There are popular film franchises, and then there's the Star Wars movies. Generations were brought up on the galaxy far, far away, including both big screen adventures and live-action shows that are streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The latter started thanks to The Mandalorian, and now Jon Favreau has brought both he and Grogu to the big screen. And while promoting the movie, the director has weighed in on the years-long AT-AT debate.

Critical response to The Mandalorian and Grogu has been mixed, although the audience reaction has been much kinder. The movie opens with Mando taking out three AT-ATs by himself, and while speaking with Fandango Jon Favreau was asked which is the right way to pronounce that Imperial vehicle. He responded with the following:

There you have it. While Jon Favreau thinks both pronunciations are acceptable, he does personally call it A.T.A.T, rather than the more colloquial (and phonetic) AT-AT. That's just one man's opinion, but the fact that he directed a sequence with the hulking vehicles does give his opinion a bit more weight.

While AT-ATs would cost millions in the real world, I assume that the debate about how to pronounce their name would still rage on. And even with Jon Favreau weighing in, both versions will likely still be uttered by Star Wars fans out there. In the same conversation, Favreu went on to share the origin of his preferred pronunciation, offering:

AT-ATs made their debut in Empire Strikes Back, which is considered one of the best Star Wars movies of all time. While audiences were originally unsure about its contents, it's usually at the top of the franchise's movie rankings. The giant vehicles made their way through Hoth, and they've returned to the big screen in projects like The Last Jedi and (most recently) The Mandalorian and Grogu. And the fact that Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin managed to take out three single-handedly was an epic way to start Jon Favreau's blockbuster.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. We'll just have to wait and see where AT-ATs pop up in the franchise next.

Generations of moviegoers have grown up on the Star Wars movies, as well as the live-action shows that have been released for those with a Disney+ subscription. After years away, the franchise is back on the big screen thanks to The Mandalorian and Grogu hitting theaters, coming from the minds of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. And those two filmmaker recently debated one of the biggest questions in the galaxy: which order should one watch the Skywalker Saga in?

Favreau and Filoni are Star Wars super fans, who are responsible or bringing together the wildly popular Mandalorian franchise. In an interview with Collider about their new movie, the pair of filmmakers were asked to settle the debate: should Star Wars be watched chronologically or in the order they were released? Favreau weighed in first, with the Elf director saying:

Some points were made. In addition being able to see how technology advanced, watching the Star Wars movies in the order they hit theaters also allows for its story to play out the way that George Lucas originally intended. We first meet Darth Vader as the villain of the 4-6, before the prequel trilogy shows how Anakin Skywalker went from a Force Sensitive young boy to the terror of the galaxy. This was the way many of us longterm fans watched the story play out, and Jon Favreau appears to be a bit of a purist in this regard.

In the same interview, Dave Filoni also shared his two cents about the ongoing Star Wars debate. In his words:

Another solid point. Star Wars is an embarrassment of riches, and there's something positive to take out of watching the Skywalker Saga in both chronological and release date order. As Filoni put it, it's basically a win-win situation.

While fans might continue debating this "controversial" question, there likely isn't one definitive answer. As Filoni pointed out, both watch orders have something to offer, and there's no "bad" way to watch the Skywalker Saga. It's just a matter of preference for whoever is pushing play.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. The movie wasn't super connected to the overall franchise, and it should be interesting to see if Starfighter follows suit.

Look, I know critics are divided on The Mandalorian and Grogu, and they took some fair shots, but I just don’t agree, because I had a blast. When I left the theater, not only did I find myself perfectly content that there weren’t any franchise-changing twists, but I also want to point out another aspect of the movie that really made an impact on me: the effects.

The Mandalorian Felt Like The Handmade Star Wars Movies Of The Past

I love how much practical filmmaking was clearly involved in The Mandalorian and Grogu. It made me feel like I was watching something from the OG era of the franchise, and after years of CGI effects in Star Wars movies and other sci-fi space epics, I was genuinely moved by it. Whether it be the puppetry used for Grogu, models and stop-motion action, it felt like Jon Favreau and the other filmmakers and craft artists working on this implemented the kind of movie tricks that really made movies more special back in the 1970s and 1980s.

When I had the chance to go on a set visit for The Mandalorian and Grogu recently, which was filmed completely in Los Angeles, we were shown to a room that exemplifies the kind of practical effects and props used on the new movie. Check out some highlights below:

After years of seeing Star Wars movies that look more like video games, the love and care around The Mandalorian and Grogu was so clear to me, even if it doesn’t have the highest Rotten Tomatoes score of the franchise. While sitting in the theater, there were times when I felt like I was watching one of those Ray Harryhausen movies my parents showed me as a kid, like the Sinbad movies or 1981’s Clash of the Titans.

Practical special effects like those feel like a dying art, but were absolutely part of the original trilogy. Back then, they implemented mechanical models, miniatures, puppets and matte paintings to illustrate the settings rather than the computer-generated technology that’s become so popular nowadays, and now that we’ve moved away from it, I see how effective it can be when a modern movie uses it.

Now I Want To Watch A Whole Movie With Grogu And The Anzellans

I think because the main character of The Mandalorian and Grogu is helmeted for most of the movie, the scenes that moved me the most were when Grogu and/or the Anzelans were the only characters in the frame, and I was watching storytelling unfold predominantly through the use of practical effects.

I literally could have watched an entire movie full of more adorable Baby Yoda moments because I think there’s something so precious about seeing these practical puppets/animatronics in front of you and knowing all the work that went into bringing them to life. It reminded me of The Muppets at times in the most complementary way, which I love for the same reasons.

I truly hope more upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows decide to go back to this more practical, handcrafted filmmaking that feels true to the spirit of why we still love and adore A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Dave Filoni seems to know exactly what kind of chair he has stepped into at Lucasfilm as he takes over from Kathleen Kennedy as far as all the upcoming Star Wars projects. The fan-favorite writer/producer/director has a lot of decisions to make now that he's in the big seat. On that note, in a recent interview, Filoni explained why he’s down for crazy” Star Wars pitches, and I’m loving his take, which could bode well for the future of the franchise.

During a red carpet interview with Variety at the Holllywood premiere of The Mandalorian and Grogu, Filoni was asked about the craziest Star Wars pitch he has heard since taking over as Lucasfilm co-president. Filoni didn't name a specific idea that had been dropped on his desk. However, his answer explains why the franchise still needs those strange little sparks in the first place. The outlet posted the interview clip to its official X account, and, in it, Filoni can be heard saying:

That is a pretty strong mission statement from Lucasfilm’s new co-head honcho, who officially moved into the Lucasfilm president and chief creative officer role earlier this year alongside co-president Lynwen Brennan after Kathleen Kennedy stepped down from studio leadership. Kennedy is, however, continuing as a producer and has credits on The Mandalorian, Grogu and the Ryan Gosling-led Star Wars: Starfighter.

One of the prime titles on the 2026 movie schedule, The Mandalorian and Grogu marks the first new theatrical Star Wars movie since The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. The film, directed by Favreau and co-written by Favreau, Filoni and Noah Kloor, is set to open May 22, 2026. That creates a strange balancing act for Lucasfilm. The studio has to protect one of the most recognizable brands in film history while also keeping it from feeling shrink-wrapped. Too much caution, and everything starts to feel like a museum exhibit, and too much chaos could make the mythology feel like an intergalactic junk drawer.

Filoni clearly understands that the answer is not to run from oddball ideas, but to find concepts and projects with real heartbeats that fans will resonate with. That is why The Mandalorian worked so well as a streaming series for folks with a Disney+ subscription. It felt like a dusty adventure with a simple emotional hook. We fans got the chance to follow a hardened warrior protecting a child he was supposed to hand over. Now, Filoni is in a prime position to help shape where those instincts go next.

On that note, Kennedy has described the transition as “seamless” as she has spent years mentoring both of them. She has said in past interviews that she spent a decade encouraging the longtime Star Wars creative to move from animation into live action, while Brennan came out of Industrial Light & Magic and served as Kennedy’s general manager.

So this all makes Dave Filoni’s “crazy is opportunity” comment feel less like a fun red carpet line and more like a glimpse at Lucasfilm’s next chapter. He is no longer just the guy who brought us some of the greatest Star Wars series, like The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, or helped make Grogu work. With that, I'm pumped that he's now one of the people deciding which strange ideas get to become Star Wars.

The Mandalorian and Grogu, the next big-screen chapter in the galaxy far, far away, hits theaters May 22, 2026. Check your local listings for showtimes.

Gina Carano’s issues with Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company have been well-documented at this point. The Mandalorian co-star was fired from the entertainment corporations back in 2021 after sharing social media posts that stirred up controversy. By 2024, Carano formally sued her former employers on the grounds of alleged wrongful termination and more. With that lawsuit now settled, it would seem Carano has since had at least one chat with two of her former collaborators, Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau.

How Did Gina Carano’s Post-Lawsuit Talk With The Lucasfilm Bigwigs Go Down?

For context, the lawsuit Carano filed against her ex-bosses was reportedly settled sometime around the late summer of 2025. At that time, it was reported that the actress was pleased with how everything ultimately panned out in the matter. One intriguing detail that was also included in Disney’s statement was the company mentioning that “we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future.” That tidbit seemed to suggest that Carano could possibly return to Lucasfilm at some point.

As of this writing, there’s been no official announcement regarding whether Gina Carano will actually rejoin the Star Wars franchise and reprise her role as Cara Dune. Interestingly enough, though, she recently revealed on an episode of The Ariel Helwani Show (which was posted to YouTube) that she actually did speak to newly installed Lucasfilm co-CEO Dave Filoni as well as Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau. As for what the vibe was when the trio talked, Carano shared this:

By the sounds of it, the three collaborators had a jovial conversation when they reunited after the legal drama. Carano worked with Favreau and Filoni on the first two seasons of The Mandalorian (and those are still available to stream with a Disney+ subscription.) Before the character of Cara Dune was written out, it was also rumored that Carano might be leading a since-scrapped spinoff, Rangers of the New Republic. So, given this info on the friendly meeting, it’s hard not to wonder if Carano may suit up again with the legal drama done.

Why Was Gina Carano Fired And Why Did She File Suit Against Disney & Co.?

Ahead of her firing, Carano made headlines for several social media posts she shared, which included critiques about COVID-19 pandemic protocols and voter fraud claims regarding the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. Carano also poked fun at pronouns being used by social media users. The star’s dismissal from the Star Wars franchise came after she shared a post that appeared to compare the experience of being a conservative to the Holocaust.

Carano subsequently cited what she believed to be a double standard, since her co-star, Pedro Pascal, didn’t receive disciplinary action for political posts he’d shared. In the lawsuit she filed in 2024, Carano cited both wrongful termination and sex discrimination as her reasons for filing suit. The Deadpool alum sought $75,000 in punitive damages and her suit was also backed by Tesla founder Elon Musk. When responding, Disney argued for its “a constitutional right to dissociate its own artistic message from Carano's outspoken 'political beliefs.”’ The company’s attempt to have the suit dismissed also proved unsuccessful.

Eventually, Carano’s team saw a win in the spring of 2025 when it was ruled that the House of Mouse had to disclose information in regard to how various actors linked to the Star Wars franchise had been paid. News of the lawsuit settlement came months later.

It’s honestly hard to say whether Gina Carano – who’s set to face Rhonda Rousey in an MMA fight this May – will actually play Cara Dune again following the drama she’s experienced in recent years. Carano herself referred to that time as “embarrassing,” and she initially seemed to share mixed feelings about the prospect of playing Dune again. At the very least, though, Carano’s comments on her chat with Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni suggest she doesn’t have bad blood with the duo.

Kathleen Kennedy’s departure from Lucasfilm had been predicted so many times over the last several years that it was probably a forgone conclusion that it would come to pass. That day happened in January when it was confirmed that Kennedy was stepping down, with Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan replacing her as co-presidents. While transitions at the top can cause some amount of upheaval within an organization, Kennedy says the transition has been “seamless,” and she explained why.

While Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan may have only recently taken the reins at Lucasfilm, Kennedy tells Variety she’s been working with both of them and mentoring them for years. Based on her comments, It sounds like she’s been preparing both co-presidents to take on these roles for quite some time. Kennedy said…

What's particularly interesting is that Kennedy says she’s the one who's pushed Filoni specifically to move into live-action work. That's in great part due to his knowledge and love of Star Wars.

It will take time to see what Lucasfilm looks like under Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan's leadership, and it likely won’t be a carbon copy of the Kennedy years. Despite that, it's easy to imagine that working so closely with Kennedy for so many years taught both of the new co-presidents a great deal about how to lead the organization.

In the past, Filoni has talked about how much he's learned from Kennedy. George Lucas handpicked Kennedy to run Lucasfilm after his departure (and he also forged a strong bond with Filoni as they crafted Star Wars: The Clone Wars). Kennedy’s track record as a producer is unparalleled. In this case, she believes she’s produced two people perfectly capable of taking over.

The decision to bring in two people as co-presidents shows that replacing Kathleen Kennedy is no small task. It would appear that the powers that be felt that the responsibilities involved were diverse enough that one person wouldn’t be able to do the job justice alone. Lucasfilm’s parent company, Disney, recently found itself in a similar situation. While Josh D’Amaro was named CEO, Disney Studios co-head Dana Walden was also promoted to President and the newly created position of Chief Creative Officer.

Many took issue with Kathleen Kennedy’s tenure at Lucasfilm and celebrated her departure. If the production company does “improve” under the new leads, that will certainly be a good thing, but those happy fans may still need to thank Kennedy, at least a little.

It’s a good time to be a Star Wars fan, finally, as those who are looking forward to both the first Star Wars theatrical release in years and the next chapter of the most popular Star Wars series on Disney+ will get their wish. The Mandalorian and Grogu is one of the most anticipated movies on the 2026 release calendar, and while it may not contain a fan favorite character, Katee Sackhoff promises that Bo-Katan Kryze will be back someday.

In a recent appearance at Fan Expo Vancouver (via The Direct), Katee Sackhoff was asked if she expected to return to the Star Wars universe at some point, and while many might give vague answers to such questions, Sackhoff was very open that she fully expects to play the role of Bo-Katan “forever.” She can’t imagine her character ever being killed off or erased because the Chief Creative Officer, and brand new co-President of Lucasfilm, would have to answer to his wife. Sackhoff said…

Sackhoff has revealed previously that the character that she first voiced in The Clone Wars animated series, before playing her in live-action on The Mandalorian, found her name as an amalgamation of the name of Filoni’s wife and the wife’s pet cat. Sackhoff said…

Katee Sackhoff likely isn’t wrong; that is some serious job security. I would not want to be Dave Filoni if he came home one day and had to tell his wife that he killed off her character. As far as we know, we won’t be seeing Bo-Katan in the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu movie, but surprises are sure to be in store. It would not be a shock if she appeared.

Even outside of the film, we’re still expecting a major Star Wars movie from Filoni that will bring together all of the Disney+ Star Wars series in an Avengers-like crossover, and considering how important Bo-Katan is to both The Mandalorian and Ahsoka Tano, it’s hard to believe she won’t be a factor then.

With Dave Filoni now in full creative control at Lucasfilm, it’s not like anybody is going to tell him not to include the character inspired by his wife whenever he chooses to do so.

It’s been rumored for some time that Kathleen Kennedy was on the verge of leaving as the President of Lucasfilm, and this week that rumor became a reality when Kennedy's retirement was officially announced. Despite the occasional controversy, it’s hard to say she doesn’t leave her post a resounding success, with movies that have grossed over $5 billion at the global box office, plus launching the franchise’s first live-action television shows.

It’s a job so impressive that, apparently, the feeling was that no single person could take it over. Instead of a single new President, the decision was made to promote co-presidents, with Dave Filoni also continuing as the company’s Chief Creative Officer, and Lynwen Brennan handling the business side of things as Co-President. It’s a model that has worked well so far for DC Films, and it’s one I hope the Disney committee currently undertaking a search for a new CEO takes note of.

Lucasfilm Went With Two New Leaders, And So Should Disney

Bob Iger is set to step down as CEO of The Walt Disney Company (again) at the end of 2026. We’ve been promised his replacement will be named early this year, which is to say, literally any time now. While the studio has reportedly been looking both inside and outside of the company for a replacement, two names have risen to the top. Disney Experiences chief Josh D’Amaro and Disney Studios co-head Dana Walden.

By all reports, it is a two-person race between these two. Walden has the creative relationships in Hollywood, an area that Disney’s last attempt at a new CEO, Bob Chapek, was found lacking. D’Amaro runs the side of the business that, between theme parks and consumer products, basically prints money. Each candidate has strengths, and each has weaknesses.

So, here’s a (not entirely) radical idea: as the meme says, why not both? There’s nothing saying Disney can’t have co-CEOs. While it’s uncommon, some companies have done it. Barring that, elevating one of the pair to CEO and the other to another executive title, like President, would put the two working together, each playing to their strengths, putting Disney on the best path forward.

It would work, and the reason I know it would work at Disney is that it’s happened before.

Disney’s Most Successful Times Came When Two People Were In Charge

While Disney has never had two CEOs before, it has had two people at the top of the company, and that was the case at the very beginning. Before it was The Walt Disney Company, the company was founded as the Disney Bros. Studio, and there were two Disneys, Walt and his brother Roy.

Walt was the creative genius who spearheaded crazy ideas like the first cel animated feature film and even crazier ideas like Disneyland. Roy figured out how in the world to pay for them all. There’s no argument that the style worked. Disney became a force in the entertainment industry.

It happened again in the mid-1980s when Disney brought in its first, and thus far only, CEO from outside the company, Michael Eisner. At the same time, it hired Frank Wells as President. The duo was often compared to Walt and Roy, with Eisner the creative mind and Wells the more business-focused executive.

