stop motion."

Kojima even went on to add he loved how "the behind-the-scenes craftsmanship feels like it has everything packed in". He concluded: "Nearly every element from across the entire history of the Star Wars saga is in as well. An entertainment spectacle made with craftsmanlike skill by Jon Favreau."

It's a pretty lengthy review from Kojima who either goes all in with his reviews or leaves them brief, like his verdict on Return to Silent Hill...

The Mandalorian and Grogu opened to a solid box office over the Memorial Day weekend taking in $100 million domestically. This is roughly equal to the last cinematic spin off Solo back in 2018, but it's not clear yet whether The Mandalorian and Grogu will continue to grow over the coming weekends.

For more on the film, check out our The Mandalorian and Grogu review as well as our breakdown of all The Mandalorian and Grogu Easter eggs and what happened in our The Mandalorian and Grogu ending explained.

In The Mandalorian and Grogu, the titular main duo continue their struggle against the galaxy's lingering Imperial Remnants when they're set on the trail of the movie's main villain: an ex-Imperial by the name of Commander Coin, played by actor Jonny Coyne.

In the run-up to release, the bad guy's name was surrounded by mystery: director Jon Favreau even teased to Empire magazine "you'll like his character name when you hear it." While Coyne's character appeared briefly in The Mandalorian season 3's Shadow Council scene, which featured a collection of Imperials scheming against the New Republic, his character was unnamed.

Ahead of the film's arrival in theaters, Coyne's character was identified only as Lord Janu. But, now that the film is finally here, we know Lord Janu and Commander Coin are one and the same – and that Coyne's Star Wars name is very similar to his real name.

"I don't know how my name got involved in the mix," Coyne tells GamesRadar+. "But at some point when I first got introduced to Jon when I was doing the series – well, the one episode that I did of the series – he said, 'Listen, I hope you don't mind, but we kind of like your name, we're just going to maybe call you Commander Coin.'"

There's even more serendipity to this considering that some of Coyne's friends gave him the nickname Commander Coyne when he first arrived in LA, "and, next thing you know, I'm playing that character." Though as for Janu, he says, "I don't know where that came from."

Commander Coin has a double life as a crime lord on the moon of Shakari, where he operates a fighting ring with Rotta the Hutt as his star warrior. "He's running a club where he makes money prize fighting people, a gladiatorial show for people to make money from," Coyne explains. "He's a bad guy, he is from the Empire, but they're all trying to make a living on the side."

While previous Star Wars villains have been lightsaber-wielding Sith Lords, Commander Coin is a different type of bad guy. "I was kind of hoping that I might get a chance to do a much more scary thing, but Jon was very determined to make him a very, very real non-Star Wars kind of character without the [mimes Darth Vader breathing], none of that stuff going on," says Coyne. "He wanted to make him a very real person, and I enjoyed that."

As you might expect from Star Wars, though, the role was shrouded in secrecy, much like the character's name, even for the actor playing him. "I was given the script: one day to read it," says Coyne. "I had to come into Manhattan Studios and take a MacBook, and read it off an iPad, and read it, and then hand the thing back, signed in, signed out. You weren't allowed to take it away with you. So I had the script for two hours, and tried to immerse myself as much as I could into that.

"The rest of the time, I just got the lines piecemeal, literally just like the line across a screen, and I would try and read it and learn it until the day when I had the sides in my trailer, that's when I had the actual paperwork in front of me," he continues. "So, it was really hard to develop a whole storyline, but it was clear what he was, he was a bad guy, and he was still immersed in that world, and they were still working as the Shadow Council to defeat the Rebellion. And what they're up to is not clear, but it's clearly bad, and along the way, these Shadow Council are scattered around the galaxy, and they're doing mischief and trying to make money and trying to make a living out of it."

But, Coyne did get some context courtesy of Favreau when the director pitched him the role after he'd already signed up to the movie. "[He told me] what he plans to do with my character, and he showed me graphics of my sets that I'd be using," Coyne says. "I had very much practical sets, real sets, as opposed to the Volume and green screen, a lot of things like that. So, I got to play on the real stage, as it were, and that, well, for my little mind, it was much more helpful. I need to touch things."

Indeed, Star Wars has a reputation for beautiful hand-crafted sets and critters, which Coyne got to experience first hand. "My club, the arena, my office were all very real places, and yeah, I think I benefited from that, really," he says. "It helped me tremendously."

That classic commitment to practical filmmaking even extended to a large scale action scene involving stormtroopers and a speeder chase, in which Mando, Grogu, and Zeb Orrelios attempt to escape Coin's compound. "What is brilliant about the guys who do these movies, is that they do introduce modern technology, modern techniques into making these movies, but they never forget the old ways, the old techniques," says Coyne. "So, when I'm in the speeder, you just got a couple of guys with big long poles, just shaking it around. You're just being shook by poles. It's old school attached to the new school. How they put it together is brilliant."

Not everything could really be on set, however: Rotta the Hutt is, as you might expect, a CGI creation (his papa Jabba might have been a real puppet, but Jabba never moved like Rotta…). "It is a wonder when you watch it, how it's all going to come together," reflects Coyne. "So, you're working with guys who are standing in for the various creatures that are fighting in that arena, including Rotta, and you think, 'Is that going to be convincing? It's just a guy in a sort of tail, with a tail stuck to him.' But it comes together beautifully, I think. Whatever they do in that magic world of CGI is extraordinary."

As for whether we could ever see Commander Coin again, Coyne isn't getting ahead of himself. "I got to do a Star Wars movie," he says. "I'd be greedy to say, 'Can I have another one, please?' It's great. As far as I'm concerned, I'm made up. I've done as much as most actors would dream of doing, so I'm very happy with my situation. Will there be more? Yeah, bring it on if they can. But, I'm happy where I am."

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows, or our roundup of how to watch the Star Wars movies in order.