The Star Wars community has recently been enraptured by the release of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+. However, it isn’t the only project occupying the headlines. There’s been an avalanche of news since Star Wars Celebration kicked off on Thursday, from the first official look at Andor to a new trailer for the Jedi: Fallen Order sequel, Jedi: Survivor. One of the other recent announcements was a brand-new series set within The Mandalorian timeline called Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.
Rumors surrounding the new show had been circulating for quite some time, as it operated under the working title Grammar Rodeo. Not long after the public learned Jon Watts would be attached to the series, Vanity Fair revealed that the project would take place between the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy. Additionally, the show was said to have drawn inspiration from classic coming-of-age films from the ‘80s.
On Thursday, fans received even more information about the upcoming project, including the official title. Lucasfilm also announced that Captain Marvel star Jude Law had been cast in a lead role, with Watts, Chris Ford, Jon Favreau, and Dave Filoni serving as executive producers. Although details are sparse, Watts has shed some new light on the new series.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew To Have a Clone Wars Feel
In an Instagram post, Movie Trivia Schmoedown creator and popular YouTuber Kristian Harloff described an impromptu conversation he had with Star Wars: Skeleton Crew creator Jon Watts. According to Harloff, Watts explained that the new Disney+ series will have “a real Clone Wars feel to it.”
"Ran into Jon Watts last night. Really nice guy. Super excited about his new Star Wars show Skeleton Crew. Spoke to him briefly about it and he said it has a real clone wars feel to it. After seeing what he did with Spider-Man No Way Home, you know this one will be one to watch."
Clone Wars Inspiring the Future of Star Wars
It’s hard to know exactly what to take away from this statement, as there are a lot of things Watts could be referring to. There are numerous unique facets that make The Clone Wars what it is.
Is Watts referencing the episodic “adventure of the week” style of the animated series? Each episode could take the characters to a new planet or location, where they interact with fascinating, colorful characters.
He may also be suggesting that the project will have a similar audience and light-hearted tone. Although The Clone Wars certainly dove into mature themes and featured some frightening action, it was mostly geared toward kids. This could be the case with Skeleton Crew.
That being said, Watts did mention that this show is “not a kids show,” even though it stars kids as the main characters. This may be where the Stranger Things influence comes into play. While the Netflix series has a similar coming-of-age story, the graphic, horror imagery takes it to another level.
Because Skeleton Crew is set in the post-Return of the Jedi time period, in addition to the involvement of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, audiences should likely expect a blend of The Mandalorian and Stranger Things.
Another distinctive signature of the animated show is world-building. Current MandoVerse projects have only scratched the surface in fleshing out this era, so this is an opportunity to continue exploring what the galaxy far, far away looks like after the Empire’s fall.
Whatever the intention behind this quote is, it’s abundantly clear that The Clone Wars will have a massive influence on the rest of the franchise moving forward. Based on what's been revealed about shows like Ahsoka and Tales of the Jedi, the style and characters of the animated Star Wars shows will be at the heart of Lucasfilm’s decision-making for years to come.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is set to debut on Disney+ sometime in 2023.