Wells tragically passed away in 1994 at age 62, and he was never adequately replaced. One has to wonder if some of the decisions that Disney made in the late ’90s and early 2000s that didn’t work out would have happened quite the same way if there had been somebody working alongside Eisner.

D'Amaro and Walden are both great talents, and the company needs to keep them both. It's not uncommon for anybody passed over in a CEO hunt to go looking for greener pastures. Disney needs to prevent that here. Promoting both of them is how to make sure you don't lose one of them.

Either Josh D’Amaro or Dana Walden would likely make for great CEOs, but neither one of them is going to be great at everything. Together, however, they may be able to truly do it all. If one studio inside Disney realizes that two heads are better than one, then surely the company founded by two brothers will realize that too, right?

When George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, longtime Hollywood producer Kathleen Kennedy took over running the studio. From there, she guided the franchise set in a galaxy far, far away into new territory under the Mouse House’s umbrella, delivering both new movies and expanding Star Wars’ TV reach with both animated and live-action programming, among other media projects. Now it’s been officially announced that Kennedy is stepping down from Lucasfilm after 14 years, and her position will be filled by two people, one of whom is quite familiar to hardcore Star Wars fans.

Coming straight from Disney and Lucasfilm, Dave Filoni, who’s been a key figure in the Star Wars franchise stretching back to The Clone Wars, has been tapped to serve as Lucasfilm’s President and Chief Creative Officer, while Lynwen Brennan will serve as Co-President. As the official announcement states, Filoni’s duties will see him “take on creative leadership of the company,” leaving Brennan to handle the more business-y aspects. And while she’s no longer running Lucasfilm. Meanwhile, Kennedy will move back to being a full-time producer, which includes being involved on the upcoming Star Wars movies The Mandalorian & Grogu and Starfighter.

There have been rumors about Kathleen Kennedy’s retirement for years, but now it’s a done deal. Dave Filoni’s promotion should come as no surprise to anyone who’s familiar with his work. He’s played been an integral role in shaping the Star Wars mythology for two decades, particularly on the TV side of things. This ranges from creating Ahsoka Tano for The Clones Wars to writing, directing and executive producing The Mandalorian, Ahsoka and The Book of Boba Fett. He’s also cameoed in several episodes of The Mandalorian as New Republic pilot Trapper Wolf.

Lynwen Brennan has also been part of Lucasfilm for a long time, as she started working for Industrial Light & Magic in 1999, the year The Phantom Menace came out. 10 years later, she was tapped to run ILM, and from there, she became the General Manager of Lucasfilm in 2015, then its President & General Manager in 2024. In Variety’s writeup of today’s news, the articles muses that having Filoni and Brennan run Lucasfilm together “suggests that Disney felt the need to pair a strong filmmaking force with someone with a firm sense of budgets and balance sheets.”

This move echoes how James Gunn and Peter Safran were hired to lead DC Studios together a few years ago for similar reasoning. As stated in the headline, this is a major shakeup for Lucasfilm, and it’ll be interesting to see how Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan guide the Star Wars franchise and if it any way starts heavily deviating from what was being done during Kathleen Kennedy’s tenure. For now, we can look forward to The Mandalorian & Grogu arriving to the 2026 movies schedule on May 22, and Ahsoka Season 2 will also premiere sometime this year.

It was just last weekend when CinemaBlend attended the Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, Japan, and got to witness all the big moments. That included the announcement of Ryan Gosling's new movie which was cheered on by fans to Hayden Christensen and Rosario Dawson's reunion on stage ahead both of them returning for Ahsoka Season 2. However,, I have to say, the most I’ve seen Star Wars fans lose their minds all weekend was when it was revealed that a Darth Maul spinoff show is coming out next year.

Just a day after Maul: Shadow Lord had audiences hooting and hollering over the first trailer for the animated series (which remains officially exclusive to Star Wars Celebration), CinemaBlend got to speak to longtime Darth Maul voice actor Sam Witwer about his involvement in the series. In his words:

Sam Witwer’s Maul is featured heavily in the Star Wars: Clone Wars series, which ran from 2008 to 2020 (with a six-year hiatus between 2014 and 2020). Maul: Shadow Lord brings the visual style of Lucasfilm Animation and Darth Maul quite a few steps forward As someone who was in the room when the trailer was shown, I can say the new series absolutely channels the dark side of the Star Wars Universe in a way we’ve never seen before, and my jaw dropped.

The trailer involves Darth Maul rebuilding his criminal empire in the time between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. In the footage we watched, we saw glimpses of him taking on his own apprentice, but through a completely new framing than we’ve seen in a series before. That's because the show is told from the perspective of one of the franchise’s darkest characters. Witwer also said this to CinemaBlend:

How cool is it that Sam Witwer is so involved in Shadow Lord? The voice actor has played the role for over a decade, starting in the Clone Wars series. He's since reprised the role for Rebels, Lego Star Wars and Battlefront II. He even voiced Maul in Solo: A Star Wars Story. After spending years developing the voice, Witwer now has the opportunity to be part of the creative process and see Darth Maul really take center stage for the first time ever.

I absolutely can’t wait for Maul: Shadow Lord to be released in 2026 and, judging by the reactions at Star Wars Celebration, I’m not the only one. There are so many exciting upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows on the way aside from this animated series. So it's a good time to be a fan of the galaxy far, far away.

How perfect is it that Sigourney Weaver is in The Mandalorian And Grogu movie? The 2026 release will be the first Star Wars film since The Rise of Skywalker, and when we got a first look during this past weekend’s Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, Japan, we also learned more about Weaver’s new character through first footage and a short chat with Weaver herself. I especially loved hearing from the Alien icon about her lovely experience in a galaxy far, far away.

After we experienced Star Wars Celebration’s panel, which also included the surprise announcement Ryan Gosling will be in the next Star Wars movie after The Mandalorian And Grogu, Sigourney Weaver told us this about stepping onto Jon Favreau’s set:

Someone start blasting the cantina music from Star Wars, because it sounds like Weaver had an epic time in one of the galaxy’s bars during her time on The Mandalorian And Grogu. But as she shared with us, a scene where she’s interacting with an alien giving her a drink might have already been cut. Oh, how I wish I could have been a fly on the wall with Weaver on the set of the movie following her sweet descriptions of the whole experience.

As the actress shared, the set was full of crew members who have been working on Star Wars films and TV shows for years upon years, and it was such a joy to join the family. Weaver also offered insight into her character with these words:

In the footage we watched at Star Wars Celebration, Weaver seems to be in charge of Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin and Grogu as they are sent on an important mission to save the galaxy. Weaver has previously gushed about working with Grogu, but it was especially interesting to hear from her what working with the puppet looked like on set. As she continued:

We're looking forward to learning more about Weaver’s character in the year leading up to The Mandalorian And Grogu's release on May 22, 2026. We still have yet to see what’s going on with Jeremy Allen White’s alleged character in the movie! You can keep track of all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows here on CinemaBlend as we wait.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe may be the gold standard when it comes to movie franchises. Numerous other film franchises have tried, and most have failed, to copy the success of the company's first few phases. Meanwhile, Disney’s other big global franchise Star Wars has had more ups and downs on its path to sucess. Now Lucasfilm’s creative chief Dave Filoni says he is taking "inspiration" from the MCU and Kevin Feige.

Following Rosario Dawson and more appearing at Star Wars Celebration in Japan, we have a lot more visibility into what’s going on in the world of upcoming Star Wars movies and TV series. Speaking with ScreenRant, Lucasfilm CCO Dave Filoni admits that building the franchise with multiple projects in development at once is “tricky” which only makes him more impressed with what Kevin Feige was able to do with the MCU. He said…

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was certainly unlike anything that had been attempted before. The first set of movies, a collection of superhero origin stories that then came together in The Avengers, was something entirely new, and the franchise only ballooned from there. While many have argued the MCU has struggled recently, on the whole, there’s still nothing quite like it.

Star Wars certainly tried to do something like its own version of the MCU. In the years since Disney bought Lucasfilm, we have seen the number of Star Wars movies in existence nearly double, with numerous Disney+ series in addition. However, even Disney has sometimes admitted that Star Wars has grown too fast. Clearly, what worked for Marvel didn’t work perfectly here.

Part of the reason the MCU model doesn’t fit perfectly with Star Wars has to due with a greatly expanded timeline. However, while Star Wars franchise growth may go differently, Filoni is clearly looking at the MCU as inspiration that something like that can be done with the galaxy far, far away. He continued…

With multiple Star Wars movies in development that now seem likely to actually happen, and even more shows on the horizon (you'll be able to access with a Disney+ subscription), the franchise is certainly looking to expand at a fast rate. Star Wars is certainly hoping to find success on par with Marvel’s high point, whether that will happen remains to be seen.

We are here at Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, Japan to report live on all the big news on upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows coming out of the convention! After Friday's festivities kicked things off with a panel for The Mandalorian & Grogu movie that officially announced Ryan Gosling's Star Wars movie and the Lucasfilm Animation panel revealed an upcoming Darth Maul series. Plus, earlier on Saturday we caught the Andor Season 2 panel.

This one is going to be all about Ahsoka just ahead of Ahsoka Season 2 filming. We don't have a premiere date yet for those with a Disney+ subscription, but we're betting on a 2026 release date. Anyways, here's all the updates from the panel:

We're seated at the Celebration Stage after briefly talking to Rosario Dawson and Hayden Christensen at Star Wars Celebration's press line! We can't wait to see fans react to this exciting look back at Season 1, and perhaps hear a little something about Season 2.

The panel has opened up with a video showcasing Ahsoka's viral success with a huge emphasis on fans. Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau and Rosario Dawson have made their way on stage to talk about the series. Dawson got a big standing ovation when she appeared.

Filoni has started the conversation by sharing how the series is inspired by Princess Mononoke. The markings on her face even have a reference to the Hayao Miyazaki movie. I had no idea, and I love this fun fact.

They are talking about George Lucas visiting the set of Ahsoka during a pivotal fight scene between her and Diana Lee Inosanto''s Morgan Elsbeth from late in Season 1 when it was filmed back in 2022. It stressed Filoni out big time because he only had one day to shoot it, but of course it was a huge honor for him to be there with them.

Dave Filoni is talking about how he made Ahsoka in a way where audiences can watch it without knowing her past in prior shows. He compared it to A New Hope, which started things off at Episode 4 Filoni recalled being a kid seeing the first Star Wars for the first time and being confused about there not yet being episodes 1-3, which we wouldn't get for thirty more years.

Hayden Christensen has made his way to the stage to an eruption of applause from audiences. He too got a standing ovation, and tons of fans were yelling their love for him in the audience.

The guests in the panel are taking about Ariana Greenblatt playing a young Ahsoka in Season 1. Her presence on set made Filoni "question" his "reality" because it really felt like he got to see young Ahsoka Tano in the flesh.

Christensen spoke to returning for Ahsoka being a really "compelling" time in his life, and he found it to be "too much fun" to return to the part in this era of his life. Christensten also really liked having a "new look" during his return. Filoni said "no one" swings like a lightsaber like him.

Rosario Dawson is talking about when she learned Sabine would be Ahsoka's padawan, and the importance of her character getting to pass on knowledge herself. She said the arc on the series makes her reflect more on Ahsoka's time on Clone Wars, and the trend of "spunky" padawans in other Star Wars mentorship dynamics,

Hayden Christensen says he always has George Lucas voice in the back of his head telling him things about his character like "faster, more intense". He also gushed about working with Dave Filoni after they both went the "school of George Lucas." It was so fun to see the pair geek out about working together.

Now they are moving on to talking about the upcoming Season 2 of Ahsoka, Rosario Dawson shared they are going to shoot the series next week.

Filoni getting a little teary-eyed talking about the loss of Ray Stevenson, and how his loss made the process of developing Season 2 very challenging. After speaking to Stevenson's family, Filoni said he's "very confident" Stevenson would be "happy" with the direction they went with Baylan. He said the "character was meant to be important" and the "parallel to Ahsoka in every way." They are excited to welcome the new actor Rory McCann!

Filoni has announced Admiral Akbar is going to be part of Season 2, and he'll go head-to-head with General Thrawn. He also showed pictures of some new Star Wars cute creatures called Loth Kittens. They are adorable!

Filoni has shared that General Thrawn is absolutely going to be a big part of Season 2. He called him the "right villain" for this era of Star Wars.

Last, but not least: Hayden Christensen says there's "not much he can share" but Anakin will indeed be back for Season 2 of Ahsoka. But wait, there's one more thing! Filoni is showing a "retro look" at Season 2, even though filming has not started. We are being asked to put our phones away.

And, that's a wrap!

Our reporting on Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, Japan on its first day on Friday, April 18 continues with live reporting on the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows from the event. Following an incredible panel for upcoming The Mandalorian & Grogu movie earlier today where we saw Ryan Gosling officially announce his Star Wars movie, Starfighter, we've moved on to give you the latest on Lucasfilm Animation panel with Dave Filoni.

Going in, we knew that the panel will celebrate 20 years of Lucasfilm Animation and include "a sneak peek at what’s to come". Let's get into the highlights.

It's almost 3:30 p.m. here in Tokyo at the Celebration Stage at Star Wars Celebration, and the house is just about packed with fans excited to experience the Lucasfilm Animation panel. Stay tuned with us here as it soon gets started, and may the Force be with you.

The panel has opened with a touching video paying tribute to Lucasfilm Animation over the past two decades so far. From George Lucas' beginnings with the medium that led to the founding of the division to Dave Filoni's huge influence over the years from directing Clone Wars to continuing to create a ton of series in the division currently.

Now the VP of Lucasfilm Animation Athena Portillo and Dave Filoni have taken to the stage to get things cracking. Filoni and Portillo are swapping stories about working with George Lucas over the years. When it comes to pushing the boundaries in the division of Lucasfilm, Portillo says that she doesn't believe there's limits to storytelling and dealing with technical challenges – it's "let's see what we can do."

Now, here's a sweet little treat for fans. Filoni is introducing they'll be showing a "rough" clip from a Clone Wars that never made the cut. It's an action scene with Boba Fett from an arc they didn't end up using. It features Anakin on a cruiser chasing Boba Fett, who is jetting through the sky away from him. They both end up getting knocked down eventually far down. It launches into a short fight between the pair before Boba gets away and Anakin notifies Mace Windu about him. How cool of a match up.

Filoni is now reflecting about Rebels, and how he likes using the character of Ahsoka to explore the "odd ends of the galaxy" such as the World Between Worlds, and the "fringe" of Star Wars not explored in the movies.

The panel is also highlighting all the love of The Bad Batch is getting as of late – including through the Celebration as well. Filoni pointed out that one of reasons why they did The Bad Batch was because it was an original idea George Lucas had had. Honoring Lucas continues to be very important to Filoni.

The panel is moving to talking about Tales of the Underworld, which we saw a first trailer for just weeks ago along with word it was coming to those with a Disney+ subscription on May 4 a.k.a Star Wars Day. Filoni has just announced we'll be watching a whole episode of the upcoming Star Wars Original shorts series...

Wow, that was gorgeous. It introduces the bounty hunter named Asajj Ventress, who puts her neck out to save a young boy in the first episode while trying to stay hidden. The end of the episode one, which will be one of six episodes, ends with Asajj telling the boy that she used to be the lead assassin for Count Dooku (which Clone Wars fans will already know) as they go on the run.

What especially stuck out to me was the emotional score, and sharp dialogue. This wasn't really on my radar before, but now I can't wait.

After they talked past and present, it's time to talk the future of the studio. A DARTH MAUL animated series was just announced. It's called Maul: Shadow Lord, and that just send the stage into a bigger rousing applause than I've seen all day. Sam Witwer is once again voicing the role, too. Here's the logo:

We saw a trailer that shows Darth Maul taking on a female apprentice to realize her "potential" with the force. Y'all it looks absolutely amazing. We really haven't seen shows from the dark side perspective, so that makes it even more exciting. Oh, and the animation is unlike anything we've seen from Lucasfilm. What a way to celebrate the division by actually outdoing themselves with a new show on the horizon.

It's coming out in 2026!

It’s difficult to argue that the Star Wars franchise under Disney has had something of a difficult road. The sequel trilogy was met with mixed reviews, but it was an unqualified box office hit, with each movie making over a billion dollars at the global box office. The Force Awakens is still the highest-grossing domestic movie ever, ahead of even Avengers: Endgame.

But, since the release of those films, the franchise has had a tough time. As the head of the studio, Kathleen Kennedy has been the one to get the brunt of the criticism. While all indications have been that Disney has had no problems with her performance, many fans have. Now, those fans are about to be very happy if a new Lucasfilm rumor is true.

Kathleen Kennedy May Be Leaving Lucasfilm

A new report from Puck claims that Kathleen Kennedy has told people within her inner circle that she plans to leave Lucasfilm at the end of this year. No public statement has been made, so this is officially still a rumor, but Puck claims to have multiple sources confirming the departure.

It’s difficult to argue that the George Lucas-birthed IP hasn’t had its struggles. Multiple Star Wars movies that have been announced over the last several years have failed to materialize. As a result, fans haven't seen a film entry from the franchise hit movie theaters in six years, which is clearly not part of some grand intentional design. There have absolutely been some problems at the Disney-owned company.

As the head of Lucasfilm, Kennedy is ultimately responsible for the franchise, the good and the bad. For those fans who have been actively calling for her to step down, and actively harassing any women involved in Star Wars, for years, this will certainly be seen as good news. But I just can't get that excited.

