Star Wars Explained is our ongoing series where we delve into the latest Star Wars shows, movies, trailers, and news stories to divine the franchise’s future. This entry examines the Star Wars properties we hope to see in 2022 and beyond.
With Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett concluded, it’s time to look ahead, toward a bright future where one Star Wars property leads into another. Currently, there’s more mystery floating around the franchise, especially cinematically, than firm release dates. Or at least, release dates with attached narratives.
Here’s what we know. Disney+ has already announced a major Star Wars slate, and we’re going to get into all that in a minute. However, since Star Wars began as movies, our hearts tend to crave the big screen tales the most. The sequel trilogy is over, and we’re ready for more. To satiate those desires, Lucasfilm has saved three dates for three theatrical features:
- December 22, 2023
- December 19, 2025
- December 17, 2027
Initially, it was believed Patty Jenkins‘ Rogue Squadron would fall into the first slot, but that movie hit a delay. It’s still on the books, but it seems optimistic that they’ll make that December 22nd date. Is there another movie further along in the process? I’m not sure, although there are some significant prospects, and those dates are still on lock for Lucasfilm.
Possible contenders for these premiere weekends are movies helmed by Taika Waititi, Kevin Feige, J.D. Dillard, and Rian Johnson. Yes, it does feel improbable that Johnson will return, but there’s been no official cancelation, and it’s hard to give up our naive cheer. Until Lucasfilm says otherwise, our fingers remain crossed.
Unless we have a major surprise on the horizon, Star Wars in 2022 will survive on the small screen. But can we really be that mad about it after The Book of Boba Fett‘s last few episodes and The Mandalorian‘s second season? Oh! Plus, The Bad Batch and Visions in all their animated glory? With each new serial adventure, The Rise of Skywalker falls further and further into memory.
For our sanity’s sake, let’s focus on the sure bets. Below are the Disney+ shows we’re most confident we’ll see in 2022, or at the very latest, early 2023. While only one has a firm launch date, most have confirmed production schedules. And beyond these five series, we’re also hopeful that we’ll eventually get The Acolyte, Lando, and the animated feature A Droid‘s Story.
Plans and dates shuffle, but there’s no ignoring the Star Wars floodgates. They’re open, and they’re flowing.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Release Date: May 25th
Obi–Wan Kenobi is our next Star Wars, and it’s the one listed here that many have clamored for the longest. Set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, the series shepherded by Mandalorian Season 1 director Deborah Chow promises to deliver an epic rematch between the wise Jedi and his failed apprentice, Darth Vader. Both Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen return to the roles they inhabited in the prequel trilogy, and the anticipation for their clash is causing a tremendous disturbance across the fandom.
The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, not to forget The Clone Wars, Rebels, and The Bad Batch, have revealed great value in the prequels. The kids who first met George Lucas’ galaxy through them are now adults and ready to see their childhood ideas expanded and improved upon. Obi–Wan Kenobi will go a long way in showing what the prequels got right while also slathering a new coat of paint on what they got wrong.
Andor
Release Date TBA (Expected 2022)
When George Lucas slapped an Episode IV on the first Star Wars, the franchise became preoccupied with its own imagined past. Star Wars: Rogue One explored how those Death Star plans fell into Princess Leia’s possession in A New Hope, and now Andor strives to explain how Rogue One‘s ragtag leader tumbled into his critical role. Lucasfilm pinch-hitter Tony Gilroy hovers over this series, with Diego Luna reprising the title character.
Plot details are minimal, but we do know the show will come complete with a stacked cast: Fiona Shaw, Stellan Skarsgård, and Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma, a role she first played in Revenge of the Sith. Alan Tudyk will apparently not appear as Andor’s violent droid sidekick K-2S0, but he’s said in interviews that the character will pop up during the show’s second season. So, Andor Season 2? Confirmed!
The Bad Batch Season 2
Release Date TBA (Expected 2022)
When we last saw Clone Force 99, the gang reunited with their treacherous brother Crosshair and watched Kamino sink into the ocean. The event was traumatic for the characters. And based on reaction to The Book of Boba Fett’s repeating Kaminoan flashbacks; the event was equally as devastating for the fandom. These early days under Imperial rule are dark and stormy, making young Omega’s optimism all the brighter. As a result, we’ve thrown in with her and her sibling protectors. In a short period of time, we’ve latched on hard, and we demand respite for the clones, knowing full well that peace is many years away. And when they get it, it won’t last long either.
We wait to hear when The Bad Batch will return, but we know it’s coming. The next season should take them deeper into the cloning conspiracy barely glimpsed in Season 1. We should also expect more cameos from The Book of Boba Fett supporting players Cad Bane and Fennec Shand, and probably several others from the franchise fringes, too. The Clone Wars may be over, but its heart rests with The Bad Batch, the nerdiest weapon in Lucasfilm’s utility belt.
The Mandalorian Season 3
Release Date TBA (Expected December 2022)
If The Book of Boba Fett proved anything, The Mandalorian is the current king ruling the Star Wars domain. Whatever sins the Boba Fett series held were immediately forgiven the moment Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu appeared. The Deepfake-whatever Luke Skywalker also served as a nice distraction.
The Mandalorian Season 2 finale pulled the foundlings apart, but The Book of Boba Fett brought them together again. The reunion was fast and upended any idea about how a Mandalorian third season would begin. Djarin and Grogu could go anywhere from here. They’ve truly ascended into their Lone Wolf and Cub status, and the week-to-week adventure possibilities are as endless as they are mysterious. With the young one by his side, does Djarin take his Darksaber to Mandalore? Or do the two lost children live check-to-check, bounty killing their way through an infinite hive of scum and villainy? Whatever path they choose to walk, we’ll enjoy it.
It’s not confirmed if The Mandalorian will return this December, but Lucasfilm has secured that month on Disney+ for two years. We can’t imagine them letting it slide in 2022. We know they’re already hustling to get their prized jewels on our screens and back into our hearts.
Ahsoka
Release Date TBA
If we don’t get The Mandalorian Season 3 in 2022, then we’re probably not getting Ahsoka either. But we can dream. And if the Rosario Dawson-led spin-off series doesn’t land this year, the show’s titular hero will no doubt pop up in one of the other series mentioned above. The former Jedi — and Darth Vader pupil — is crucial to this franchise.
When Ahsoka appeared in The Mandalorian Chapter 13, she revealed her vengeance quest to hunt down Grand Admiral Thrawn and possibly uncover Ezra Bridger from Rebels. The leftover Imperial baddie could transform into Lucasfilm’s Thanos, threatening everyone across the Disney+ Star Wars programs.
We still don’t quite know what the Empire was doing with baby Grogu, but we suspect Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) was using the green one’s unique DNA to channel and clone Force sensitivity. These goosestepping dweebs need their Emperor back. Orchestrating The First Order’s birth could be Thrawn, pulling the strings of whatever Moffs they have left. Ahsoka is there to lead the Resistance against them.
Related Topics: 2022 Preview, Star Wars, Star Wars Explained
