Update: July 13, 2020 – We have updated this post with the first information on the newly announced addition to the Disney Plus Star Wars shows, the Clone Wars animated spin-off The Bad Batch.
The Rise of Skywalker will be the last Star Wars feature film from Disney until at least late 2022. However, fans of the sci-fi/fantasy franchise will still get plenty of new live-action content over the next few years. That’s because there are a ton of upcoming Disney Plus Star Wars shows in the works.
The streaming service is already home to most of the feature films, and it will have all of them by mid-2020. However, Disney Plus struck it big with the release of its hit Star Wars TV spin-off The Mandalorian in November. Now, as Disney Plus has launched in Europe and India, even more people will be able to officially watch The Mandalorian and his lovable companion, “the child.� They will also be able to watch the all-new seventh and final season of the acclaimed animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
But what lies ahead for Disney Plus Star Wars shows? Let’s use the Force (or rather, previous announcements from Disney) to see into the future and get the info on the service’s plans for perhaps the biggest pop culture franchise of all time.
The Mandalorian season 2 (October 2020)
Even before the first season dropped on Disney Plus, plans were afoot for season 2 of The Mandalorian. It’s certainly the biggest of the upcoming Disney Plus Star Wars shows. Pedro Pascal will return as the (most of the time) helmet-covered bounty hunter. It’s more than likely that “the child� (aka Baby Yoda) will still be by Mando’s side. Season 2 will hopefully let us find out more about the child and why everyone in the Star Wars universe wants to get him. Disney has said that the series will be shown on the service in October 2020, and it won’t be delayed by the current COVID-19 outbreak.
Ahsoka comes to live-action
While most of the storyline for season 2 is still a secret, some elements have leaked out. Variety reported that Rosario Dawson has been cast in the role of Ahsoka Tano. Ahsoka was, and still is one of the biggest characters in The Clone Wars animated series. The former Padawan apprentice of Anakin Skywalker has also appeared in the Star Wars: Rebels animated series. This will be the character’s first appearance in a Star Wars live-action project. It’s likely not a coincidence that Dave Filoni, the main director of The Clone Wars and the creator of Rebels, is also an executive producer, director, and writer on The Mandalorian.
Rosario Dawson might look the part, but her voice likely won’t match up to the Ahsoka Tano we’ve known on the animated series. Ahsoka has been voiced by Ashley Eckstein since the character’s debut in The Clone Wars animated movie back in 2007. Will Dawson voice Ahsoka to the best of her abilities? Will Eckstein voice Ahsoka over Dawson’s live-action role à la Sam Witwer and Ray Park as Maul in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story? Unfortunately nothing has been confirmed yet.
Is Boba Fett going to appear in the series, and who will portray him?
Many Hollywood industry reports claim that Boba Fett, the bounty hunter from the original Star Wars movie trilogy that wore armor similar to The Mandalorian, will be appearing in some way in season 2 of the series. Furthermore, The Hollywood Reporter claims Temuera Morrison, who played Boba’s dad Jango Fett in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, will take on Boba Fett in the series. Morrison has already voiced Boba Fett in the recently remastered versions of the original Star Wars trilogy.
However, there may be a twist to this story. There are other reports that actor Timothy Olyphant has joined season 2 as well. There’s no word on what character he might be playing yet. However, the /Film site claims Olyphant was spotted wearing the Boba Fett armor while he was filming. It’s likely that Olyphant plays a character who found the armor on Tatooine after the events of Return of the Jedi, and decided to keep it. That should make for an interesting episode.
More info on season 2
If you have seen The Mandalorian season 1 finale (spoiler alert), you saw Imperial governor Moff Gideon cut himself out of his wrecked TIE fighter. However, he used a different kind of lightsaber that emitted a black blade with a white border. Gideon was using the Darksaber, which first appeared in The Clone Wars animated show as a weapon held in high regard by the Mandalorian people. Why does Moff Gideon have it if he’s not a Mandalorian? That will hopefully be explained in season 2.
Also, Gina Carano has confirmed she will return to the series, playing the ex-Rebel forces soldier (and now mercenary) Cara Dune.
Filoni will direct at least one episode of The Mandalorian season 2, as will the show’s creator Jon Favreau. In addition, Carl Weathers, who played Mando’s bounty hunter guild leader Greef Kreega in the first season, will direct an episode for the second season.
Disney Star Wars Shows: Mandalorian spin-offs?
The success of The Mandalorian has apparently caused Disney to think about additional Disney Plus Star Wars shows that could be spun off from this hit series. In February 2020, Variety reported that then-Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that the company is looking to add more new characters to the show. If popular, these characters could become stars of their own series. No specifics have been mentioned.
The Mandalorian: Season 3?
Even though season 2 of The Mandalorian won’t debut until October on Disney Plus, Variety reports that writing and pre-production has started on season 3. It would appear that Disney is pleased with the success of the first season, and the completed footage of season 2, to approve a third season of the series. Assuming the show is not affected by COVID-19 delays, production could start by the end of 2020 or early 2021, with a release in late 2021.
Disney Star Wars shows: Untitled Rogue One prequel series (2021)
Another one of the big Disney Plus Star Wars shows in the works will focus on two of the most memorable characters in the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Actor Diego Luna will star in the series, reprising his role as Rebel officer Cassian Andor. The other returning character is K-2SO, the former Imperial droid that’s now programmed to work with the Rebellion. Actor Alan Tudyk will again provide the voice and motion capture acting for the role.
The plot of the series is unknown at this point. The only thing we do know is that it takes place well before the events of Rogue One (for obvious reasons) and it will be a “rousing spy thriller.� Assuming no delays due to the coronavirus threat, filming for the series should begin later this year, for a 2021 drop date on Disney Plus.
Disney Star Wars Shows: Untitled Obi-Wan series (2021)
The other big new entry in the Disney Plus Star Wars shows is the untitled Obi-Wan series. Yes, Ewan McGregor, who played the role of the Jedi in the Star Wars prequel films, is slated to return to play Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi. Again not much is known about this series yet, other than it takes place sometime between the events of the films Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Deborah Chow, who directed two episodes of The Mandalorian during its first season, will reportedly direct all six episodes of the Obi-Wan show.
While filming was expected to begin in mid-2020, production has now been delayed until early 2021. It may not appear on Disney Plus until late 2021. Keep in mind this one is still mostly rumor, though there is early evidence to suggest it will happen.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021)
Disney Plus recently dropped the seventh and final season of the acclaimed Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. That show introduced fans to The Bad Batch, a group of Republic clone troopers with different genetic codes and talents compared to most of the other clones. Now, Disney plans to release an entire spinoff series focusing on these troopers, Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
The series will take place after The Clone Wars. We presume that the Bad Batch troopers were not affected by the Emperor’s Order 66 directive. The official press release states that the Bad Batch will be taking on “daring mercenary missions as they struggle to stay afloat and find new purpose.� Dave Filoni, who led the original Clone Wars team, is an executive producer for this new series, which is due in 2021.
Untitled female-lead Star Wars series
Variety reports Disney is developing yet another new Star Wars Disney Plus series. Not much is known about the show, other than it will be a female-centric series. The show itself is being created by Leslye Headland. She was the co-creator and showrunner of the Emmy-winning Netflix series Russian Doll that debuted in 2019. That show was a dramedy about a woman in New York City who gets stuck in a time loop. The show had a number of sci-fi elements, so it would seem that Headland is well qualified for making a Star Wars series.
That’s a look at all the Disney Plus Star Wars shows coming in the next couple of years. Which one are you looking forward to checking out?
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