Kathleen Kennedy Leaving Lucasfilm May Make Star Wars Far More Boring

With Kennedy allegedly stepping down, the big question will become who will replace her. The most obvious choice is Dave Filoni, who already has a chief creative role at Lucasfilm. He’s also very popular with the SW fanbase, and about the most boring choice that could be made.

While I’ve enjoyed Filoni’s contributions to Star Wars too, they have mostly seemed to rely on fan service. Easter eggs are fun, but they’re not enough to sustain a franchise. Yet, they are the things that get fans excited, so that stuff has only continued to grow. Making this new chapter in the franchise exciting by referencing older, better movies isn't a long-term solution.

The two most recent additions to the world of Star Wars, The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew, were projects I found far more interesting than Ahsoka or the recent seasons of The Mandalorian . That's because the shows (which are streamable with a Disney+ subscription) expanded the concept of what Star Wars as a franchise was.

Losing Kathleen Kennedy doesn’t mean that fans won’t see more interesting and creative ideas, but retreating back to the safe ground and just pumping out movies and series full of references to earlier trilogies is just not interesting. It is, however, what Disney does when it's out of ideas.

Kathleen Kennedy is one of the most accomplished producers in the history of Hollywood. With Star Wars and more, she’s shown how good she is and she’s certainly earned her retirement. If she is leaving, I wish her the best. As for whoever takes over, I hope they'll learn a few things from her.

Without George Lucas, there would be no Luke Skywalker, no Death Star, no Boba Fett, no Baby Yoda, and the collection of great movies on Disney+ would look vastly different. However, while Lucas is responsible for creating the massively popular franchise set in a galaxy far, far away, there are a handful of others whose names are listed as director for some of the best Star Wars movies.

With the property being as popular as ever, and a few high-profile upcoming Star Wars movies on the way, we decided to take a step back and look at all of the directors who have helped shape the franchise into what we know it as today. With all three sequels from the “Skywalker Saga” and every released standalone movie included, we’ve put together a rather robust list sorted by release date.

George Lucas, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)

When he sat behind the camera for Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, George Lucas was a talented yet relatively unknown director who only had two credits to his name: THX 1138 and American Graffiti. That would soon change upon the May 1977 release of the franchise starter, which propelled Lucas and the film’s cast into superstardom and made him a household name, a distinction that has remained true for nearly 50 years.

Irvin Kershner, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Though very much involved with the story, production, and everything else surrounding Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas passed on the opportunity to direct the film due to not wanting to relive the stress from the first film, per the New York Times. He took a risk and selected Irvin Kershner, best known for films like The Hoodlum Priest, Up the Sandbox, and S*P*Y*S, and it ultimately paid off and gave us one of the best sequels of all time. However, it wasn’t all pleasant for everyone, as Mark Hamill butted heads with Kershner during his first and only Star Wars movie.

Richard Marquand, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi (1983)

When it came to closing the Star Wars trilogy, Lucas selected Richard Marquand to direct Return of the Jedi, who beat out names like Steven Spielberg, David Lynch, and David Cronenberg, per Collider. Marquand would close out the first phase of the franchise with a divisive finale that seems to get much more praise as the years go on.

George Lucas, Star Wars: Episode I – Phantom Menace (1999)

When it came time for Star Wars to return to the big screen with the long-awaited prequels, George Lucas returned to the director’s chair 20 years after taking a more behind-the-scenes role with The Empire Strikes Back. The result of his return was 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menance, a movie that is not without its shortcomings but also one that gave us the iconic “Duel of the Fates” lightsaber battle.

George Lucas, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack Of The Clones (2002)

The filmmaker stuck around for the second installment in the “Prequel Trilogy” Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Though fans have started to appreciate the prequels, including the middle chapter, in recent years, this 2002 movie remains a low point for the franchise.

George Lucas, Star Wars: Episode III -  Revenge Of The Sith (2005)

The “Prequel Trilogy” came to an end in 2005 with Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, which was once again directed by Lucas. Conversations surrounding the film’s legacy have gone in every direction in the nearly 20 years since its release, but there’s no denying that Lucas directed the hell out of the Mustafar duel.

Dave Filoni, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)

Dave Filoni has gone on to be one of the driving forces behind the brand over the years, and it all started with him directing the 2008 animated movie, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The beloved film, which would lead into the the TV series of the same name, took place not long after the events of Attack of the Clones and further expanded the story of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, while also introducing fan-favorites like Ahsoka Tano.

J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)

In December 2015, three years after Disney acquired Lucasfilm, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens was released into theaters around the world and became a massive box office hit. J.J. Abrams, who became one of the major stakeholders in the property following the acquisition, directed the first live-action Star Wars movie in a decade and kicked off the “Sequel Trilogy” in the process.

Gareth Edwards, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

One year after The Force Awakens made beaucoup money at the box office, Disney released its first anthology film with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Directed by Gareth Edwards, who was hot off of the release of Godzilla two years earlier, told the story of the rebel spies who secured the secret Death Star plans and chronicled the sacrifices they made to save the galaxy.

Rian Johnson, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)

Either the most daring or divisive Star Wars movie depending on who you ask, Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi broke from the status quo and offered a fresh take for the galaxy far, far away. There has been talk of Johnson returning to the franchise at some point in the future, but he has been rather busy the past few years with the Knives Out series, including his upcoming Wake Up Dead Man.

Ron Howard, Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

More than 40 years after working with Lucas in American Graffiti, Ron Howard joined the franchise with 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, replacing Phil Lord and Chris Miller in the process. The movie, which saw Alden Ehrenreich take on the role of a young Han Solo, wasn’t well received and is currently the final Star Wars anthology film. 

J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

Colin Trevorrow was supposed to direct the final installment of the “Sequel Trilogy,” which at one point had the working title of Duel of the Fates, but J.J. Abrams ultimately returned to wrap up the Skywalker Saga with The Rise of Skywalker. Though the lowest-ranked live-action Star Wars movie on Rotten Tomatoes, TROS still made a ton of cash at the box office, though there hasn’t been a new theatrical release since its December 2019 debut.

Though there aren’t any Star Wars movies on the 2024 movie schedule, there are some promising series set in the galaxy on the 2024 TV calendar that should hold fans’ attention while we wait. 

Following guest appearances in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano finally got to take center stage last year in her own TV series streaming exclusively to people who have a Disney+ subscription. The Ahsoka Season 1 finale ended with plenty of cliffhangers, so fans of the show can take comfort knowing that Ahsoka Season 2 is officially happening. When it will arrive on the slate of upcoming Star Wars TV shows remains to be seen, but composer Kevin Kiner, who scored Ahsoka with his children Sean and Deana, told CinemaBlend that creator Dave Filoni has already started preparing him for the next episodes in a unique way.

During my conversation with Kiner, which included him talking about the “challenge” that comes with scoring for Grand Admiral Thrawn, he gave the below answer when I asked if he’d talked with Filoni about what’s coming in Ahsoka Season 2 so he can start building a musical foundation:

As he mentioned, Kevin Kiner has already scored for The Clone Wars, Rebels and The Bad Batch, among other Star Wars projects, but Ahsoka marked his first time composing music for a live-action project in the franchise. So he, Sean and Deana broke with tradition by compiling a playlist when they started working on Season 1 that they sent to Dave Filoni, and now he’s set to return the favor. Beyond that, what little information Kiner has learned from Filoni he can understandably can’t share yet, but he also hasn’t gotten a good grasp of what’s coming up because the man who serves as Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer has been cryptic even with him.

By the time Ahsoka Season 1 was over, the title character, Sabine Wren, Huyang, Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati were all stranded on Peridea, Ezra Bridger reunited with Hera Syndulla and Chopper, and Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Great Mothers arrived on Dathomir. Aside from concept art being released of Ahsoka and Sabine Wren atop one of the statues that Baylan found in the finale, no plot details for Season 2 have been shared with the public yet. On the bright side, if you enjoyed the Kiners’ music in Season 1, there’s more of it on the way!

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more Ahsoka coverage, and remember that if you’re looking to stream the Star Wars movies in order or any of the other TV shows, they can also be found on Disney+. The current Star Wars series, The Acolyte, drops new episodes Tuesdays at 9 pm ET on the 2024 TV schedule.

Ahsoka Tano is a well-known character within the sprawling Star Wars franchise today. She’s greatly loved for her determination, cleverness, humor and heart. Of course, fans also appreciate the powerful Jedi’s skills with a lightsaber. Considering how beloved she is now, it’s somewhat hard to believe that there was a time at which she was unpopular. That’s right, plenty surely remember her introduction well over a decade ago, which was met with harsh critiques. Her rise from franchise pariah to pop culture icon is very interesting – so much so that amid Women’s History Month, I feel compelled to discuss her evolution. 

When Was Ahsoka Created For The Star Wars Universe And When Did She Make Her Debut?

There are two people who we can attribute the creation of Tano to, and they’re George Lucas and Dave Filoni, as they conceived of her while creating the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It’s been said that Lucas felt compelled to create the young heroine as someone for his (then-young) daughters and other girls to look up to. Filoni, who initially believed his Lucasfilm hiring was a prank, would eventually play a particularly keen role in developing the character. Someone who would, in time, prove to be vital to the character as well would be actress Ashley Eckstein, who was tapped to voice her.

Tano ultimately made her debut in the 2008 film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which was birthed from George Lucas’ excitement over the early footage from its TV show counterpart. Ahsoka was established as the newly minted padawan of one Anakin Skywalker, who was surprised Master Yoda had assigned the adolescent Togruta to him. But this would mark the start of an endearing surrogate father-daughter relationship. Today, the relationship between “Snips” and “SkyGuy” is beloved, and there’s even been artwork that’s paid tribute to Anakin and Ahsoka’s bond.

I can still remember being 14 years old when the film and TV series were released and, in the lead-up to both, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Tano. As a fan, I had no preconceived notions about her, just an ample amount of curiosity. I couldn’t have imagined that she would one day end up being one of the franchise’s most revered protagonists. Additionally, I also didn’t expect such intense backlash once the public got its first taste of her.

How Fans Responded After Ahsoka Tano Was Formally Introduced

Back in the late 2000s, I didn’t surf the Internet quite as often as I do now, though I do remember stumbling across some chat rooms and message boards. Needless to say, a number of franchise devotees weren’t too impressed with Ahsoka. At the time, many seemed to find her to be impatient, cocky and an unnecessary addition to the canon. Aside from fans, some critics weren’t taken with her right away. While reviewing the Clone Wars film, even the late, great Roger Ebert expressed less-than-positive sentiments about her introduction: 

It would be an understatement to say that fans and pundits alike didn’t mince words when voicing their displeasure for the young Jedi learner. And the people at Lucasfilm were well aware of the reception. While speaking at the 2023 C2E2 convention (via Popverse) Ashley Eckstein recalled the vitriol and, as you can imagine, she was deeply affected by it after the movie’s release and amid the series' early episodes: 

Fictional characters aren’t always perfect upon their debuts and, in fairness, Tano did need to be refined a bit. Still, the amount of blunt thoughts shared about her at the time was downright wild, if I’m being real. Ever in line with the spirit of the Star Wars franchise though, the creative team didn’t lose hope in its creation. As the actress mentioned, they were already working on Season 2 by the time the film came out, and they were confident that fans would eventually become interested in her journey. And they were right.

How Ahsoka Became A Fan-Favorite And Established Power Player Within The Franchise

Dave Filoni and co. did indeed have a plan for the character. Over the course of The Clone Wars’ five seasons that aired from 2008 to 2013, she evolved from an impetuous, young Jedi in training to a cerebral Force-user. And not only did her mind become sharper, but her skills with a lightsaber. (The New York Post’s Linda Stasi actually noted her skills as a swordsman as a bright spot in her negative review of the 2008 feature.) Tano was involved in some of the best storyline the Cartoon Network series had to offer, including the “Mortis” arc and the “Ahsoka the Fugitive” story. Her journey on CW culminated in the “Siege of Mandalore” story, which brought the entire show to a fitting end in 2020.

Of course, that series wouldn’t be the only place that fans would get to enjoy the character’s exploits. In 2015, she returned in Star Wars Rebels and, though she appeared in a supporting capacity, the writers expanded on her characterization and gave her cool actions sequences. Defining moments from the heroine’s life were also explored on Tales of the Jedi. And, of course, in 2023, she received her own self-titled, live-action series, with Rosario Dawson taking on the role. The show was well received and, as a result, fans can now look forward to Ahsoka Season 2, which we know a little about.

I’ve watched as fans’ opinions of Tano have shifted over the years, and it’s been wonderful to behold. Based on my observations, many seem to appreciate her journey and what she brings to the lore. Dave Filoni and the writers have shaped her evolution well, allowing her to grow in very dynamic ways. If anything, those who are invested find her journey to be relatively satisfying at this point. Which is ironic, considering that, in hindsight, one of the reasons why it’s so rewarding is because of the former padawan’s rocky beginnings. The creative team at Disney seems pleased by her impact as well. When Ashley Eckstein shared some words of wisdom about her character with CinemaBlend, she reflected on the influence her alter ego has had: 

In short, the character is now an icon – one that fans across all genders, ages, ethnicities and more admire. When taking into account just where she started, that's truly remarkable. What’s even more amazing to consider, even though she’s existed for nearly two decades now, is that there’s still so much of her story that can be told as time goes on.

What I’m Hoping When It Comes To Ahsoka’s Future

With her popularity now at a serious high, I’d imagine that Lucasfilm is going to make sure that more stories revolving around Ahsoka Tano will be told. Such a notion would neither surprise nor upset me. In fact, as time goes on, it’s my sincerest hope that the Jedi will remain a fixture within the franchise, whether that be through TV shows, movies, literature and more. More importantly though, one would hope that she continues to inspire viewers to be brave, intelligent, resilient and kind.

It’s not all that often that a character has such a tremendous glow-up like Ahsoka’s. To be honest, I’m still amazed by the trajectory she’s had. The early hate that she received may seem like a distant memory to some now, but it’s also a stark reminder that fandom shouldn’t write off a character right away. As CinemaBlend celebrates Women’s History Month, I can’t think of a better protagonist to pay tribute to. Tano deserves all the flowers and, at this point in her existence, the sky is truly the limit for one of the Star Wars franchise’s greatest icons.

You can check out Ahsoka Tano’s greatest moments by streaming The Clone Wars, Rebels and the character’s eponymous show using a Disney+ subscription. Also, keep your eyes peeled for details on upcoming Star Wars movies and TV series so you’ll know when she returns.

Although Disney+ subscribers have been kept well supplied with Star Wars TV shows to accompany the Star Wars movies in order on the streaming service, the galaxy far, far away hasn’t delivered a theatrical movie since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. However, there are a number of upcoming Star Wars movies in the works, and from what we know about The Mandalorian and Grogu, it’s looking it will mark the franchise’s return to the big screen. Production is reportedly set to begin this summer, and Dave Filoni, Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer, explained why Jon Favreau is the perfect director to helm the movie.

Of course, neither of these men are strangers to The Mandalorian corner of the Star Wars universe. They created it together, Favreau has written nearly every episode either on his own or with someone else, and Filoni has not only written and directed some episodes of his own, he’s played the X-Wing pilot Trapper Wolf. Now that Din Djarin and his adorable ward are making the jump to cinematic territory, Filoni gave the following rationale to Entertainment Tonight why it’s good that Favreau will be the one seated in the director’s chair:

With the exception of the Season 2 premiere, titled “The Gunslinger,” Jon Favreau has left directing duties on The Mandalorian to others, but the man has proven himself to be a notable filmmaker several times over thanks to movies like Elf, Iron Man and Chef. Even if he wasn’t already tied to Star Wars, I imagine the powers-that-be at Lucasfilm would have him on a shortlist of directors to consider for a movie. Fortunately, he’s been part of the franchise for many years now, stretching back to when he voiced Pre Vizsla in The Clone Wars.

So Jon Favreau’s filmmaking talents combined with this “shorthand” he and Dave Filoni share made him the perfect man to tackle The Mandalorian and Grogu, which will be the first movie he’s directed since 2019’s The Lion King. Alas, as with most in-development Star Wars projects, details about what we can expect from this movie are being kept closely guarded. One thing that’s probably safe to assume, though, is that Pedro Pascal will continue voicing Din Djarin for the movie, though that’s no guarantee we’ll see the character take off his helmet again.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is set to be released sometime in 2026, and while unclear now if The Mandalorian Season 4 will still happen, let’s not forget that Dave Filoni is also directing a Star Wars movie that will serve as a “climactic story event” for that and the other New Republic-set shows, like The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka and the forthcoming Skeleton Crew. Other Star Wars movies on the way include Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s movie following Daisy Ridley’s Rey 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker, and James Mangold’s movie exploring the origins of The Force.

There are popular franchises, and then there's Star Wars. The galaxy far, far away has entertained fans for decades, and continues expanding thanks to movies and shows that are available with a Disney+ subscription. The first of these was the megahit The Mandalorian, which featured the iconic Carl Weathers as Greef Karga. Weathers recently died at age 76, with Dave Filoni sharing his favorite aspect of the late Mandalorian actor. And it's so perfect.

Since his passing, a number of tributes have been pouring in for Carl Weathers, including both fans and those who worked with him. While fans wait for information about The Mandalorian Season 4, sadly the Happy Gilmore actor won't be around. Dave Filoni spoke to ET about his experience working with Weathers, saying:

Talk about a core memory. One of Carl Weathers' most iconic roles was as Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky movies. And it sounds like he brought the energy of that character to Star Wars Celebration when promoting the first season of The Mandalorian. Pretty iconic, no?

Weathers had roles in a number of beloved properties, including the original Predator movie. And it sounds like Dave Filoni absolutely loved collaborating with him for the creation of Greek Karga. 

