Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts now appears set to return to the Star Wars universe for a massive new project. Watts last hit big in the MCU with No Way Home, which became the highest-grossing solo superhero movie in history in 2021 before its 2026 sequel, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, surpassed its $1.9 billion box office gross total. While he has not directed many projects since that time, he now looks to take on one of Disney's other major IP franchises.

Director Jon Watts is reportedly in place to direct the first film in Lucasfilm and Disney's new trilogy of Star Wars movies. Reported by Daniel Richtman, this movie will be written by Simon Kinberg, best known for his work on Fox's X-Men Saga from 2011 to 2019 (along with other Marvel projects such as the 2015 Fantastic Four movie and the TV show The Gifted). The Hollywood Reporter later confirmed the news that Watts will direct this new movie.

Star Wars: Starfighter is making franchise history with its newly updated logo. The Ryan Gosling-led movie has been etching its name into the record books on multiple fronts since it was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Japan. Its debut teaser, unveiled at D23 in August, kept its focus on just three characters, a Star Wars first. The story also takes place five years after The Rise of Skywalker, a historic move in itself, as the first Star Wars film with no legacy characters. 

Lucasfilm unveiled an updated Star Wars: Starfighter logo at Disney's Entertainment Showcase at D23 in August. The new logo partially covers the iconic Star Wars wordmark, marking the first time the legendary monogram has been obscured in one of the franchise's logos. It may seem like a small detail, but it breaks a tradition that has persisted for nearly 50 years.

Lucasfilm's leader confirmed what everyone already knows: Star Wars fandom isn't one big, happy family. Dave Filoni was promoted to president and chief creative officer in January, taking the reins from Kathleen Kennedy as Star Wars is stuck in an awkward spot. The Mandalorian and Grogu gave the franchise its first theatrical return in seven years this May, but the film didn't connect with audiences and is the lowest-grossing Star Wars movie of the Disney era. With Ahsoka Season 2 not set to debut until January 20, 2027, Star Wars fandom is in an active holding pattern.

While speaking on Disney Worldbuilders - Live From D23, available to stream on Disney+, Star Wars President Dave Filoni was asked about Star Wars' presence at the Disney Parks. Galaxy's Edge, up and running at Disneyland and Disney World, is the premium Star Wars theme park experience so far. Set on the planet Batuu, the land was designed to fit within the Star Wars canon, where sequel trilogy characters like Kylo Ren, Rey, and BB-8 had all visited. Disney started adapting this approach, especially by including Disney+ stars like Din Djarin and Grogu, but a major shift began this year. 

In April, Disneyland's Galaxy's Edge rewound the timeline, introducing iconic classic-era characters like Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, as the original trilogy characters are still the most recognizable, despite A New Hope having been released nearly 50 years ago.

Disney+ officially addressed the prospects of Star Wars hit The Mandalorian returning to the streamer for Season 4. The series, which first aired in 2019, was the platform's first live-action Star Wars show. After the success of Season 1, the Din Djarin story returned for two more seasons and was primed for a fourth before plans changed. Over three years after Season 3 aired, fans are still clamoring for the show's return.

Disney+'s official help account gave a response on The Mandalorian Season 4's prospects on X after a fan inquired about when the follow-up would be announced:

Q: "When is the Mandalorian & Grogu Season 4 announcement?"

Now that Maul - Shadow Lord Season 2 was confirmed to have a 2027 release date, that means Star Wars and Lucasfilm are continuing one of the longest Disney+ streaks in the streamer's history. Maul - Shadow Lord Season 1 caught everyone off guard. While the series centered around an established Star Wars antagonist that many fans love, no one expected it to be received as well as it was (for reference, it is one of the highest-rated Star Wars projects of all time on sites like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes). Luckily, a second season was already in the works and will continue a trend that started in 2020.

Maul - Shadow Lord head writer and executive producer Matt Michnovetz confirmed at Disney's D23 event this year that the Disney+ show's second season will officially be released on the streaming service sometime in 2027. A specific month and date were not given, but Shadow Lord's 2027 release confirms that Star Wars will extend the trend of releasing at least one animated TV show or season of an animated Star Wars series every calendar year.

Former Marvel Studios president David Maisel just revealed that Star Wars has finally found its own version of Robert Downey Jr., potentially setting up the franchise for a successful and lucrative future, just like the MCU. Star Wars is undisputedly one of the biggest and most influential brands of all time. If George Lucas had not created the galaxy far, far away in 1977 and its sequels, fans may not have other blockbusters and major franchises like the MCU today. However, Star Wars as a whole has hit a bit of a rough patch recently, as it is not considered the prestigious franchise it once was. That could all change, though, with one recent casting.

