We’ve got a bad – actually no, we have a pretty good feeling about this! Star Wars has the engine thrust capacity at maximum heading into the new year – lots of new live-action, animation and a major video game.
From the debut of live-action Thrawn to the return of The Mandalorian and Grogu, there’s lots to keep track of, so strap in and… punch it!
Star Wars in 2023
The Bad Batch: Season 2
Kick off the new year with the artists formerly known as Experimental Clone Force 99! Huntah, Ricka, Icko, Tick, and Omeega are all free-agent mercenaries for hire now, making their way in the Empire’s early days and finding out that this new world isn’t so kind to the Clones or the Kaminoans who created them in the first place. The Bad Batch Season 2 promises a deeper look at the huge galactic transition away from the days of the Republic and into the era of the Empire. Season 2 blasts off in January on Disney+.
The Mandalorian: Season 3
We would like to see the baby! And we will very soon with the long-awaited return of The Mandalorian Season 3, after Grogu definitively chose his papa over the Jedi Order in The Book of Boba Fett. With a homecoming of sorts to the ruins of Mandalore, Din Djarin needs to redeem himself in the eyes of his Mandalorian sect, and Bo Katan certainly has thoughts on what it means to be a Mandalorian and who should be running the show after Din’s successful claim of the Darksaber. The teaser trailer showed us old friends like Greef Karga, Peli Motto, and Babu Frik, but who knows what Luke Skywalker-level cameos could be in store? The next ride with the Mudhorn Clan starts March 1 on Disney+.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
And while we’re on the topic of Order 66 survivors, Cal Kestis is returning to the next leg of his adventure five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Reportedly featuring new Force abilities and lightsaber fighting styles, Cal is going to see just how far he’ll go to protect the ones closest to him as he runs from the reaches of the Empire in an even more uncertain time. We’ll see Cal, BD-1, and more return on March 16.
Five years between games is a long time, lore-wise, and to fill in the blanks, there’s also a prequel novel set during that gap. In Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars, Cal forms a bond with the crew of the Stinger Mantis, but he’ll come to face the likes of the Fifth Brother, introduced in Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series. You can catch this novel a week before Jedi Survivor launches on March 7, 2023.
Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures
And speaking of the Jedi Academy… yes, it’s a stretch, but Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures is a new series focusing on younglings from the High Republic era. Keep in mind, this show is intended for young younglings, pre-school through grade school, so keep the edgy takedowns to a minimum about how this show breaks canon by including an Ewok teddy bear or something. Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures hits Disney+ in Spring, 2023.
Star Wars: Visions Vol. 2
Star Wars: Visions, the animated anthology series touting nine anime short films produced by seven Japanese animation studios, is back for a second volume. This time the sourcing will be more international, featuring animation from Japanese, Indian, UK, Irish, French, South African, Chilean, and US-based studios. For Volume 1, the studios were each given a lot of freedom to interpret and express Star Wars lore as they saw fit, and Volume 2 looks to go even further culturally. Star Wars: Visions Vol. 2 is set to launch sometime in early 2023 on Disney+.
Star Wars: Ahsoka
After seeing Rosario Dawson debut the live-action version of a fan-favorite force-wielder in The Mandalorian, fans have been wanting more of Ahsoka Tano. That of course includes fans of the Star Wars animated show Rebels, especially since it has been teased that Season 1 of Ahsoka will feature the return of characters Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger, and (so far unofficially) Hera Syndulla and Chopper. Also set to reprise his role is Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader – Ahsoka’s mentor turned baddest bad guy in the galaxy. Every clash between these two characters so far has been nothing short of electric, so we’re looking forward to the live-action take. Ahsoka does not have an official release date, but is expected in the latter part of 2023 on Disney+.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is an upcoming – and mysterious – new live-action television series starring Jude Law. Announced by Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau at Star Wars Celebration 2022, it looks like the closest analogy for the show would be to call it the Star Wars universe’s Stranger Things. Seriously, there’s not that much information on this show yet, only that it’s an Amblin-esque coming-of-age story about a group of kids lost in space around the timeframe of The Mandalorian, and that it was initially codenamed “Grammar Rodeo,” which is a pretty brilliant Simpsons reference at least. Creator Jon Watts (director of the Tom Holland Spider-man movies) has only revealed the following: "It's the story of their journey trying to find their way home. It stars four kids, but it is not a kids show." Star Wars: Goonies, er, Skeleton Crew is set for release sometime in 2023 on Disney+.
Looking to the Star Wars Future Beyond 2023
Andor: Season 2
After finishing off what many of us are calling one of the best things in the Star Wars universe, Andor Season 2 is definitely something we’re eager to see. Season 1 gave us not only Cassian Andor’s path to the Rebel Alliance, but also the Alliance’s path to being a necessity for those opposing the Empire through the stories of characters like Mon Mothma and Luthen Rael. While Season 1 covered the course of one year, five years before Rogue One, Season 2 is expected to detail much more and introduce the beloved stalwart droid K2-SO. With very high critic and audience scores for Andor Season 1, we can’t wait for more of showrunner Tony Gilroy’s slow-burn Star Wars storytelling. Andor Season 2 does not have a release date, but it will likely appear in 2024 at the earliest on Disney+.
Star Wars: The Acolyte
We now have plot details on Star Wars: The Acolyte, the first Sith-fronted entry from Star Wars. Featuring a scheme by the Sith to infiltrate the Jedi at the end of the High Republic era, this mystery thriller promises to show the rise of the Dark Side of the Force as a former padawan reunites with her Jedi master to investigate something that, we’re guessing here, will be very much tied to the Sith and be quite more grim and monstrous than what the Jedi are used to facing at this point in time. Touting a killer cast with the likes of Amandla Stenberg, Dafne Keen, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Manny Jacinto among others, this is a Star Wars story you’ll want to make sure you don’t miss. There are no details yet on when The Acolyte will be released, but it looks like it’ll be eight episodes and, of course, on Disney+.
Of course, beyond these titles, the Star Wars machine has a bunch of other films, shows and more in the works. Head over to our list of all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows for the full list, which includes in development projects, TBD titles, and more!
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