Later in that same conversation, Dave Filoni further spoke about Carl Weathers as both a collaborator and a person. He still seems thrilled that he even got to meet the late icon, saying:

Of course, Filoni isn't the only one who was impressed with what he brought to The Mandalorian. In fact, Carl Weathers earned a 2021 Emmy nomination for his performance in the acclaimed Star Wars series. One can only imagine how he would have factored into future Star Wars projects like the new season of Mandalorian and recently announced movie The Mandalorian and Grogu. 

Our thoughts are with Carl Weathers' loved ones during this difficult time. But one thing is clear: his legacy will live on thanks to his acclaimed work and gentle spirit. 

For the last five years Star Wars, the former king of the box office, has released no movies in theaters. Star Wars has remained a popular franchise thanks to numerous Disney+ series, but the plan for upcoming Star Wars movies has been largely a mystery. However, we now know that Star Wars is headed back to theaters thanks to one of those successful Disney+ series.

The Mandalorian and Grogu are getting a movie. Principal photography on The Mandalorian & Grogu has been completed, making it all but certain that we will finally get a new Star Wars movie on the big screen after all these years.

(SPOILER ALERT: This article contains specific details about events from The Mandalorian series, so be warned if you're not caught up on the Disney+ show!)

What Is The Mandalorian & Grogu Release Date?

When The Mandalorian & Grogu was first announced, only a production start date of “2024” was given. No release date was specifically given, but all indications were that the Mando movie was leapfrogging all the other upcoming Star Wars movies, and was going to be the first Star Wars film on the big screen since The Rise of Skywalker.

Sure enough, that has now been confirmed. In April 2024 The Mandalorian & Grogu was given an official release date of May 22, 2026, making it the first of two Star Wars films currently planned for that year.

The Mandalorian & Grogu Cast

If there was one thing more surprising than the announcement of The Mandalorian & Grogu as a film, it was the fact that almost nothing was said about the movie. This includes information that the title itself would seem to confirm. At this moment not a single cast member of the movie has been revealed, including The Mandalorian himself.

We can’t say with certainty that Pedro Pascal will appear in the movie. At the same time, it seems highly unlikely that we won’t see him or at the very least hear his voice. Having said that The Mandalorian & Grogu is filming around the same time as Fantastic Four so it actually appears unlikely Pascal will be the one under the Mandalorian helmet, at least most of the time.

Who else may be part of The Mandalorian & Grogu cast is another question. Seeing other characters from The Mandalorian franchise seems likely, but nothing has been announced. IN May 2024 it was reported Sigourney Weaver was in talks to appear, but it's unclear if she actually signed on, or what role she might play. Eman Esfandi, who played Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka has denied he'll appear in the film. However, a sizzle reel shown at D23 showed that another Star Wars: Rebels character Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios, will appear.

Jon Favreau Will Direct The New Movie

While little is known about who will appear in front of the camera, more is known about who will be running things behind the camera. Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Kathleen Kennedy will produce the film. It’s also been confirmed that Favreau will direct the new movie.

Surprisingly, this will only be Favreau’s second time directing any Mandalorian-related content. While he has written or co-written nearly every episode of the series, he’s only directed a single episode. Favreau and Dave Filoni are currently sharing writing credits for the film.

What The Mandalorian & Grogu May Be About

With The Mandalorian & Grogu going into production this year we’re to believe the movie will be the next chapter of this story. Therefore, trying to figure out what the movie will be about, we take a look at where Season 3 of The Mandalorian left the title characters. In The Mandalorian Season 3 ending we saw Din Djardin formally adopt Grogu, and the newly christened Din Grogu became his adoptive father’s apprentice. We also saw the pair put down roots in a home on the planet Nevarro.

With most previous plot threads seemingly resolved, the door is open to a story going in just about any direction. One assumes the story will begin where we left off. Perhaps something will happen on Nevarro that Mando and Grogu will get involved in. Or perhaps the two will be back to being bounty hunters, and that’s how the story gets rolling. Of course, it could be something much bigger.

Who The Mandalorian & Grogu Villain Could Be

Every good Star Wars movie needs a villain, and there are a couple of high-potential options for The Mandalorian & Grogu. One is Grand Admiral Thrawn. His name has been mentioned in The Mandalorian and we finally met him during the first season of Ahsoka. He’s now back in Mando’s galaxy, and we expect he will attempt to resurrect the Empire.

Another possibility is Moff Gideon. While we seemingly saw him die in Season 3 of The Mandalorian, we also saw a room full of clones of him that he was developing, so it’s possible the person we saw die was a clone, or that somewhere there’s a clone that survived and so one way or another Gideon isn't dead. Actor Giancarlo Esposito has said he's more than happy to return as Moff Gideon. Of course, Gideon was a supporter of Thrawn, so it’s possible both could be part of the new movie.

What Does The Movie Mean For Season 4 Of The Mandalorian?

The announcement of The Mandalorian & Grogu was a bit of a shock because all focus had been on The Mandalorian Season 4 on Disney+. Jon Favreau had previously stated that Season 4 was already written, and while the announcement of the new movie didn’t say anything about the new season of the show (though it did confirm Season 2 of Ahsoka was coming) we expect that the new season is happening, unless, the new movie is Season 4 of The Mandalorian.

It’s possible that, for whatever reason, the decision was made to transform what was to be Season 4 of The Mandalorian into a theatrical film. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen that with a Disney+ show. The Don Cheadle-led Armor Wars was to be a Disney+ series before the decision was made to make an Armor Wars movie instead. It’s possible that could be what happened here, but until we have confirmation, we’ll assume more Mandalorian on Disney+ is still planned.

The Mandalorian & Grogu Are Still Expected To Appear In Dave Filoni’s Planned Movie

While The Mandalorian & Grogu was a surprise announcement when it came, we were expecting to see the two title characters on the big screen at some point. At the last Star Wars celebration it was revealed that Dave Filoni would direct a theatrical Star Wars movie that would act as a blowout finale to the interconnected Star Wars series we’ve seen, including The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and the new Skeleton Crew, among possibly more. The announcement of the new movie confirmed that Dave Filoni’s movie is still one of those planned for the future, so this film is not that movie.

With The Mandalorian & Grogu less than two years away, there's still a lot we don't know about the next Star Wars movie. But we'll keep updating you as we learn more.

Star Wars is one of the most beloved film franchises of all time, with generations growing up with the galaxy far, far away. While fans are eager for upcoming Star Wars movies, the franchise has largely been expanding thanks to live-action shows that are available with a Disney+ subscription. It all started out with The Mandalorian, and it turns out he's getting a movie with Grogu. I'm hyped, although I do have some questions. 

While fans are waiting for The Mandalorian Season 3, a thrilling announcement by Lucasfilm on the Star Wars website confirmed that Pedro Pascal's title character and Grogu aka Baby Yoda will be getting their own movie. That project will be helmed by Jon Favreau and is appropriately titled The Mandalorian and Grogu, although I have to wonder how this will narratively connect to the recently announced Star Wars trilogy, which included a film by Dave Filoni. Are these the actually same project or two conneected ones? Only time will tell, but Star Wars is going to return to theaters with a vengeance. 

In the announcement, Lucasfilm's own Kathleen Kennedy shared her thoughts about this exciting announcement, and the decision to give Din Djarin his own movie. Her statement reads:

She's not wrong. The Mandalorian became a sensation upon its release, and Star Wars fans are still collectively obsessed with Grogu. Putting them on the big screen seems like a great way to get butts in seats, and usher in the age of post-Skywalker Saga content. We'll just have to wait and see what the studio has up their sleeve.

I'm definitely ready to buy a ticket and go see The Mandalorian and Grogu, although I'm curious about how this new movie affects the overall plans for the Mando-verse. When Dave Filoni's Star Wars movie was announced, it seemed like it would be the end of the story that's spanned The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. But with Favreau's movie also in the works, does this mean that there's no actual end in sight? Hopefully there's a clear narrative path forward, because it's part of why I've been so old on the building narrative. 

The announcement about The Mandalorian and Grogu also confirmed that Season 2 of Ahsoka is in the works for Rosario Dawson and company. This is another thrilling update, one that shows that Lucasfilm will continue to focus on live-action shows while also bringing the franchise back to theaters. 

There are a number of balls in the air for the space opera. The new trilogy will be set across very different periods in the timeline, and are seemingly disconnected. And addition to Jon Favreau's recently announcement movie, Taika Waititi is also attached to his own Star Wars flick. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Warning: SPOILERS for Ahsoka are ahead!

When Star Wars Rebels fans reunited with Sabine Wren in the first episode of Ahsoka earlier this year, they learned that the character, now being played in live-action by Natasha Liu Bordizzo, was taking care of a Loth-cat named Murley. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to spend a lot of time with this fur ball, as by the end of the the second episode, she left Lothal to join Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano on her quest. Since then, fans of this latest entry in the Disney+ Star Wars shows lineup have expressed concern about what became of Murley, but not to worry, as showrunner Dave Filoni has a reassuring update.

While appearing on EW’s Dagobah Dispatch podcast, Filoni, who’s been a key player in the Star Wars franchise for over a decade and a half (side note, there’s a funny story behind how he was hired by Lucasfilm), shared that he learned through the proverbial grapevine about how many Ahsoka viewers were worried about Murley, and acknowledged that these concerns are “totally fair.” He continued:

So it’s not as though Murley is an indoor Loth-cat; he can come and go as he pleases, so it’s not as though Sabine left him locked up when she left Lothal. This is especially reassuring when remembering that by the end of the season, she and Ahsoka were left trapped on Peridea, so it would have been heartbreaking to think that Murley would have starved because she couldn’t return home. However, Dave Filoni also clarified that Murley isn’t so much a domesticated Loth-cat as one who paid frequent visits to Sabine, so it’s not as if he depends on her for his survival. As Filoni explained:

I have no doubt Disney+ subscribers would watch such a documentary, but the point is that Murley is going to be just fine. Although, if Ahsoka Season 2 moves forward, it would be nice if we could check in on the adorable Loth-cat to know for certain. Still, there are plenty of other questions left behind by the Star Wars show that need answers. How will Ahsoka and Sabine get off Peridea? Will Baylan Skoll be recast following Ray Stevenson’s death since the character’s story isn’t done? What are Thrawn and the Great Mothers plotting on Dathomir? 

All that, along with various other cliffhangers left in the Ahsoka finale, are waiting to be answered/resolved by Dave Filoni and his team, be it in another season of Ahsoka or some other upcoming Star Wars movie or TV show. We’ll let you know when more information concerning this corner of a galaxy far, far away is unveiled, as well as if Disney+ greenlights that Murley documentary.

Ahsoka Season 1 accomplished a lot with its episiodes, including getting some longtime fans hyped about Star Wars again. Some of this was done in part thanks to Dave Filoni's deep-cut nods to the lore via tie-ins with the animated shows The Clone Wars and Rebels, so it's no surprise that one of the most-watched scenes by the cast and crew came from one of those moments. Filoni recently shared there was one specific moment that everyone working on the show wanted to see when it was filmed, and I can't blame them for doing so. 

Star Wars fans have been able to watch Season 1 of Ahsoka with their Disney+ subscription for a while, but Dave Filoni is still out here giving details about the season to anyone who will listen. The creative spoke to EW about the scene everyone wanted to see filmed, and much to my surprise, it was the rather quick moment that saw Anakin briefly transform to Darth Vader while walking across the battlefield. Filoni shared what went down:

The moment is brief, but it's certainly a memorable scene in Ahsoka. As Dave Filoni said, it speaks to the power that Darth Vader has as a character and why people continue to get so excited about seeing him in upcoming Star Wars TV shows and movies. I know if I were on the set of Ahsoka, I would've definitely shown up to watch someone strut around in the Vader costume.

The moment went over well with the crew filming Ahsoka, and Hayden Christensen's return in the series was well-received by fans as well. CinemaBlend reported fans were head over heels to see Christensen return the day after his first appearance in the season, and let's remember it hadn't been all that long since he was last seen. Christensen also made an appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi, and even the actor's daughter had a sweet reaction to that. 

Given fan response, it would make sense that Star Wars would like to work Darth Vader into stories wherever it made sense to do so. Even though he was dead when Ahsoka took place, it definitely tracked that he would seek out his former apprentice in the World Between Worlds scenes and later on as a Force Ghost. I would love to see more of Anakin in Season 2, though it would seem the future of Star Wars lies with other major characters. 

With Anakin Skywalker dead following Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, there are limited opportunities for him to appear in projects that take place afterwards. With that being said, Ahsoka has worked as a solid exception, and the events that transpire in this show and beyond could set up the framework for him to have a more prominent role in the greater Star Wars universe in the future. I have no idea if that will actually happen, but given the wild stuff that debuted in live-action this season, the franchise may set a dangerous precedent that could bring many previously dead characters back to life. 

Stream Ahsoka right now on Disney+, and keep an eye out for more updates on other upcoming Star Wars shows on the way. CinemaBlend will continue to aid in that effort, and look forward to the next time we get to see Darth Vader on our television screens. 

One of the bigger names attached to Ahsoka was Rome and Thor vet Ray Stevenson, who played Baylan Skoll, a former Jedi allied with Morgan Elsbeth and Grand Admiral Thrawn alongside his apprentice, Shin Hati. Sadly, Stevenson died on May 21, 2023 at the age of 58, leaving it unclear what will happen with Baylan since he was still alive by the end of the latest Star Wars TV show. Now Ahsoka creator Dave Filoni has commented on whether the character will be recast at some point.

During an extensive profile commemorating Filoni being named Lucasfilm’s chief creative officer, the man who’s been an integral part of the Star Wars franchise for over a decade and a half discussed Baylan Skoll’s role in Ahsoka, namely his motivations and efforts to “create his own way of being” after deeming the Jedi Order a “failure.” On the subject of what will happen with the character now that Stevenson is no longer with us, Filoni said the following to Vanity Fair:

For those who need a refresher, like Shin Hati, Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren, Baylan Skoll was left stranded on the Peridea in the finale, titled “Part Eight: The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord.” However, Peridea is exactly where Baylan wanted to be, as he indicated that the planet contained a source of power that laid between the light and dark sides of the Force. He was last seen standing in front of three statues modeled after the three Mortis gods from The Clone Wars, and gazing at something in the distance.

So now Dave Filoni has officially confirmed that Baylan’s story isn’t “complete,” though exactly how it will continue remains to be seen. Assuming the plan is for the next chapter of this personal saga to continue in live-action, whether that’s in a potential Ahsoka Season 2 or elsewhere, then Stevenson’s role being recast would be the likeliest option, as recreating Stevenson’s likeness and vocals through digital means would surely be too expensive. However, there’s also the possibility that the Star Wars franchise could pivot to continuing Baylan’s story in novels or comic books.

We’ll just have to wait and see if Baylan Skoll factors into any of the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows, and if he’s recast, which actor will take over the role. Until then, stream Ahsoka, the Star Wars movies in order and other projects set in a galaxy far, far away with your Disney+ subscription.

For much of Star Wars’ history, George Lucas oversaw the direction of the sprawling franchise he created decades ago. The veteran filmmaker hasn’t been quite as involved with it in recent years, however, especially since he sold Lucasfilm film to The Walt Disney Company in 2012. Since then, other figureheads like Kathleen Kennedy and Jon Favreau have helped steer the (star)ship, so to speak. A person who’s been particularly impactful on that front is Dave Filoni, who has a firm understanding of Lucas’ mythology. He’s been quite successful since joining the company in the 2000s, and there’s a funny story about his hiring, which includes a moment Filoni thought was a prank. 

Dave Filoni’s work within the galaxy far, far away began in earnest with the animated series The Clone Wars, which is now revered in some circles. The writer’s work in the animation corner of the franchise also includes Rebels, The Bad Batch and more. The past few years have also seen Filoni try his hand at penning and directing live-action projects, including The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. His most recent endeavor is Ahsoka, and it’s received favorable reviews from critics and fans alike. Unsurprisingly, Filoni is also busy with upcoming Star Wars shows and movies. He’s accomplished so much, which makes the story behind his hiring all the more ironic and chuckle worthy. 

Dave Filoni Had A Lot Of Creative Experience Under His Belt Prior To Being Hired By Lucasfilm 

Before he was tasked with handling the journeys of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano and more, the now-49-year-old producer was a busy animator. He spent years working on a variety of TV shows for different networks. There are adult-oriented credits on his resume, such as King of the Hill and The Oblongs. But he also cut his teeth on kid-centric fare, including Kim Possible, Fillmore! and American Dragon: Jake Long. (Coincidentally, those three shows and a few others he worked on were also produced by Disney.) 

Yet the show that really allowed Dave Filoni to experiment with serialized storytelling and complex action sequences was Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. During an episode of Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian (which is streamable with a Disney+ subscription), Filoni briefly mentioned his time working on the beloved series. He seemed to relish the experience, particularly because he has a “love” for anime and action. Considering the scope and tone of Airbender, Filoni seemed like a perfect fit for Star Wars, which he was already a massive fan of. He, however, didn’t believe anyone, let alone George Lucas, would reach out with an opportunity, though. 

The Animator Received A Phone Call From Lucasfilm That He Believed Was A Prank

Dave Filoni was working on Avatar at Nick during the early 2000s and, while at the studio, his co-workers became well aware of his love for Star Wars. As he explained, his fandom led his colleagues to lightly poke fun at him once in a while. It’s for that reason Filoni was skeptical when he received a phone call from someone claiming to represent the animation branch of Lucasfilm. When explaining why he thought his recruitment was a joke, the writer/director said the following: 

Honestly, given the circumstances, you really can’t blame him for being somewhat untrustworthy at that moment. The inquiry would’ve felt a bit too perfect to me, if I’d been in the Dave the Barbarian alum’s shoes. There were also a few other key reasons he didn’t believe an animated Clone Wars series was in the works at that point. He continued:

But he did indeed buy in (and SW fans are definitely better for him having done it). You can’t help but laugh when you consider his storied tenure at Lucasfilm began with that humorously awkward phone call. Before he could officially land the job though, there was another key step in the hiring process. He had to meet with the enigmatic Mr. Lucas.

