Due to the success of both The Mandalorian and the Season 7 conclusion of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Disney and Lucasfilm have announced an impressive slate of new Star Wars projects for Disney+ including Ahsoka, Andor, Rangers of the New Republic, and a series specifically focusing on Clone Force 99.
CONFIRMATION
We've got a good feeling about this! During the company's four-hour Investor Day Presentation, Disney confirmed Star Wars: The Bad Batch, an animated series focusing on the experimental clone unit from Season 7 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, will be coming soon to Disney+ in 2021 and released the series' first trailer.
A sneak peek at Star Wars: The Bad Batch, an all-new animated Original Series from Lucasfilm Animation, coming soon to #DisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/V0jQc4XNIe
— Star Wars (@starwars) December 10, 2020
Lucasfilm had the following to say about this upcoming series arriving exclusively on Disney+.
"The series follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in The Clone Wars) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch — a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army — each possess a singular exceptional skill which makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew. In the post-Clone War era, they will take on daring mercenary missions as they struggle to stay afloat and find new purpose."
Speaking of mercenaries, those who watched "Chapter 14" of The Mandalorian may have noticed that Assassin Fennec Shand makes an appearance in the trailer, indicating other characters from the Star Wars Universe may make an appearance.
WHAT THIS MEANS
Season 7 of The Clone Wars was a massive success; however, much of the praise was directed towards Ahsoka and Rex's storyline as opposed to that of the Bad Batch. Hopefully, a series solely focusing on the Bad Batch clones will be able to fully explore this group's potential for compelling stories and offer audiences a clone's perspective of the galaxy in the wake of Revenge of the Sith.
In addition, the fact Fennec Shand appeared in the trailer isn't all that surprising since rumors of other Star Wars characters appearing in the series have been circulating for some time, including a rumored cameo by Bo-Katan Kryze and possibly Darth Maul.
Given Lucasfilm's success with its animated series, The Bad Batch should offer audiences thoughtful yet action-packed storytelling about the end of the Republic and the earliest days of the Empire while continuing Lucasfilm's tradition of innovative animation.