In a recent interview with SYFY, former Marvel Studios president David Maisel (Kevin Feige’s predecessor who helped create the MCU and was responsible for Disney’s acquisition of Marvel Studios) talked about the Star Wars brand as a whole, specifically mentioning a recent casting the franchise made that he views as similar to Marvel Studios bringing in Robert Downey Jr. to play Tony Stark in 2008’s Iron Man.

Specifically, the casting that Maisel was referring to was Ryan Gosling, who was announced to be the lead in 2027’s Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy. According to the former Marvel chairman, Gosling is "the right casting for the role," and that, if "feels like" when Marvel brought in Downey Jr. to play in Iron Man:

Another canceled Star Wars project could raise questions about the franchise's increasingly uncertain theatrical future. 2027 is shaping up to be a major one for the galaxy far, far away, with the return of Ahsoka for Season 2 and the big-screen release of Ryan Gosling-led Starfighter. Lucasfilm and Disney are likely looking to rebound after the financial and critical disappointment of this spring's The Mandalorian and Grogu, which became the lowest-grossing Star Wars movie to date. However, it appears the bad news surrounding the Mando film isn't over yet.

The junior novelization for Disney's The Mandalorian and Grogu, which was set to release February 2027, appears to have been canceled. The listing for the novel on Penguin Random House, the book's publisher, is no longer accessible, nor are listings on various third-party retailers such as Amazon. If canceled, the book's disappearance would make The Mandalorian and Grogu the first Star Wars movie in franchise history to not receive a junior novelization. For context, junior novelizations typically adapt films and other adult-oriented media into simplified stories designed for children and young readers.

Lucasfilm President and Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni confirmed one of the biggest questions heading into Ahsoka Season 2. Promotion for the long-awaited follow-up season is finally ramping up after its release date got pushed to January 20, 2027, and it's been a rough wait for Star Wars fans, especially since Ahsoka Season 1 wrapped up more than three years ago. That finale ended with Baylan Skoll heading off on a mysterious journey to the Mortis Gods, the mystical beings introduced back in Clone Wars. 

In a new interview with Empire Magazine, Dave Filoni confirmed the Mortis Gods are indeed coming into play in Ahsoka Season 2. The trio, known as the Father, the Son, and the Daughter, serves as living embodiments of the Force itself. That tracks following the Ahsoka Season 1 finale, in which Baylan Skoll is seen standing atop a massive cliffside statue of the Father, revealing that the Mortis Gods' ancient power is the mysterious force calling to him on Peridea. This visually links Peridea directly to the cosmic origins of the Force and sets up Baylan's pursuit, who was played by the late Ray Stevenson and is now portrayed by Rory McCann.

The day Star Wars fans have been begging for has finally come, as Grogu (also known as Baby Yoda) finally said his first words on-screen in a Star Wars project seven years after the character was introduced in Disney+'s The Mandalorian. Since Disney+ launched and Star Wars ushered in the post-Rise of Skywalker era (not in the Star Wars timeline, but after that film was released in reality), the two main characters of the franchise have undisputedly been Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin and Grogu. Notably, Grogu has appeared in multiple Star Wars titles, including a feature film, but has never said a word. 

For the first time in seven years, since Star Wars fans first met him in The Mandalorian's premiere episode, Grogu said his first words. This came on-screen in a Disney+ project titled LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian, a LEGO Star Wars special feature that retells the events of the first three seasons of The Mandalorian in a bit of a different manner. Although Grogu still has not said anything in live-action, LEGO made some changes to The Mandalorian for its own Disney+ special, specifically making it so that Grogu can speak, in a way. 

A better version of the final moments in The Mandalorian and Grogu can now be found on Disney+. While The Mandalorian and Grogu marked the first Star Wars movie to hit theaters in seven years, starting a new era for the franchise, it became one of Lucasfilm's most disappointing efforts financially. Thankfully, once it became available on Disney+, fans saw a few notable improvements.

Disney and Lucasfilm released The Mandalorian and Grogu on Disney+ in September after it debuted in theaters this May, becoming the lowest-grossing live-action Star Wars movie ever. This also includes the option to watch the "IMAX Enhanced" version of the movie, which was shown exclusively in IMAX theaters during its initial theatrical run.