What Went Down When Dave Filoni And George Lucas Met For The First Time?

We all know what it’s like to apply for a job, right? You receive communication from a prospective employer, and then you have to go through interviews. That process was no different for Dave Filoni when it came to him joining the Lucasfilm family. He further explained that he had to go through two rounds of meetings before actually sitting down with George Lucas, who had Filoni’s portfolio in front of him during their eventual meet-up. The animator admitted to being nervous during the sit-down, which sounds like it was both intimidating and enlightening: 

At the same time, the Avatar vet found major “validation” due to the fact that he and the filmmaker shared many of the same thoughts on the sci-fi series’ lore. The relatively quick interview eventually ended, of course, and, as it would turn out, the animation vet would get confirmation of his hiring in no time: 

And the rest is, as they say, history. From there, Dave Filoni began working on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, starting with the feature film of the same name (a.k.a. the series’ pilot), which he directed. While he’s mostly entrenched in the TV side of the franchise, Filoni is now set to direct a movie (that’ll utilize cutting-edge technology), and it’ll conclude the overarching story that runs through the TV shows. Not much has been shared about the project, but Filoni did name-drop Revenge of the Sith as a major source of inspiration. Ironically, that’s the same movie he was hyped about around the time Lucasfilm hired him. It’s funny how things work out, and I’m glad Filoni landed where he’s meant to be.

You can check out much of the producer’s contributions to the Star Wars franchise on Disney+.

The Star Wars family includes a countless number of individuals, from the skilled actors who play out the storylines to the crew members diligently working behind the scenes. Unfortunately, at the end of this past week, the franchise lost one of its own. Shawna Trpcic, a veteran costume designer who worked on The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and more, passed away at the age of 56. News of her death surely comes as a surprise to fans of her work across the SW productions of more. After Trpcic’s death was confirmed, Lucasfilm EPs Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni paid tribute to her. 

Because of her work on the Star Wars shows available to Disney+ subscription holders, Shawna Trpcic worked very closely with Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, who’ve spearheaded the various series. So it should come as no surprise that after her death, the two shared their recollections of Trpcic. In a statement released by StarWars.com, Filoni made note of her reverence for the expansive science fiction franchise. He also beautifully illustrated the impact Trpcic’s work had on the productions: 

The Iron Man director was more succinct when sharing his thoughts on the talented costumer. Nevertheless, his comments also conveyed a sense of respect for her work: 

Shawna Trpcic’s untimely passing was reported this past Friday and was eventually confirmed by Lucasfilm. The news is especially shocking because, over the past few days, Trpcic, who was survived by her two children, had seemingly been traveling and chronicling her excursion on Instagram. As of this writing, her cause of death has yet to be confirmed. You can see a recent photo taken amid her journeys below:

Born in Artesia, California, the late costume designer received her break into the entertainment industry when she was tapped for Billy Zane’s 1990 action flick, Megaville. She eventually went on to work in various costuming capacities on a slew of TV shows and movies, from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Torchwood to Toys and Leather Jackets. She also notably collaborated with writer/director Joss Whedon on a number of occasions, as she handled duties on Firefly, Angel and The Cabin in the Woods. 

The past few years, though, saw Shawna Trpcic mostly working within the world of Star Wars, of which she was a major fan. In addition to The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, she handled costuming duties on the recently aired Ahsoka series. Her work on Seasons 2 and 3 of Mando earned her two Primetime Emmy nominations, and she received a nod for BoBF as well. 

While her death is devastating, it’s lovely to see Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau honor her. More recently, Favreau has been working on The Mandalorian Season 4, while Filoni is preparing for his movie set in the galaxy far, far away. One would think they were going to recruit their late collaborator for the projects but, at this time, it’s unclear if she had committed to any upcoming Star Wars movies or shows. Something that can be said, though, is that her work was surely appreciated and, hopefully, it’ll never be forgotten.

We here at CinemaBlend extend our condolences to the family and loved ones of Shawna Trpcic at this time.

Once Lucasfilm wrapped the trilogy that was launched in 2015 with J.J. Abrams’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, fans began clamoring for the next big saga. So much of Star Wars takes place in television form nowadays, with solid series such as Andor, and disappointing series such as Obi-Wan Kenobi. We haven’t seen a new Star Wars film since 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, though according to our reporting from Star Wars Celebration, all of that is about to change. Several upcoming Star Wars movies have been announced, and after the results of the Ahsoka season finale, I’m beginning to see where all of this is heading. 

The period of time in the Star Wars timeline set between the original trilogy (which ended with Star Wars: Return of the Jedi) and the sequel trilogy (which began with Star Wars: The Force Awakens) seems incredibly rich for exploration. The Rebellion triumphed over the Empire, with Luke Skywalker’s help. How did The First Order come about? Why was Luke (Mark Hamill) exiled? A lot transpired. Much of it was explored in books, comics, and video games – some canon, some not. But seeds planted in the Ahsoka finale suggest a path forward into this time period, which is going to place a bright spotlight on three main characters. 

Here’s who I think will be very important to the narrative for the next decade of Star Wars storytelling: 

Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn

You basically can’t have Star Wars without a formidable villain, be it Darth Vader, or Emperor Palpatine. (“The dead speak!”) And Season 1 of Ahsoka spent its time setting up the return of, and eventual escape of, Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), the new Big Bad for Star Wars stories. Thrawn was introduced in a popular series of Star Wars novels written by Timothy Zahn. He unites the fractured pieces of the Galactic Empire, and wages war against the New Republic leaders, including Luke Skywalker, Leia, Han Solo, and more. 

Star Wars fans saw the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn in the animated Star Wars Rebels series, which concluded the storyline that Ahsoka Season 1 picked up. Near the conclusion of that show, Ezra Bridger exiled himself and Thrawn to a far off galaxy, to prevent him from taking over the New Republic. But thanks to Ashoka, Thrawn is now back on the playing field, and expects to be a major focus of either Ahsoka Season 2 or the Dave Filoni movie that Lucasfilm announced.   

Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger

Bringing back Thrawn also meant bringing back Ezra Bridger, the very popular character who once was the beating heart of Dave Filoni’s Star Wars Rebels. And what an arc Ezra had on that show, beginning as a street urchin on the planet of Lothal who eventually trains to be a Jedi under Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.) and join the Rebel Alliance. 

Introduced in live action as part of the Ashoka series on Disney+, Ezra was portrayed by Eman Esfandi, who tapped perfectly into the giddy enthusiasm and brazen confidence Bridger had in Rebels. Ezra often was too full of himself, his pride and ego distracting him from the ways of The Force. That impetuousness often made Kanan angry. We saw some of that come through in Ahsoka, but mainly, Ezra appeared to have matured, and even found greater control over his powers while in exile. As Season 1 concluded, Ezra was reunited with Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), so we believe his adventures are just beginning.   

Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren

Yes, Ahsoka Tano is Sabine Wren’s master. But there were times throughout Ahsoka when it seemed the writing was more concerned with advancing the story of Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) than it was with the actual title character. This has been the norm in the Disney+ Star Wars shows. The Mandalorian stole away The Book of Boba Fett, while Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka appeared in one of the more memorable episodes of The Mandalorian. It’s all one big galaxy. 

Sabine, however, made incredible strides over the course of Ahsoka, and it seems like she’s being positioned as one of the next big Jedi masters to be in service of the New Republic. There can never be too many trained Jedi, so it was important for Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) to help rescue Ezra, but also to return and resume training Sabine. As we saw in the season finale, Sabine’s control over the Force was increasing, and I’ll bet that a chunk of Ahsoka Season 2 (if it happens) will be dedicated to Ahsoka training her padawan even more, now that they are both stranded on Peridea. 

The biggest question now is, “When will we see these important characters again?” The natural answer would be Ahsoka Season 2, though nothing has been announced or confirmed yet. It seems like there is still too much story to establish before Dave Filoni’s Star Wars movie pulls together threads from The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka. As soon as we know more about Filoni’s plan for these three actors, we will report back.

After a brief hiatus following seasons of The Mandalorian and Andor, Star Wars roared back to the Disney+ streaming service with the first two episodes of Ahsoka. Rosario Dawson continued to play the Jedi master in live-action form, and those who were up to date on the animated series Star Wars Rebels knew exactly where Ahsoka fell on the overall Star Wars timeline. Both Rebels and now Ahsoka fall under the creative umbrella of Dave Filoni, who has worked hand in hand with Jon Favreau on so many recent Star Wars streaming projects. And now that he’s making the leap to Star Wars feature films, I wanted to get his take on some of the groundbreaking tech that’s available to him now. 

Ahsoka writer and director Dave Filoni spoke with CinemaBlend earlier this year during Star Wars Celebration over in the UK (and long before the current WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes). And one of the topics of conversation, particularly with regards to the Disney+ shows like The Mandalorian, was the use of Lucasfilm StageCraft, which is a high-tech video wall designed by Industrial Light & Magic that allows directors to create the appearance of a location without leaving a studio space. StageCraft has been used by The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. It only makes sense to me that Filoni would employ the tech on the Star Wars movie he’s supposed to be directing. 

But he told me at Star Wars Celebration:

Listening to Dave Filoni talk about StageCraft, it sounds just like another miraculous tool that is at a filmmaker’s disposal – one that has been designed by ILM the way others have in the past. In the same way, Filoni currently is exploring the best ways to bring his animated creations to life in live-action, be it Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka, or the pending appearance of Grand Admiral Thrawn. And as he continued to talk about StageCraft, Filoni told us:

Back when George Lucas was filming on the original Star Wars, he had to go out of his way to find geographical stand ins for planets like Tatooine. StageCraft makes the process of bringing that galaxy far, far away to life in an easier, quicker, and cheaper process. We don’t know yet when Filoni’s Star Wars movie is going to take place, but if I had to gamble, I’d say that he was bringing his beloved Rebels to life in live-action alongside Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka so they can play a part in whatever story he wants to tell. As we get details on any of the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows, we will report it here. 

Loyal followers of all the happenings in a galaxy far, far away have had plenty to sink their teeth into, thanks to multiple animated and live-action series for those with a Disney+ subscription. However, many fans have been looking forward to seeing Rosario Dawson embark on her solo adventure as the fan favorite Ahsoka Tano since The Mandalorian spinoff was announced back in 2020. The time has finally come, with Ahsoka set to premiere on the streamer August 23, and critics have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the first two episodes.

In addition to Rosario Dawson in the title role, Ahsoka’s cast is expected to include the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka’s Jedi teacher. Many characters from the animated series The Clone Wars and Rebels will be brought to life for the first time, including Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo). So how does the former Jedi padawan’s story translate to live action? Let’s see what the critics have to say. 

Justin Lawrence of Geekcentric says the first two episodes of Ahsoka perfectly set up this next chapter, with mystery and intrigue that makes the critic excited to see what the rest of the series holds. Lawrence tweets:  

John Nguyen seems to agree, calling the premiere some of the best live-action fare the longtime franchise has ever offered. The critic also praises Rosario Dawson as “perfect casting,” saying: 

Rosario Dawson’s isn’t the only performance that’s caught the eyes of the critics, however, with Josh Martin-Jones highlighting the introductions of Natasha Liu Bordizzo and Ray Stevenson to the Star Wars universe: 

Klein Felt is also “blown away” so far by Natasha Liu Bordizzo’s portrayal of Sabine Wren and says the first two episodes of Ahsoka are pure bliss for fans of Star Wars Rebels:

In the Star Wars timeline, Ahsoka serves as a sequel to Rebels, and Jorgie of POC Culture posts that the two-episode premiere captures the animated feel of that and The Clone Wars in live action. He tweets: 

Ren Vieira of Mama’s Geeky concurs with that opinion, calling Ahsoka “brilliant” in its scope and character development: 

It seems safe to say that fans of Rebels are going to enjoy seeing these characters come to life. Laila of Agents of Fandom tweeted that she got chills from Kevin Kiner’s score and that the action is everything Star Wars fans are hoping for. In her words: 

Speaking of action, a couple of those who were lucky enough to access early screenings of the two-episode premiere have mentioned the lightsaber battles, and Molly Edwards of GamesRadar thinks fans are in for a treat with this “epic” series. She tweets: 

None of this would be possible, however, without Dave Filoni, who developed the series with Jon Favreau and wrote all eight episodes. Mark Pacis of Nerd Reactor thanks Filoni for his contribution to modern-day Star Wars, writing: 

It’s also noted by several who have seen Ahsoka’s first two episodes that prior viewership of Rebels and The Clone Wars aren’t needed to enjoy the Rosario Dawson-led series, though knowledge of previously established relationships between the characters does pay off for those who have watched them in full. 

If you haven't seen those animated series but can’t wait to catch Ahsoka when its first two episodes drop on Disney+ on August 23, CinemaBlend has got you covered with everything you need to know about Ahsoka Tano. You can also stay up to date on all of the upcoming Star Wars series and everything that’s new and coming in August to Disney+. 

As a fan of both Star Wars and Timothy Olyphant, I was among many who went head over heels upon witnessing the arrival of the actor’s beskar-wearing Cobb Vanth in The Mandalorian’s Season 2 premiere. His presence there was far too limited for my tastes, and his return for The Book of Boba Fett didn’t exactly end on the brightest of notes for him. But assuming all goes well for the character’s return to health, could audiences see Olyphant return to a galaxy far, far away in the mega-crossover movie that franchise great Dave Filoni is putting together?

Now currently back in the metaphorical saddle as Justified: City Primeval’s Raylan Givens, Timothy Olyphant certainly knows how it feels to have one of his characters brought back through popular and creative demand. And while he understandably couldn’t speak directly to the idea of reteaming with Filoni — lest Disney execs stick him in a bacta tank beneath Cinderella’s castle — he did make it sound like he’d readily agree to return to the role if that chance came his way. Here’s how he put it during an interview with The Playlist’s Bingeworthy podcast, speaking to the idea of how popular his character became despite having such a minimal presense:

Though he's been part of awesome franchises and projects like Scream, Deadwood, Santa Clarita Diet and more, Olyphant's characters sadly aren't the kind that toy manufacturers are champing at the bit to bring to retailers. (Justified could have had its own southern-fried universe of action figures and playsets.) But after just one appearance in The Mandalorian, Cobb Vanth toys were set in stone, and his return for The Book of Boba Fett only increased the desire for more. And consumerism math dictates that another return for Dave Filoni's upcoming movie would rocket that interest into the stratosphere of whatever planet he happens to be on at the time. (Especially if Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin is also in the mix.)

But a project's massive toy potential technically has no bearing on how enjoyable it might be to actually bring the project together. Thankfully, Olyphant continued by saying just how much of a blast he had, and said Filoni and others are well aware of his interest in Cobb-knobbing with them again. In his words:

So color me confidently optimistic about seeing Cobb Vanth again, this time on the big screen. That is, unless he returns earlier, perhaps through Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka, in a way that takes him out of the running for the film. But if that happens, we riot. 

Ahsoka is set to debut on Wednesday, August 23, for anyone with a Disney+ subscription, and there are more upcoming Star Wars projects on the way to keep us busy until we get more info about Dave Filoni's feature.

Although The Mandalorian Season 1 was a relatively standalone offering within the franchise, Season 2 started establishing ties with the wider Star Wars mythology. This included bringing in Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano, who’d previously been voiced by Ashley Eckstein in the animated TV shows Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Now we’re just a few months away from seeing Dawson lead the Ahsoka spinoff series, which, among other things, will feature a number of other Rebels characters in live-action; so much so that showrunner Dave Filoni has shared his thoughts on whether this entry in the 2023 TV schedule is simply Rebels Season 5.

Filoni created Ahsoka Tano for The Clone Wars more than 15 years ago, and following her brief appearances in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, he wrote all of the episodes for the character’s own show, which he executive produced alongside Jon Favreau. When EW asked Filoni if he sees Ahsoka as just Star Wars Rebels Season 5, he first admitted that this is “one way of looking at it” because of the epilogue at the end of the animated series, and that “[d]efinitely all signs are indicating that there's a continuation.” However, he then said this:

As seen in the trailer for Ahsoka that premiered last month, there are plenty of Rebels characters who are set to be key characters in the Star Wars series’ cast, including Nastahsa Liu Bordizzo’s Sabine Wren, Man Esfandi’s Ezra Bridger, Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Hera Syndulla, Chopper and Lars Mikkelsen reprising Grand Admiral Thrawn. But as Dave Filoni sees it, the distinction between animation and live-action doesn’t matter as much the act of storytelling itself. So yes, Ahsoka is Rebels Season 5 in the sense that it’s continuing a story that was previously told in an animated format, but it’s also looking to be its own thing and chart out a new path for the woman who was once Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice.

Make no mistake though, if you want to be able to follow along with what’s going on in Ahsoka this summer, you should stream all four seasons of Star Wars Rebels with your Disney+ subscription beforehand. While specific Ahsoka plot details are being kept a tightly-guarded secret, along with Thrawn resurfacing after disappearing to parts unknown with Ezra, we’ll also see Rosario Dawson’s character tangle with Ray Stevenson’s Baylan Skoll and Ivanna Sakhno’s Shin Hati, both of whom are also Force-wielders. Other familiar Star Wars characters who will be back for Ahsoka include Genevieve O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma, who was saw just last year in Andor Season 1; Diana Lee Inosanto as Morgan Elsbeth, who was first seen in The Mandalorian; and David Tennant vocally reprising the droid Huyang from The Clone Wars.

