It's Officially The End of an Era For Star Wars On Disney+

The streaming direction of the Star Wars galaxy may never be the same.

By Sam Hargrave Posted:
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, Mandalorian; Disney+ logo.

Lucasfilm is ending its seven-year streak of live-action Star Wars Disney+ series in 2026. Up until Disney+'s launch, Star Wars' only TV ventures came through animated shows like The Clone Wars, Rebels, and Resistance. Therefore, when Disney+ debuted, one of its biggest selling points was the promise of blockbuster-scale Star Wars storytelling on TV, which has since spawned shows like The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Andor.

Disney's 2026 Upfronts presentation confirmed that Ahsoka Season 2 was delayed out of 2026 and will now be released in early 2027. That delay leaves only the theatrical Mandalorian and Grogu and several animated shows in this year's Star Wars slate, making 2026 the first year not to include a new live-action show in the galaxy far, far away since Disney+ launched in 2019.

Ahsoka's delay is surprising, given that filming took place from April to October 2025, meaning that it will spend over a year in post-production. Many speculated that Ahsoka Season 2 will undergo major reshoots, possibly adjusting its endgame since Lucasfilm seems to be saying goodbye to the MandoVerse

Lucasfilm consistently offered at least one new season of Star Wars TV every year from 2019 to 2025, but that streak has come to an end.

2019 - The Mandalorian Season 1

The Mandalorian and Grogu in the snow in Season 1.
Lucasfilm

Disney+ launched in November 2019 with The Mandalorian's series premiere, introducing Din Djarin and his force-wielding foster, Baby Yoda, and propelling lead actor Pedro Pascal into the global superstar that he is today. This also marked the beginning of the MandoVerse, a multi-series (and now a movie) connected storyline exploring the remnants of the Empire shortly after the original trilogy.

2020 - The Mandalorian Season 2

Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian Season 2.
Lucasfilm

Just one year later, The Mandalorian was back for Season 2 in December 2020, fulfilling a hunger for blockbuster storytelling during the pandemic. Beyond continuing the space-faring adventures of Din Djarin and Baby Yoda, later revealed to be called Grogu, the sophomore season brought in other familiar Star Wars icons, like Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Bo-Katan, and Boba Fett.

2021 - The Book of Boba Fett

Fennec Shand and Boba Fett from The Book of Boba Fett.
Lucasfilm

After being announced with The Mandalorian Season 2's post-credits scene, Temuera Morrison's iconic bounty hunter went solo in The Book of Boba Fett, only to leave many disappointed when it positioned a once-feared villain as a dull crime boss and sheriff figure on Tatooine. The series made an especially strange decision to use almost two of its episodes as The Mandalorian Season 2.5.

2022 - Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor Season 1

Obi-Wan Kenobi, Cassian Andor.
Lucasfilm

2022 was a historic year for live-action Star Wars TV, marking the first time that fans enjoyed two shows in a single year. However, Ewan McGregor's return as Obi-Wan Kenobi (rumored for a second season) and his mission to rescue a young Leia Organa were a letdown for many. Though, in the same year, Rogue One prequel Andor shone bright with its gorgeous tale of the Rebellion's beginnings.

2023 - The Mandalorian Season 3, Ahsoka Season 1

The Mandalorian, live-action Ahsoka.
Lucasfilm

After taking a year out, the MandoVerse made a splash in 2023, starting with The Mandalorian Season 3; the next chapter faced criticism for an apparent decline in quality and for shifting the focus away from the titular Din Djarin. That was followed by Ahsoka, bringing back Anakin Skywalker's former Padawan, along with members of the Rebels cast, to set up a larger MandoVerse mystery and the live-action Thrawn.

2024 - The Acolyte, Skeleton Crew

Characters from The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew.
Lucasfilm

Star Wars' most divisive series, The Acolyte, was also perhaps its most unique, exploring the emergence of the dark side during the High Republic, although it was canceled after just one season on Disney+. The year ended with the MandoVerse's most disconnected chapter, Skeleton Crew, in which a group of kids ended up lost in space with Jude Law's Jod Na Nawood, a force-sensitive pirate.

2025 - Andor Season 2

Diego Luna in Andor Season 2.
Lucasfilm

Star Wars' most recent live-action TV show marked the continuation of what many fans argue was its best ever: Andor. Much like its predecessor, Andor Season 2 featured 12 episodes but was uniquely structured into four three-episode arcs, each exploring a year in the life of Diego Luna's Cassian Andor. It all led to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, in which the Rebel hero made his debut in 2016.

Lucasfilm Is Refocusing Star Wars' TV Future on Animation, & That's Great

For the first time since Disney+ launched, there are no signs of any more live-action streaming projects or seasons in development beyond the next MandoVerse release, Ahsoka Season 2. Lucasfilm is reportedly waiting to see how the Jedi-led series performs before committing to further ventures, meaning that, at the very least, there may be something of a content gap after Ahsoka.

It's also possible that Disney and Lucasfilm are intentionally putting a hold on live-action Star Wars shows, as they bring the franchise back to theaters with The Mandalorian and Grogu and Starfighter. Keeping live-action tales exclusively on the big screen while padding the Disney+ slate with animated projects may drive audiences to see its movies more as theatrical events.

Notably, Marvel Studios overhauled its Disney+ strategy, prioritizing shows with multi-season potential that can be produced annually and on a slightly lower budget, like Daredevil: Born Again. That would be hard to achieve in the galactic realm of Star Wars while still exploring planets and alien species, but perhaps there may be a realm for a smaller-scale character-focused tale.

In the meantime, Lucasfilm is reportedly going big on new animated projects, which ought to fill the void, especially with the highly acclaimed Maul: Shadow Lord returning for a second season. In general, Star Wars' true TV roots lie in the limitless potential of animation, where it has found great success with The Clone Wars and Rebels; returning to that focus may pave the way for success.

- In This Article: Ahsoka
Release Date
August 22, 2023
Platform
Actors
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Natasha Liu Bordizzo
- About The Author: Sam Hargrave
Sam Hargrave is the Associate Editor at The Direct. He joined the team as a gaming writer in 2020 before later expanding into writing for all areas of The Direct and taking on further responsibilities such as editorial tasks and image creation.