Marvel and Star Wars will not be part of an exciting new feature coming from Disney's exclusive streaming service, Disney+. Since Disney+ debuted in 2019, Marvel and Star Wars have been two of the most consistent presences on the streamer, delivering new shows every few months and releasing theatrical versions after their runs on the big screen. However, it appears that one new feature here will not feature either of these mega-franchises.

Disney is adding a new feature to Disney+ called Playlists. This will offer themed collections of TV episodes and movies as a continuous viewing experience with full playback controls, providing viewers an easier way to binge-watch content curated by genre, franchise, character, or mood.

Ahsoka Season 2 will be the final pages of a very specific chapter for Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka Tano, and the next time fans see her (or if she returns at all), the character will look and feel much different. Ahsoka Season 2 is the next project on Disney and Lucasfilm's Star Wars slate, and is scheduled to premiere on the Disney+ streaming platform on January 20, 2027. The upcoming installment of the Ahsoka series has been a long time coming. Season 1 premiered all the way back in 2023, but the Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes played a major role in Season 2 slowing down and being delayed.

No one knows what is going to happen in Ahsoka Season 2, and especially where the characters will end up by the time the eight episodes are over. However, Rosario Dawson gave fans an inside look at what Ahsoka herself will go through in Season 2, and it will undoubtedly be the end of an era for the character.

Specifically, Dawson noted that Ahsoka's entire mental outlook is going to change in Season 2, and that, at some point, she will be "getting back into her joy."

Dave Filoni took over Star Wars after former Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy stepped down in January 2026. Filoni's tenure has only just begun, but he's already abandoning an important promise Kennedy made to fans. The reversal has not sat well with a section of the fanbase, especially since it was one of the few Kennedy decisions the fandom wholeheartedly agreed with.

Lucasfilm President and Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni revealed that the beloved opening crawl that kicks off the Star Wars films will not appear in every movie. That reverses Kennedy's pledge to bring it back for all theatrical releases. She made the commitment in 2023 at Star Wars Celebration in London, the same event where she announced three big films: James Mangold's movie about the first Jedi, Filoni's own big-screen crossover tied to The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's film about Daisy Ridley's Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order, all of which have gone unfulfilled. 

Lanterns star Aaron Pierre has already set his next major role in a $10 billion sci-fi franchise that everyone knows. 32-year-old British actor Aaron Pierre has been all the rage in recent years, thanks in part to his leading role in Netflix's Emmy-winning action flick, Rebel Ridge. The rising star has since voiced the legendary leading lion in Mufasa: The Lion King, a live-action prequel to the Disney classic, and appeared in Apple TV+'s The Morning Show Season 4.

Pierre re-entered the limelight this year as the co-star of DC Studios' Lanterns, playing the Green Lantern new recruit, John Stewart, alongside Kyle Chandler's veteran space cop Hal Jordan. The HBO Max series is just the beginning for Pierre in the DCU, as he will reprise the beloved Emerald Knight next year in Man of Tomorrow, the Superman sequel directed by James Gunn himself. But that isn't the only major franchise that Pierre is signing on to join next summer.

Before Man of Tomorrow flies into theaters on July 9, 2027, Aaron Pierre is officially joining Star Wars for the 13th movie in the sci-fi franchise, which has already earned $10.72 billion worldwide ahead of its 50th anniversary next year. The Lanterns star will debut in Star Wars: Starfighter, the new post-sequel trilogy standalone story from Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy, set for release on May 28, 2027, nine months after his HBO Max series premiered.

Disney+ is finally bringing Ahsoka back for another rodeo in 2027, four years after her titular live-action show premiered on the streamer. Ahsoka Season 2 is not the only exciting Star Wars series returning to Disney+ next year, though. In 2026, Lucasfilm President Dave Filoni brought back a fan-favorite Star Wars villain to lead a prequel series set in the Imperial Era, and it quickly became a hit.

Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Season 2 was confirmed to release in 2027 at Disney's D23 Expo in August, with head writer and executive producer Matt Michnovetz sharing the news during the "Inside Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord" Fireside Chat. A specific date wasn't confirmed, but the continuation of the Shadow Collective leader's story will likely arrive sometime after Ahsoka Season 2, which premieres January 20, 2027. 

Lucasfilm Games' new sizzle reel features Star Wars icons such as Darth Revan and Cal Kestis. This year is an exciting one for fans of Star Wars gaming, with the turn-based Zero Company and racing-focused Galactic Racer finally being released. Those releases are thrilling for those seeking something new from Star Wars gaming, but disappointing for those eager to pick up a lightsaber or blaster again for a more classically action-based first or third-person game.