Ahsoka will consist of eight episodes and premiere on Disney+ sometime in August. You can watch the Star Wars movies in order and other original shows on that platform, and keep your eyes peeled on CinemaBlend for more news on other upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows.

There are popular movie franchises, and then there’s Star Wars. Generations were brought up on the galaxy far, far away, resulting in an absolutely massive fanbase. And while the franchise has continued to expand thanks to live-action shows for those with a Disney+ subscription, there have been no movies in theaters since The Rise of Skywalker. But Lucasfilm recently unveiled its plans for a new trilogy, one of which is coming from Dave Filoni and will seemingly wrap up the Mando-verse as we know it. And Filoni recently name-dropped Revenge of the Sith while discussing what he wants for his upcoming Star Wars movie.

There are currently three Star Wars movies in development, each set during a different part of the franchise’s timeline. Filoni’s upcoming blockbuster sounds like it has the potential to bring back various actors from his live-action shows like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka. He recently spoke with Rotten Tomatoes about that recently announced movie, sharing:

Well, I’m intrigued. While Filoni was careful to keep his cards close to the chest, it sounds like he’d love to do an epic space battle. But it also wouldn't necessarily make sense given where things stand in the galaxy during that point in the timeline. Technically the New Republic is in power, while there are some remnants of the original Empire still operating in darkness. As such, the battles might be far more small-scale than the scene he mentioned from Revenge of the Sith. 

Clearly Dave Filoni is a massive Star Wars fan himself, which is partly why his live-action shows like The Mandalorian have become so widely popular since premiering on Disney+. It does seem like things are building to an eventual conflict with Grand Admiral Thrawn, whose live-action appearance was confirmed in the first Ahsoka trailer. Although perhaps we shouldn’t expect a massive space battle when the characters we know and love from the Mando-verse make their stand against the blue baddie.

Revenge of the Sith was the final Star Wars movie helmed by George Lucas, before he sold the rights to Disney ahead of the sequel trilogy. While the prequels were the butt of countless jokes after their release, they’ve gotten more love in recent years. We’ve returned to this part of the timeline a few times recently, including that flashback from Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Aside from Filoni’s upcoming Star Wars movie, the other two announced projects include a movie set after The Rise of Skywalker, centered around Daisy Ridley’s Rey creating a new Jedi Order. We’ll also see the early days of that Order thanks to a movie coming from James Mangold.

Unfortunately, these three Star Wars flicks don’t currently have release dates. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Disney+’s Ahsoka had a major presence at this year’s Star Wars Celebration event. After months of anticipation, Lucasfilm released the first official trailer, which showed the titular Jedi reuniting with Rebels characters to take on dark Force wielders and Grand Admiral Thrawn. Speaking of the latter villain, it was also confirmed this weekend that the live-action iteration will be played by Lars Mikkelsen, who first voiced Thrawn in the aforementioned animated series. While a lot of people seem enthusiastic about his return, some may still be wondering why he was brought back. Well, series EP Dave Filoni has provided his reasoning on that front. 

A lifelong fan of the galaxy far, far away, Dave Filoni has produced some of the most compelling stories to ever come out of this franchise. What fans have come to notice about him, aside from his passion, is how meticulous he is when it comes to his work. And that precise nature definitely applies to the casting process. Following the Lars Mikkelsen announcement at SW Celebration, CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell caught up with the cowboy hat-wearing producer to get some insight into his choice for the live-action Thrawn. The writer then proceeded to recall his early conversations with fellow EP Jon Favreau and, all in all, it sounds like Filoni was circling Mikkelsen for the role from the jump:

Didn’t I tell you that he puts a lot of thought into these kinds of decisions? What’s impressive about his approach is that while his main goal isn’t to please the fans, he does, at the very least, remain aware of their thoughts on a matter. Of course, what it ultimately boils down to is how he himself feels about the production at hand. And as Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy once advised him on casting, sometimes “you just know.” And as the Clone Wars bigwig seemed to have a very good feeling about his decision for Ahsoka’s Thrawn:

Though Thrawn has been around for some time, Lars Mikkelsen truly made the character his own during his two seasons on Star Wars Rebels. I also completely agree with Dave Filoni when it comes to the power of the actor’s voice, which is both incredibly intimidating and oddly calming. You can get a better sense of what I mean by checking out the clip down below:

The last fans saw Thrawn was in the Rebels series finale, which ended with him (and Jedi Ezra Bridger) being thrust into parts unknown by the whale-like purrgil. The Imperial is sure to be back with a vengeance in the upcoming show, and it’s pretty much a given that he’s going to cause headaches for Ahsoka Tano and co. To put it mildly, I can’t wait to see what Dave Filoni has planned and how Lars Mikkelsen capitalizes on his already-stellar work. 

Ahsoka arrives in August as part of the 2023 TV schedule, so be sure you have a Disney+ subscription to ensure that you can check it out. In the meantime, you can prepare by streaming Star Wars Rebels using the same membership. 

Spoilers below for those who haven’t yet watched The Mandalorian’s premiere, so be warned!

At long, long last, one of the biggest and best reasons to pay for a Disney+ subscription is back in front of our eyeholes, with The Mandalorian having kicked off its third season with big action sequences, big plans for Pedro Pascal’s helmeted hero, and a big ol’ chair for Katee Sackhoff’s Bo-Katan to lounge in while engaging in Darksaber-related brooding. The premiere brought several fan-favorite Mandalorian characters to the forefront, while also introducing new creatures and details into the mix, but understandably missing from the episode was fellow badass Cara Dune, with portrayer Gina Carano having been fired from the series over controversial social media posts back in February 2021. 

That said, the episode somewhat surprisingly didn’t just ignore the character’s existence outright, and did indeed drop an update in there so that fans could know Cara is still out there making a mess of whoever gets in her way. Check out how the was referenced below, as well as executive producer Dave Filoni and director Rick Famuyiwa’s insights into that narrative choice. 

The Mandalorian's Season 3 Premiere Update For Cara Dune

The last time Star Wars fans saw Gina Carano’s Cara Dune was the last time anyone had watched a proper Mandalorian episode — though Pascal’s character did return for more story building within The Book of Boba Fett — back in the Season 2 finale, which featured the bombshell reveal of Mark Hamill’s de-aged Luke Skywalker. The premiere, titled “The Apostate,” fittingly tapped into its Cara Dune update after Mando arrived on Nevarro and reconnected with Carl Weathers’ Greef Karga, who was all smiles in his updated role as the planet’s high magistrate.

After it’s made clear that Greef’s new role hasn’t exactly ceased all villainous encounters, he voiced the need for a good marshal without Cara around anymore. Mando inquired about her current situation, which was explained as:

Not the most detailed explanation, obviously, but clearly one that could be introduced into The Mandalorian’s continuity without stepping on any other plot points and causing disarray. And really, it’s not like Moff Gideon himself received far lengthier exposition, with Greef revealing Giancarlo Esposito’s villain was shipped off to a New Republic war tribunal. That detail will no doubt be explored further as the season goes on, though we likely shouldn’t hold out hope for another in-person Cara Dune appearance, even though there's a slight chance for a reprisal.

The Mandalorian EPs Talk Addressing Gina Carano's Character

Speaking with Deadline ahead of The Mandalorian's premiere, Star Wars storytelling genius Dave Filoni addressed the idea of Cara Dune's continued reign within the overall Star Wars timeline, and whether or not she could show up again. 

Considering The Mandalorian's first two seasons featured largely sporadic appearances from all characters outside of Mando and Grogu, there weren't any guarantees that Cara Dune would have been a major plot anchor in Season 3 anyway, even though it's likely the case. It's hard to know how things would have shaped out had Carano avoided any and all social media posts between seasons, but it did seem like the sky was the limit for her tales. To the point where Cara Dune was reportedly front and center for a Rangers of the New Republic spinoff, which faded away once she was fired. 

So was Dave Filoni merely teasing the idea that "The Apostate" featured a verbal update for Cara, or will there be any further evolving for her story? While Carano has been outspoken in the past about the firing, and how she felt she was "head-hunted" by Disney execs, she's also maintained her love and respect for co-star Pedro Pascal, and has largely had nothing but good things to say about the Star Wars universe and her experiences while filming. So it's not impossible to think that she could have been asked to return to film a brief cameo, assuming she would even be interested in returning.

But as premiere director and EP Rick Famuyiwa explained it, we shouldn't forget that this is The Mandalorian after all, so the story is going to stay rooted to him and Grogu regardless of what Cara Dune is up to out there. 

Now that we know what the former(ish?) bounty hunter is up to out there in the universe, we can hone in our questions to the events in the premiere. Such as "whattup with Bo-Katan not being all hungry for the Darksaber now?" And "how long before we get confirmation about a new spinoff and Disney World park focusing on Anzellan droid smiths?"

Yoda is easily one of the most recognizable characters in the Star Wars canon – and all of pop culture, for that matter. One of the things that makes him so distinct is his backwards speech pattern. Interestingly though, the recently released series Tales of the Jedi raised a big question about the Jedi master’s way of speaking via its inclusion of Yaddle. The fellow Force-wielder, who is of the same species, doesn’t talk that way, a development that prompted the need for some clarification. Thankfully, producer Dave Filoni offered a reason for it, and it’s actually quite relatable.

Tales of the Jedi marks the first time that Yaddle, who made her first on-screen appearance in 1999’s The Phantom Menace, has ever taken center stage in a TV or movie production. Here, the Jedi is voiced by Mandalorian director Bryce Dallas Howard, and many were likely surprised that she gave the character a traditional speaking style. Dave Filoni revealed that he and Howard did consider whether the heroine should speak backwards. However, Filoni ultimately opted against it, due to something OG Yoda actor Frank Oz once told him: 

The comments that the Lucasfilm super producer shared with Nerdist make sense for multiple reasons, and all pertain to generation gaps. Yoda is older than Yaddle and therefore, belongs to a different generation. The former’s desire to adopt his master’s tongue is very relatable, especially since many of us also pick up certain dialects from our elder family members. In addition, Bryce Dallas Howard’s fresh take on the character further signifies how the franchise’s newer stars are trying to forge their own paths when it comes to their roles.

It’s unclear as to when the narrative reason for the master Jedi’s signature form of articulation was established. However, Frank Oz previously explained a BTS reason for it, which occurred during the development of The Empire Strikes Back. The iconic actor explained that there was some “odd syntax” in the original screenplay, though it still allowed the character to speak colloquially. Oz then suggested to George Lucas that the diminutive hero speak backwards, and he approved. Needless to say, the actor’s suggestion proved to be very impactful. 

Now that we know Yaddle doesn’t speak like Yoda, fans can now make an assumption about The Mandalorian’s Grogu a.k.a. Baby Yoda. The child has yet to actually speak on the show, aside from providing a few adorable coos here and there. However, given the logic Dave Filoni provided, we can assume that Mando’s surrogate child will talk normally as well once he comes of age. 

This is a pretty cool nugget of information from Dave Filoni, who’s been with Lucafilm for some time now and is well versed in Star Wars lore. Of course, there are still a number of things fans don’t know about Yoda – or Yaddle and Grogu. But for now, I’m certainly satisfied with having at least one mystery cleared up.

To see Yaddle in action, check out Tales of the Jedi, which is available to stream using a Disney+ subscription. Be sure that you keep up to date on upcoming Star Wars movies and TV series as well.

While we've only seen two seasons of The Mandalorian, the 16 episodes that have aired on Disney+ have featured a wild number of cameos and special appearances – with actors like John Leguizamo, Michael Biehn, Titus Welliver, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Mark Hamill popping up in surprise capacities. It's a tradition that we fully expect will continue with Season 3 of the beloved Star Wars show... but there is one particular person whom Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni are trying to get in front of the camera, and it's the creator of the entire franchise: George Lucas.

Entertainment Weekly posted a video from an interview with the Mandalorian writers/producers, and the duo was asked about cameos they would like to see in the future of the great Disney+ show. The filmmakers stalled by thinking back on all of the great people who have already been on the show, including Amy Sedaris and Werner Herzog, but eventually Jon Favreau found the right answer:

The answer inspired a laugh from Dave Filoni, who then subtly reminded The Mandalorian's creator that George Lucas has technically already played a character in the Star Wars universe. The writer/director has a cameo in 2005's Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (the last movie he directed), and his role has been identified as Baron Papanoida. 

Rolling with Favreau's answer, Filoni suggested that George Lucas could perhaps be a relative of Baron Papanoida – referencing the fact that the events depicted in The Mandalorian are set about 30 years after the events in Revenge Of The Sith. Said Filoni,

Dave Filoni looked starry-eyed even thinking about filming a scene with George Lucas in The Mandalorian, and it was clearly a look that Jon Favreau picked up on, as he started talking about the great relationship that Filoni has with the creator of Star Wars. He said that he has personally had some "great conversations" with the beloved filmmaker, but he recognizes that the bond between Filoni and Lucas is a whole other thing:

Answering, Dave Filoni explained that he has had the chance to work with George Lucas for more than a decade, and he has clearly felt blessed to have had the experience:

Based on the commentary from Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, it doesn't sound like audiences can expect to see George Lucas showing up in an episode of The Mandalorian Season 3, but Favreau confirmed to CinemaBlend at Star Wars Celebration 2022 that Season 4 is in the works, so perhaps the legendary filmmaker can cameo during that run. 

It's been a minute since we last saw a new episode of The Mandalorian – the Season 2 finale airing all the way back on December 18, 2020 – but there are only a few months of waiting left, as Season 3 will be debuting in early 2023. While you wait, you can rewatch all of the adventures that have unfolded so far on the show with a Disney+ subscription, read about the new run with our Mandalorian Season 3 Quick Things guide, and discover the vastness of the franchise with our Star Wars timeline guide.

Now that we have The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars Day at our backs, it's time to look forward to what is next for the Star Wars franchise. Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of Star Wars being released, and there is exciting news on that front below, as well as what we can expect before and after that hallowed date.

There is a brand new adventure starring Ryan Gosling coming next year and an assortment of small-screen adventures; there’s so much to look forward to in the next few years. In the coming months and years, the list of best Star Wars movies and great Disney+ original shows could grow deeper and richer as these highly anticipated theatrical releases (the first in nearly a decade), new streaming shows, which are all available with a Disney+ subscription, and much more come our way.

Star Wars: A New Hope (February 19, 2027)

Fans who have been begging for Disney to re-release the original version of Star Wars will get their wish when the 1977 film that started it all returns to the big screen for a short time on February 19, 2027.

Nearly 50 years after George Lucas changed the world, moviegoers will get to see the director’s original, unaltered vision for the first time in decades, meaning all of the CGI and additional scenes from the 1997 “Special Edition” won’t be included.

Though Disney and Lucasfilm have yet to announce if The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi will receive similar treatment in the years to come, let’s cross our fingers and hope it happens. That said, it would have been cool if the full Original Trilogy was re-released in theaters like it’s the spring of 1997 all over again.

Star Wars: Starfighter - May 28, 2027

The biggest date on the upcoming calendar was revealed at Star Wars Celebration Japan in April 2025. Star Wars: Starfighter will bring one of the most in-demand actors to the galaxy when Ryan Gosling leads Shawn Levy’s long-in-the-works project. According to StarWars.com, the new original movie will follow Gosling’s still-unnamed starfighter as he navigates the galaxy five years after the events of 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. It will hit big screens about a year from now, on May 28, 2027.

This may be Gosling’s first franchise film, but he's no stranger to being a hero in space, as he's coming off the heels of the wildly successful Project Hail Mary this spring. In terms of plot, we still don't know anything, but we do know that production wrapped back in December 2025. So far, we've only seen the briefest of teasers, which revealed only the name and release date. We can't wait for a full trailer!

Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi - 2026

Star Wars: Visions Season 3 hit Disney+ towards the end of 2025, and that isn’t the only anime-influenced show set in the “galaxy far, far away” in the near future. StarWars.com has revealed Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi, a new spinoff following the adventures of Kara and Juro from “The Ninth Jedi” in the show’s first season. The expanded series will allow writer and director Kenji Kamiyama to further explore one of the most popular stories from Visions so far.

It's been a little over a year since there have been any updates on this, as of May 2026, so hopefully we'll hear more soon

Carlton Cuse’s Star Wars Show - TBD

One of the more interesting, albeit mysterious, Star Wars projects is Carlton Cuse’s in-the-works TV show he’s making alongside his son, Nick Cuse. When it was first announced back in April 2025, outlets like Variety reported that the Lost co-showrunner was working on something set in the galaxy far, far away, but didn’t know what it was going to be about, when it was set, or if it would focus on established or brand-new characters.

We’re at the one-year mark, and we still have more questions than answers about what the Cuse father-son duo has planned for audiences. Hopefully, that changes sooner rather than later, as Cuse’s style and attention to detail would work handsomely in the Star Wars universe. Like a few other projects on this list, as of May 2026, it's been over a year since we've heard anything more about this.

Ahsoka Season 2 - TBD

With all the cliffhangers in the Ahsoka Season 1 finale, fans were hopeful they would get some closure at some point in the future, and that very well may happen. In January 2024, Variety reported that the show’s second season was in development at Lucasfilm with Dave Filoni once again leading the charge.

According to ScreenRant, new details about the upcoming season were revealed at Star Wars Celebration 2025, including the return of Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker and Lars Mikkelsen’s Grand Admiral Thrawn. There’s also the debut of Game of Thrones alum Rory McCann, who is taking over the role of Baylan for the late Ray Stevenson. Bryce Dallas Howard, who directed two episodes of the upcoming season, called the new chapter “beautiful,” “thrilling,” “adventurous,” and “romantic.”

There had been talk of Ashoka Season 2 arriving on Disney+ at some point on the 2026 television schedule, but it's since gotten a release window for early 2027.

Simon Kinberg’s Star Wars Trilogy - TBD

Simon Kinberg has been one of the busiest names in show business as of late. In addition to co-creating Star Wars Rebels, he's helmed projects like The Running Man remake and that new Star Trek big-screen adventure in the works. As reported by Deadline in November 2024, the writer and producer is working on a Star Wars trilogy of his own.

Details are limited at best at this point in the project’s development. During a January 2026 interview with Deadline, outgoing Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy explained that Kinberg’s movie is still in the works, adding that he turned in a 70-page treatment a few weeks earlier and that he’d have more in March. March has since come and gone. The status of these is, at best, unknown.

Untitled Rey Movie - TBD

Those who thought Rey’s (Daisy Ridley) story was over with the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ending may want to think again, as the character is supposedly getting her own movie. Originally, Lost and The Leftovers creator Damon Lindelof was writing a Star Wars movie with partner Justin Britt-Gibson, and Shareen Obaid-Chinoy, who directed several episodes of Ms. Marvel, had been tapped to direct the mystery project. However, by March 2023, Lindelof and Britt-Gibson departed the project, and shortly thereafter, it was revealed that Peaky Blinders' Steven Knight had taken over scriptwriting duties, who also later left the project.

The project is still in a state of limbo as of May 2026.

Lando - TBD

Those holding out for a show based on the exploits of one of the galaxy’s coolest scoundrels are in for some good news and bad news. The good news first… Lando, which was first announced back in December 2020, is still in the works. However, it’s reportedly no longer a show but a full-fledged movie.

We’ve learned more about Lando over the years, including the fact that Donald Glover and his brother, Stephen, are behind the project, which was originally developed by Justin Simien. In September 2024, Glover told the Wall Street Journal that he wanted “it to be fun,” but didn’t elaborate on the status of his return to the Star Wars universe. In her big exit interview with Deadline in early 2026, Kathleen Kennedy said that Glover had turned in a script for the long-dormant project.

Untitled Dave Filoni Movie - TBD

After being arguably the most influential figure in Star Wars television for years, the time has come for new Lucasfilm chief Dave Filoni to leave his mark on the franchise's cinematic realm. It was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023 as part of the latest update on the franchise's movie plans that he will direct a feature about "the escalating war between the Imperial Remnant and the fledgling New Republic."

After years of back-and-forth and plans that never amounted to much, THR reported in January 2026 that the project had been placed on the back burner, in favor of Filoni possibly continuing the Mando and Grogu story. I supposed we'll just have to see how the final box office shakes out for the first movie.

Star Wars Movies And Shows With Unknown Statuses

Though there are a great number of upcoming Star Wars movies and shows with release dates or at least updates from the past year, there are several others currently up in the air. Here are a few projects that are vague for now.

Star Wars: Dawn Of The Jedi - TBD

James Mangold is hard at work on a long-in-the-works Star Wars project. The filmmaker behind A Complete Unknown is set to helm Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, a movie that will take place roughly 25,000 years before any of the previous stories in the franchise that have been chronicled on film and television. The filmmaker described this project as a "Biblical epic" that takes a Ten Commandments-like approach to showing the origins of the Force.

The status of the project has been in limbo for some time, and in March 2026, Jeff Sneider appeared on The Hot Mic, where he said things didn’t look good for the movie. This isn’t something confirmed by Disney, but we shall see.

Taika Waititi Standalone Movie - TBD

It has been more than four years since it was first announced that Taika Waititi was working on a Star Wars movie after first directing The Mandalorian Season 1 finale. But nearly a half-decade after word began to spread, we have no movie and no idea what it’s about. There have been smaller updates over the years, like the one about 1917 writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns penning the script, but nothing big has come out in a long time.

In her January 2026 exit interview with Deadline (the one mentioned above), Kathleen Kennedy said the project was “still somewhat alive,” but it’s hard to say what that means at this time. This seems like yet another project that is on the backburner, at best.

The Mandalorian Season 4 - Disney+ - TBD

In February 2023, showrunner Jon Favreau revealed that he'd finished writing all of the episodes for The Mandalorian Season 4 and that the next season would connect with Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew. Taking into account the Dave Filoni-helmed movie now in development, we are not fully sure when the next installment in the popular series will premiere or what kind of story it will tell once the show does return.

In 2025, Favreau told Empire Magazine (via MovieWeb) that he still had Season 4 sitting on his desk and that it was structured more like a movie and less like a serialized show. The Mandalorian & Grogu is, according to Favreau, not a replacement for the series, but it may serve to be the end of the story. We'll have to see.

Be on the lookout for more information about these and other yet-to-be-announced projects in the coming weeks and months.

While Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) recently had the opportunity to reunite with Grogu after the characters took separate paths at the end of The Mandalorian Season 2 (see: The Book Of Boba Fett), things aren't all super swell in the world of the Disney+ show's titular bounty hunter. Because he broke the code of his guild by purposefully taking off his helmet – something that he is never meant to do – Din has been excommunicated as a Mandalorian, and he is told that he has no way to possibly redeem himself.

That, however, may not actually be the case, as revealed in the first ever footage from The Mandalorian Season 3 – which was just shown during the Lucasfilm Showcase presentation at Star Wars Celebration 2022. Based on that material, it looks like Din Djarin is still aiming to win his way back into the good graces of the Mandalorians by traveling to the decimated home planet of Mandalore and be "forgiven for his transgressions."

The Lucasfilm Showcase previewed a whole bunch of new material from the studios' upcoming slate – including not only Star Wars shows (like the first trailer for Andor), but also the upcoming Willow series (which showed off a teaser) and the upcoming Indiana Jones 5 (which unveiled a first look). But it was arguably the exclusive first look at the Mandaloran Season 3 that got the crowd at the Anaheim Convention Center most excited. Because everything is still in post-production, we didn't get to see any extended sequences from the upcoming run of episodes, but we did get clued in on the plot regarding Din Djarin's plan to go to Mandalore and get to see a number of cool returning characters.

Among the returning characters are Bo-Katan Kryze, who we saw meet Din Djarin in The Mandalorian Season 2, and based on what was send during the presentation and what was shown in the footage, it appears that Katee Sackhoff is not only going to have an enhanced role, but that the character's relationship with Din is still complicated following their confrontation over the ownership of the Darksaber.

Also shown to be coming back is Carl Weathers as Greef Karga, who was only in one episode of The Mandalorian Season 2 ("The Seige," the one that Weathers also happened to direct) after being a prominent figure in Season 1. He's not only back, but in one sequence we see him reunited with Din Djarin, wecoming the armor-clad hero by announcing, "I heard you were back, but I didn't believe it." Based on some fancy red duds that he's sporting, it appears that he is doing quite well since the last time we saw him.

Naturally, the footage also featured plenty of space-centric action , with one battle among the stars playing out while Grogu happily sits in Din Djarin's lap – but one of the most intriguing bits in the first look was seeing the return of Omid Abtahi as Dr. Pershing.

The character's fascination with Grogu has been an interesting development since his introduction in the first episode of The Mandalorian, specifically because of his background in cloning, and while he ended up technically helping Din Djarin and friends to recover the green, Force-sensitive alien from Moff Gideon in the Season 2 finale, he will still be around in Season 3, and was shown multiple times in the Star Wars Celebration material.

The footage came to an end with an exciting action sequence featuring Bo-Katan  with Grogu, and the former delivering the line, "Did you think your dad was the only Mandalorian?"

Although production on The Mandalorian Season 3 has ended, the episodes are still in post-production, and as a result we're not actually going to see them until some time in 2023 (an official release date has not yet been announced). That being said, based on what we got to see today, the work will be worth the wait.

Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the big updates coming out of Star Wars Celebration, and to keep track of all of the franchise's shows coming to Disney+ in 2022 and beyond, check out our Upcoming Star Wars Movies and TV guide.

The Mandalorian has contributed so many amazing characters to the Star Wars canon. From effortlessly cool lead character Din Djarin to the massively popular Grogu (Baby Yoda), just about every new face has managed to leave a mark in some way. Ming-Na Wen’s Fennec Shand is no different, as the dangerous but cerebral mercenary has delighted fans. So it’s somewhat hard to believe that her first appearance was also meant to be her last. And when that was set to be the case, Wen jokingly made an appeal to series producer Dave Filoni regarding her character’s fate. 

The actress originally made her debut on The Mandalorian in Season 1’s “The Gunslinger.” In it, Mando crosses paths with Ming-Na Wen’s elusive character on Tatooine, after teaming up with a young bounty hunter to bring her in. The ambitious young hunter would eventually betray Mando and shoot Shand, leaving her for dead. But the post-credits scene would later show an unseen figure walking up to her body. The second season would ultimately reveal that person to be none other than Boba Fett, who was able to save Fennec with the help of cybernetics. 

The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alum has been a fan of George Lucas’ sci-fi franchise for some time, so it was a thrill for her to join up through the franchise’s live-action TV series. With this, it’s no surprise that she was somewhat disappointed that her character was to be a one-and-done. The fan-favorite actress recently recalled those early conversations while speaking with EW and revealed that at some point during the process, she jokingly tried to sway Dave Filoni to keep the character alive. And she did so by trying to appeal to his status as a fellow Pittsburgh native:

Thankfully, for her and fans, plans changed and Fennec Shand lived to fight another day. Though Ming-Na Wen wouldn’t say that she actually managed to convince the producer to change his mind on her own. The actress recently took to Twitter, where she clarified what exactly led to her character’s return:

Based on the fan reception to the character, that decision has paid off in a major way. The producers seem to have plenty of confidence in the character, so much so that a younger version of the character (with Ming-Na Wen reprising the role) was brought into the animated series The Bad Batch. She’s also set to make her return in the Mandalorian spinoff series, The Book of Boba Fett. On that show, Fennec Shand will serve as the top enforcer of the titular bounty hunter, as he seeks to build a criminal empire in Tatooine. 

I think I speak for most when I say I’m glad Ming-Na Wen is staying in the Star Wars franchise. She’s a perfect fit for it, and it’s honestly surprising that she hadn’t landed a role before the TV series. Regardless, it’s great to see her making the most of her time in it now, and one can only imagine what kind of exciting things are coming up for her character.

We’ll see what’s in store for Fennec Shand when The Book of Boba Fett hits Disney+ on December 29th.

The Star Wars franchise has produced numerous characters that have become widely loved by audiences, and one that has truly entered the pop culture zeitgeist in an interesting way is Ahsoka Tano. When the padawan was first introduced in the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars back in 2008, fans initially weren’t too high on her. Yet now, she’s become a true staple of the franchise and has arguably had one of the most compelling arcs in the entire saga. This is in large part due to the efforts of her creator, Dave Filoni, who is now set to continue her journey in Disney+’s Ahsoka. Details on the show are scarce right now, but Filoni has now opened up about what it’s been like to expand the Jedi’s story up to the Mandalorian spinoff. 

After Clone Wars, Ahsoka’s storyline continued into Star Wars Rebels, which smoothly transitioned her into her explosive debut on The Mandalorian last year. Dave Filoni was excited to bring his beloved heroine into the live-action world, though this new show brings a bit of pressure with it. Of course, this is far from the writer/producer’s first rodeo, and he’s apparently put a lot of thought into this new chapter in Tano’s story: 

It really has been amazing to see just how this universe and its characters have continued to grow over the years. As the fan-favorite Lucasfilm producer explained to Empire, not many would’ve imagined a live-action Star Wars show centered on a bounty hunter and a diminutive, green alien. The same can be said about a spinoff series that thrusts iconic bounty hunter Boba Fett (played by Temuera Morrison no less) into the spotlight. It’s safe to say this is a wonderful time to be a fan of the galaxy far, far away. 

Ahsoka feels like the logical next step in this hype, as the project will now allow audiences to follow the story of a Jedi within the Mandalorian timeline. Not only will it make for a nice change of pace, but it will also provide action sequences that are a bit more intricate (Not that Din Djarin’s exploits haven’t been impressive.) Of course, lead actor Rosario Dawson will likely also get some weighty material that will allow her to further develop her iteration of the character. And it looks like the story may be aiming to resolve a loose plot thread that’s been dangling for a few years now. 

At the end of the Rebels series finale in 2018, young Jedi Ezra Bridger seemingly sacrificed himself in order to prevent Grand Admiral Thrawn from destroying the city of Lothal. Not believing Bridger to be dead, Ahsoka, along with Sabine Wren, sought to find the young man. According to rumors, the show has cast Aladdin star Mena Massoud to play the live-action Bridger, while Lars Mikkelsen is allegedly reprising his role as Thrawn. And just last week, it was reported that Natasha Liu Bordizzo has been cast as Sabine. This would all be exciting enough, yet Hayden Christensen is also apparently reprising his role as Tano’s master, Anakin Skywalker. 

Such developments should truly bring Ahsoka Tano’s story full circle in a compelling and sweet way. It’ll probably be a while before the show actually arrives but, with Dave Filoni behind the scenes and Rosario Dawon leading the cast, it should be well worth the wait.

In the meantime, be sure to check out Ahsoka’s past appearances in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Rebels and The Mandalorian by streaming all three on Disney+.

Dave Filoni has been a driving force (no pun intended) behind some of Star Wars' greatest projects for well over a decade so, obviously, he's got some fans in the world. Now, people who love the franchise will be able to celebrate Filoni in full, as the producer will soon have his own toy, thanks to Hasbro. As you would expect, the news has spread across the internet, and many people are thrilled about it.

To be completely clear, Hasbro hasn't explicitly created a Dave Filoni action figure but has produced a figure for Trapper Wolf. The character is a New Republic pilot that Filoni played in The Mandalorian. But since the character was played by the veteran producer, the action figure still bears a resemblance to him. Check out a photo of the action figure below, and continue on to see how people on the web feel about it:

Star Wars toys have certainly come a long way since the Kenner action figures, and there's a ton of detail in that figure worth pointing out. Of course, many across Twitter are just so thrilled to see Dave Filoni in toy form and even quoting characters from The Mandalorian when expressing their desire for one:

It's worth noting that while this is a Trapper Wolf action figure, the fact that it resembles Dave Filoni is arguably the big selling point for many. After all, it's not like Trapper Wolf was that significant of a character on The Mandalorian, or even the most notable of pilots within the franchise. But regardless of what the selling point is, one user seems to be thrilled Filoni is being honored with this toy line:

As thrilled as some were that Dave Filoni got a Star Wars action figure, others were stunned. A few pointed out that as great as the action figure looked, it was missing a key element of Filoni's style that he's often seen wearing:

Those convinced this is the greatest Star Wars toy ever should note that while we've seen pictures of the Trapper Wolf toy, it isn't available just yet. The figure isn't set to be released until Fall of 2021 and will be available exclusively on the Hasbro Pulse site. It will be a wait for some for sure but, if it means owning a toy of the guy who made some of Star Wars' most beloved characters, it'll be well worth it.

The Mandalorian Season 3 isn't expected to arrive on Disney+ for some time, but keep an eye on CinemaBlend all the same for updates on its development. And for more about Dave Filoni, check out what he had to say when asked if he had any plans to revisit Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

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The Mandalorian unfortunately won’t be gracing our screens this year with its third season, but Star Wars fans won’t be left wanting. Later this year, they’ll see the debut of spinoff series The Book of Boba Fett, which stars the returning Temuera Morrison. While not much is known when it comes to the plot, behind-the-scenes details are slowly coming to light. And thanks to an update from Morrison, we now know the show will have some additional connections to Mandalorian behind the scenes.

One of the best aspects of The Mandalorian is the slew of creative directors that have helmed episodes over the series. Well, that star-studded trend is going to continue in The Book of Boba Fett, as Temuera Morrison has confirmed the directors that will return for the new show:

The Book of Boba Fett was already exciting for fans, but it’s great to know that the show is maintaining creative continuity with its parent series. Ahead of Temuera Morrison’s comments, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni seemed like locks for the director’s chair, given they’re producers on the new show and directed episodes of Mandalorian. Likewise, Robert Rodriguez is also a producer on the series and, after his work on Mando Season 2’s “Chapter 14: The Tragedy,” one can only guess as to what explosive plans he has for Fett. And of course, it’s incredible to hear that Bryce Dallas Howard is back as well, considering her pitch-perfect work on both of her Mandalorian episodes.

Temuera Morrison clearly has nothing but praise for the directors at the helm. While discussing the upcoming show with Express, he touched on the experience Jon Favreau in particular brings to the series and the Star Wars universe as a whole:

The Book of Boba Fett follows the titular bounty hunter after the events of The Mandalorian Season 2. Based on the post-credits scene from that season finale, it looks like Fett has now set his sights on ruling the criminal underworld in Tatooine. And with him will be his right-hand, deadly assassin Fennec Shand, played by Ming-Na Wen. Their rise to power can be witnessed by streaming Mandalorian on Disney+, which you can sign up for using this link.

Needless to say, The Book of Boba Fett is in great hands and should get off to a strong start. Fett has been waiting to get his just due for a while, so it’s only fitting that Disney and Lucasfilm pull out all of the stops. You can check out what’s in store when the series premieres on Disney+ in December.

Spoilers below for The Mandalorian's franchise-expanding Season 2 finale below, so be warned!