Lucasfilm Games unveiled a brand-new sizzle reel to celebrate its existing and upcoming video games from the worlds of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Monkey Island, with the greatest focus on the galaxy far, far away. While the Star Wars studio did not deliver any fresh looks at future video games, it reaffirmed several releases that some feared to be dead in the water.

In just 2 minutes, 14 seconds, Lucasfilm highlighted over a dozen of its biggest games, some of which gamers have been waiting years for news on.

Sith Lords are nowhere to be found in The Mandalorian & Grogu, yet the era it's set in was still crawling with them. Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu spend the film facing down the bounty hunter Embo, the Hutt twins, Imperial warlords, and Commander Coin, non-Force-using threats that leave Grogu as the story's only practitioner of the Force. Still, several dark side wielders were alive, in the shadows, during this same stretch of the New Republic era.

The Mandalorian & Grogu catch up with Din Djarin and Grogu following the events of The Mandalorian Season 3. Now working contracted jobs with the New Republic, taking out bad guys one by one, they clearly got themselves in a strong rhythm. 

This leads to an action-packed adventure, taking on thugs, Hutts, droids, and other bounty hunters, while at the same time traversing from planet to planet in true Star Wars fashion.

Disney spent the past year preparing Star Wars fans for a reset, and that new direction grows clearer with every announcement out of Lucasfilm. The franchise stayed away from movie theaters for years, relying on a steady run of Disney+ shows after the Skywalker saga wrapped in 2019. In January this year, Disney handed Lucasfilm to a new creative chief and President, a clear indication that the galaxy far, far away wants a different course. Fans are only starting to learn what that course looks like.

The biggest sign of this reset arrives in 2027 with Star Wars: Starfighter, the Ryan Gosling movie that gives the franchise its first original big-screen story with all-new characters since Disney bought Lucasfilm. Dave Filoni, who took over as president and chief creative officer, now has the keys to a studio rethinking the very approach that defined its streaming years. This push toward fresh stories raises an important question for longtime fans: will the legacy-driven Mandoverse still fit Disney’s plans after The Mandalorian and Grogu stumbled in theaters? The answer will have an impact on Star Wars for the next decade.

Star Wars: Starfighter Starts a Big Screen Reset

Star Wars confirmed the historic setting for its next movie, and the story will unfold on a time and place never before seen in any Star Wars media. Star Wars has defined itself as much by its worlds as by its characters. Some of the most iconic locations featured in the films, including Endor, Tatooine, Hoth, Dagobah, and Coruscant, are more than just backdrops, as they immediately signal the kind of story fans are about to witness on-screen. 

Star Wars: Starfighter is adding something new to the long list of Star Wars settings featured in films by including a location that marks a historic first for the franchise. Speaking with Good Morning America at D23 Expo 2026, Starfighter director Shawn Levy confirmed that the 2027 Star Wars movie is set in a setting "where there is no sort of government, enforcer, or order" and everyone is simply trying to survive. 

That same lawlessness is what makes Ryan Gosling's Kade Auberon a unique protagonist in Star Wars: Starfighter (set for release on May 28, 2027). In the exclusive D23 trailer of Starfighter, Kade's jacket bears an inverted version of the Rebel Alliance insignia, a signifier of the political disorder unfolding in the film:

Disney+ just added a brand-new collection to its Star Wars hub, and considering the new collection has a Star Wars movie in it, it marks the fifth collection on the streaming platform to include at least one film. While Star Wars started out solely as a film franchise, it has turned into a more even mix of movies and television shows, especially since Disney purchased Lucasfilm from George Lucas. Over the past few years, Disney has worked hard to expand Star Wars' TV library, but it is still figuring out new ways to bring films into the fold, as evidenced by Disney+'s newest streaming collection.

The Mandalorian & Grogu is the most recent feature film to be released in the Star Wars universe, and after officially debuting on Disney+, Star Wars created a brand-new collection featuring the recent title. For reference, Disney+ creates different collections within its specific brands for fans who only want to see certain pieces of media. For example, Disney+'s Lucasfilm Animation collection only includes projects that were developed by Lucasfilm Animation, so none of the live-action films or TV shows were ever added to it.

The new Star Wars collection contains eight total projects, with one of those being the newly-released Mandalorian & Grogu.