In the same way that Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian blew fans' minds with its completely unexpected Baby Yoda reveal in Season 1, the hugely popular Disney+ series struck Star Wars gold by capping off Season 2 with a bonkers cameo from none other than Luke Skywalker. It was quite the emotional appearance, too, since Luke's arrival essentially happened to that he could take Baby Yoda away from Mando for training purposes. Of all the emotions that Favreau was feeling throughout the process, "fear" was definitely a strong one.

Luke Skywalker's return for The Mandalorian required some major technical wizardry from from the teams who also crafted younger versions of Carrie Fisher and Peter Cushing for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. But pulling off the visual magic wasn't the only thing Jon Favreau was worried about, as he was also extremely nervous about keeping Luke's cameo hidden from the spoiler-seeking fanbase. During his appearance on Good Morning America, Favreau explained the additional caution that came with this iconic TV sequence, saying:

To be fair, Jon Favreau was 100% justified in being stressed out about keeping all things Mark Hamill and Luke Skywalker on the hush-hush. After all, the other biggest surprise Season 2 character debuts had been spoiled by rumors and set reports, from Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka Tano to Katee Sackhoff's Bo-Katan. At least Bill Burr tried flat-out lying in the past about not returning to The Mandalorian, even though his criminal Mayfield did return for the chuckle-worthy Chapter 15.

Still, Jon Favreau likely had a bit of confidence deriving from Temuera Morrison debut as Boba Fett taking some fans by surprise. Even after he first appeared at the end of the Season 2 premiere, no one was quite sure when he'd return, nor that he would be accompanied by Ming-Na Wen reprising the role of the thought-dead assassin Fennec Shand. Keeping that secret mostly intact is definitely a success, considering all that led into the finale's post-credits sequence that introduced the long-rumored Book of Boba Fett spinoff.

Of all the cameos likely to get leaked out to the public, one of the biggest Star Wars characters in the entire franchise certainly seemed like the best candidate. But thankfully, Jon Favreau and his creative team managed to keep a lid on the Jedi's arrival all the way through to the episode's debut. Granted, fans had suspicions that he would possibly be the Jedi master who would be responsible for training Baby Yoda, but before Season 2's finale aired, those suspicions seemed like the loftiest of pipe dreams. Thank goodness Mark Hamill didn't start making cryptic tweets BEFORE that day.

The Mandalorian is now done with Season 2, but Jon Favreau did confirm that Season 3 is definitely on the way with Pedro Pascal back in the helmet as Mando, and it will go into production at some point soon after The Book of Boba Fett has completed filming. Does this mean we won't be getting Season 3 until late 2022, or will Disney+ aim to change up that Fall/Winter release pattern for something earlier?

While waiting to find out more, head to our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule and our Winter and Spring 2021 TV rundown to see all the new and returning shows that are hitting the small screen soon.

Given just how secretive Disney and Lucasfilm are about The Mandalorian, fans were waiting basically until the most recent episode to get concrete confirmation that Daredevil vet Rosario Dawson was playing the live-action iteration of The Clone Wars' Ahsoka Tano. Thankfully, that wait was completely worth it, as Dawson was about as perfect as can be as the fan-favorite character. It turns out Star Wars' aces storyteller Dave Filoni got some advice from Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy that was key to convincing him the actress was right for the role.

During an interview with Vanity Fair about all things Ahsoka Tano and Mandalorian, Rosario Dawson talked about her personal and career history with Star Wars prequel trilogy vet Hayden Christensen, whose Anakin Skywalker was the Jedi Master to the Padawan Ahsoka in Clone Wars. But while she humorously gives the Force credit for her landing the Mandalorian role, Dave Filoni explained that it really came down to a simple and straightforward piece of advice he got from Star Wars' head honcho Kathleen Kennedy. In his words:

When it came to casting a beloved character that he'd created for animation, Dave Filoni essentially relied on his gut instinct to guide his decision-making, which isn't exactly like the Force, but it still feels like Jedi behavior all the same. In the same way that many Star Wars fans instantly embraced the idea of Rosario Dawson taking on the role of Ahsoka Tano, Filoni felt that she was indeed the one after just having a conversation with her.

Though Kathleen Kennedy's advice may sound like a no-brainer, it's pretty easy to understand that casting a Star Wars project is a situation that can cause untold amounts of stress and second-guessing. Had Dave Filoni met 1,000 actresses who could potentially fill the role, it would have been a giant headache to sort through and figure out how to arbitrarily judge and rank the most promising performers. But that presumably wasn't needed, because Filoni took Kennedy's words to heart and followed his instincts when they told him Rosario Dawson was a prime pick to wield dual white lightsabers as Ahsoka Tano.

It may have only taken a personal interaction with her to convince him, but Dave Filoni obviously wasn't ignoring all of the other elements that made Rosario Dawson sound tailored for the role. She's been in plenty of action movies and knows her way around a choreographed fist fight, and her fondness for genre projects has earned her a sizable fandom, and that fanbase's enthusiasm for her to join Star Wars is basically how she got interested in the role in the first place.

Now, is there a certain part of me that wishes Dave Filoni "just knew" that Clone Wars actress Ashley Eckstein would have been perfect to bring her animated character into live-action? Absolutely, since that actress' vocal evolution is a big reason why Ahsoka has resonated so strongly with fans. That said, Eckstein herself is pleased that Ahsoka's debut on Mandalorian has introduced the Force-sensitive badass to tons of viewers that haven't yet watched Clone Wars or Star Wars Rebels, but will likely now do so after witnessing the character's allure.

The Mandalorian's "The Jedi" was arguably the best episode yet of the Disney+ action-adventure, as it featured badass fight sequences, excellent guest stars in Michael Biehn and former Disney Imagineer Wing T. Chao (among others), Baby Yoda's real name and backstory and several other major Star Wars references that will no doubt open up Mando's storyline while also allowing the opportunity to craft spinoff series. We likely won't see Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka Tano again before the season has wrapped, but here's hoping for spinoff news coming down the pipeline soon.

The Mandalorian drops new episodes on Disney+ on Fridays at 3:01 a.m. ET, and there are somehow only three episodes left in Season 2. While waiting to see where Mando and Baby...Grogu...go next, head to our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule and our Winter and Spring 2021 TV guide to see what other new and returning shows are on the horizon.

With Chapter 13, "The Jedi," The Mandalorian delivered arguably its best episode yet, largely thanks to the introduction of Rosario Dawson bringing The Clone Wars' Ahsoka Tano to live-action for the first time. Not only was it one of the coolest and most gorgeous debuts in all of Star Wars-dom, but Ahsoka also dropped a ton of expositive knowledge that fans have been waiting ages for, such as Baby Yoda's real name and his abridged backstory. What's more, her knowledge led to Yoda being specifically referenced for the very first time in the show, though the Jedi Master's name wasn't the only callback to the original trilogy.

Any Star Wars fans who were watching the episode at a louder volume – as opposed to having to keep things relatively quiet in the middle of the night when "The Jedi" first hit streaming – may have noticed something familiar about the background music in that moment. Executive producer, episode director and Ahsoka Tano creator Dave Filoni was pumped that The Mandalorian composer found a way to bring another Yoda element into that moment, saying this to Vanity Fair:

While recognizing that temporary callback to The Empire Strikes Back isn't necessary to enjoy The Mandalorian's info-bomb scene, and also doesn't offer any further insight into the name Grogu, it's definitely an awesome wink-and-nod to fans who could recognize John Williams' Star Wars themes under any and all circumstances. It would have been superb had that scene also set up a deeper specific connection between Yoda and Grogu, I guess we can remain content with Ludwig Göransson's always engaging score.

Dave Filoni also talked about that moment being a more distinct tribute to the character of Yoda himself and all the great minds that came together to bring the wrinkled li'l dude to life. In his words:

For those who want a quick comparison point, or anyone who just wants to go on a mental vacation to Dagobah, you can check out "Yoda's Theme" within the video below.

Yoda almost definitely won't be showing up in person (so to speak) during The Mandalorian's run on Disney+, but that doesn't mean Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau don't have other major Star Wars franchise cameos in mind for future episodes. We're already hoping to get Katee Sackhoff's Bo-Katan back in Season 2 or Season 3 (or even digitally and arbitrarily inserted into Season 1 episodes), and Ahsoka Tano opened up this fictional world even further by also namedropping Thrawn and later advising Mando to make a trip out to the planet Tython.

Baby Yoda is meant to visit the ruins of an old Jedi temple on Tython, where he will presumably make contact with someone else from the Jedi Order, though it remains to be seen who that might be. Not that fans have been speculating like crazy or anything. Who thinks we're going to get a Skywalker reference out of this one? Could Ezra Bridger arrive at some point?

New episodes of The Mandalorian hit Disney+ on Fridays at 3:01 a.m. ET. While waiting to hear more about what's coming to this increasingly exciting universe, be sure to stay tuned to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule and our Winter and Spring 2021 TV rundown to see all the new and returning shows popping up soon.

Even though so many things about 2020 have been unpredictable and often disappointing, Star Wars fans have been able to take comfort in knowing The Mandalorian Season 2 is confirmed to make a Halloween-adjacent debut in October. Considering Disney+ has yet to release any trailers or major story details, fans are still somewhat in the dark about what to expect from the new episodes. Thankfully, the cast and creative team recently loosened their lips in that respect, and Jon Favreau revealed how The Mandalorian was meant to feel more like Game of Thrones this season.

Though many fans might think that any Game of Thrones comparisons with The Mandalorian might have something to do with lead actor Pedro Pascal's involvement in both projects, that's not the case. As creator Jon Favreau put it to EW, he wanted to widen the narrative and character scopes so that viewers would feel as if they were on an epic GoT-esque journey. In his words:

No one should expect to see Mando and The Child taking a trip to King's Landing or worrying about taking on white walkers, but perhaps fans can anticipate Mando continuing on a character arc that can be comparable with Kit Harington's Jon Snow or Maisie Williams' Arya Stark. (In contrast, I don't see Mando matching up with Sansa's or Cersei's arcs for one reason or another.)

Though Season 1 truly brought everything together in the latter episodes, the first several installments made The Mandalorian feel more like an adventure-of-the-week series. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, don't get me wrong, but that's definitely not the kind of format that people expect to see from this franchise, which essentially kept one multi-threaded story going across a 40-year time span. It sounds like Jon Favreau was more interested in telling a more expansive, but still inclusive, story with not just Mando, but also other characters. For instance, Giancarlo Esposito's darksaber-wielding Moff Gideon is definitely getting a larger arc for Season 2, and viewers can look forward to seeing introductions for other mythology-heavy characters such as Ahsoka Tano.

Star Wars' heir apparent Dave Filoni, who is a big part of The Mandalorian's creative team, pointed out that even if the characters' stories are getting bigger and more different for Season 2, that doesn't mean the show's fan-favorite companionship is getting left behind. In Filoni's words:

After getting our fix of Bill and Ted again with Bill and Ted Face the Music, the next duo we need to spend time with is Mando and Baby Yoda, so I'm definitely hoping that Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni helped craft a solid sophomore season story that doesn't Force-jump the shark. However it goes, we're certainly hoping that The Mandalorian's fandom (and stars) won't end up turning its back in later seasons over overwhelming (if not unjustified) criticisms.

The Mandalorian will kick off Season 2 on Friday, October 30, so plan on doing some trick-or-treating around the house with everyone dressed like Baby Yoda. Yes, everyone. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more coverage, and in the meantime, head to our 2020 Fall TV premiere schedule.

By the time Season 2 of The Mandalorian gets here, Star Wars fans will be able to write dissertations on every aspect of Baby Yoda's creation, but will still be pretty clueless about character details within the overall narrative. In lieu of discovering The Child's connection with Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka Tano, let's talk about how The Mandalorian's merchandising monster – he's not a monster! – does have an inspirational connection with the most influential extraterrestrial of the 1980s, E.T.

Sure, The Mandalorian features elements that pay homage to various films from Steven Spielberg's singular career, among other projects, but Baby Yoda's tie to E.T. isn't like a Reese's Pieces reference or anything too goofy like that. Rather, it was a mood-establishing drawing from Star Wars animation wizard Dave Filoni. Here's how show creator Jon Favreau explained it to Deadline:

Jon Favreau was speaking not of any party-happy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but rather the artist Michelangelo's iconic The Creation of Adam, famously seen in the Sistine Chapel. God and Adam's finger-touch is a visual that has been referenced a zillion times across pop culture, though very rarely in a situation that involves one of the most popular puppets on the planet. (That said, Kermit the Frog also parodied it, if we can further connect everything here the Ninja Turtles' Jim Henson-created suits to the Muppets king Frank Oz voicing O.G. Yoda.)

In any case, Mandalorian fans likely already have the show moment in question that Dave Filoni's sketch directly inspired, which can be seen below.

Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni definitely landed on TV greatness when they created Baby Yoda, who easily eclipsed the titular badass in casual conversations. To the point where the character's official name, "The Child," is all but forgotten. Maybe it'd be easier to refer to him by an everyday word if there was a cool and easy way to abbreviate it, like E.T. from extraterrestrial. But I don't think "The Chi" would work, since that's something else entirely.

Maybe in Season 2, Jon Favreau planned another secret cameo by setting an E.T. puppet up in a ship flying through the background, or sitting in the back of a cantina where Carl Weathers' Greef is having a drink or twelve. That probably won't happen, of course, since that would potentially fuel entire swaths of sci-fi fandoms to descend into speculative madness. For now, let's just limit things to Dave Filoni's sketch.

The Mandalorian is set to return to millions of fans Disney+ for Season 2 in October, and all signs point to zero noteworthy delays as of now. But stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more on the Star Wars series and its potential spinoffs, and don't forget to stay up to date with our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule.

Fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars are undoubtedly still missing the critically acclaimed animated series, which ended its run earlier this year with a seventh and final season. Nevertheless, they were probably delighted to hear that the void will be filled with the upcoming spinoff, The Bad Batch. Now, one Clone Wars alum has revealed that he already knows a few details about the project, and it sounds like the series is going to make fans very happy.

Sam Witwer, who voiced fan-favorite Maul on Clone Wars, let it slip during a Twitch livestream that he’s already seen some of the work that’s been done on Star Wars: The Bad Batch and, based on his comments, he’s already enamored with the series:

Well, that’s certainly a glowing endorsement, though you would expect nothing less from Sam Witwer -- a self-professed Star Wars fan. And he’s also more than familiar with the concept of tackling uncharted territory within the franchise. As Maul, he’s helped to fill in the gaps through both Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Before that, he also served as the voice and likeness of Starkiller in the Force Unleashed video games, though those likely aren’t canon now.

Witwer also seemed to be approaching the point that the show is being handled by creatives who love and respect the franchise. This is a good point, as the series is being brought to life by a team of Lucasfilm Animation veterans, led by Star Wars guru and longtime producer Dave Filoni.

Originally introduced during the seventh season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Clone Force 99 (or the Bad Batch) is a special unit made up of clones that possess genetic mutations. These “mutations” make them valuable to the republic.

In their upcoming spinoff series, the group will face life in the aftermath of Order 66 and will have to find their place in a post-Clone Wars galaxy. Along the way, they’ll also come face to face with ruthless mercenaries. Needless to say, the galaxy is going to be even more treacherous and unpredictable when their adventure begins.

Sam Witwer’s comments may have only been a small tease, but they do get one excited about the new stories that are being cooked up for the Bad Batch. And with Dave Filoni and his team involved, it’s hard to imagine the show not being a delight.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is slated to premiere on Disney+ in 2021, but you can stream their debut and other episodes of Clone Wars on the service now.

Star Wars fans may have strong opinions when it comes to the expansive franchise, but they also have an extreme love and passion for it as well. With this, one can imagine that it would be any fan’s dream to actually be featured in a Star Wars project. While it’s certainly an opportunity that not many have had, a select group did get to take part in The Mandalorian, and the final result was a sweet sight.

During the final installment of Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, creator Jon Favreau and producer Dave Filoni revealed that they brought in the 501st Legion as Stormtrooper extras for the show’s season finale.

For those who don’t know, the 501st Legion is a large, volunteer organization comprised of and run by Star Wars fans who are costume enthusiasts. These dedicated fans are dedicated to producing detailed and accurate recreations of iconic Star Wars costumes, specifically Stormtrooper outfits. Members of the organization usually appear at conventions and charity events but, on occasion, they’ll also be called up by Lucasfilm to appear at film premieres.

In terms of The Mandalorian, both Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni recalled being in a bind when devising the season finale. Fans no doubt remember that the finale features a standoff between Mando and his allies and Moff Gideon and his Imperial army, which is comprised of many Stormtroopers. Well, it turns out Favreau and Filoni had only written in 30 stormtroopers but later felt that this number wouldn’t work. Not only that, but they had also maxed out the number of available Stormtrooper costumes. With this, the two came up with the idea to call the 501st Legion to see if they’d help, and they were ultimately more than happy to oblige.

Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni would go on to describe the experience of having them on set. First off, they surprised the group, as they didn’t know exactly what they would be filming. They also got to rub elbows with stars like Carl Weathers and Giancarlo Esposito while hanging out on set.

One of the things that really amazed Filoni and Favreau is that the fans were so prepared and moved just like Stormtroopers would. With this, the two had nothing but praise for the fans, who later spoke on just how significant and exciting it was for them to be a part of the project. And as Dave Filoni pointed out, they all now have the distinction of possessing armor that’s actually been used in a Star Wars project, which is extremely cool.

These are definitely the kinds of fan stories that you love to hear, and you have to imagine that getting to join a Star Wars project, specifically the franchise’s first ever live-action show, had to be a surreal and gratifying moment. And if you’ve seen the episode, you’d know that these troopers did their job in excellent fashion.

Both The Mandalorian and Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian are streaming on Disney+.