If you can't quite love The Mandalorian season 3, we have good news: a new hope is coming, and her name is Ahsoka Tano. The character, who you've seen in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett featured heavily in the biggest reveal from Star Wars Celebration 2023.
And that fan fest delivered on not just TV, but for movies. Yes, the world of Star Wars cinema — that's been waiting for updates — finally has news.
Yes, while Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron seems to have been put on an indefinite hiatus, three new Star Wars movies have been announced, each going in a different direction. And one of them is covering an era we didn't expect to see Star Wars touch on.
So, let's break down what we like about the Ahsoka series trailer and the four other big reveals from Star Wars Celebration 2023.
Ahsoka's teaser trailer teases Thrawn's arrival
Even if you're not smart on the Clone Wars era, Ahsoka looks like the series that Star Wars needs right now. Ahsoka, which is coming in August 2023, is the latest chapter of the character's story following her appearances in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. And this teaser trailer previewed a new dark force on the horizon, as Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) is concerned with the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who believes he is the heir to the empire.
We only see Thrawn from behind, as he's walking, and the actor playing the blue-skinned Star Wars Rebels character has not been revealed yet. Lars Mikkelsen, who voiced him in Rebels, is rumored to play him.
Still, the teaser trailer is still filled with action — as Ahsoka engages in some wild lightsaber duels. The Ahsoka trailer also showed that Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) will be in the series, and gave us our first live-action looks at Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, in green makeup), other characters from Star Wars Rebels.
Andor season 2 has a release month
The Star Wars Celebration also teased Andor season 2, the final season of the live-action Diego Luna-led series. But while those in attendance saw clips aren't available to watch online, we did learn that we have more than a year to wait for its debut. Andor season 2, as showrunner Tony Gilroy has revealed, is slated to hit Disney Plus in August 2024.
As Digital Spy reports, Gilroy stated "We're gonna shoot through August. We are on the exact schedule we were on the previous time, so if past is precedent we will finish in August and then spend another year on the post-production, on the music, on the colour, on the visual effects, and getting it ready, and I suppose we'll come out the following August."
Star Wars is going back in time — way back
The prequels may seem futuristic in comparison to the upcoming James Mangold-helmed Star Wars movie just announced. The film does not have a title yet, but we know that the director (who previously worked on Logan and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) will be focusing on life during "the dawn of the Jedi," according to StarWars.com.
One wonders what questions will be answered, and how much of the early bifurcation of the light and dark sides we will see.
The Disney Plus Star Wars shows will end in a movie
We've wondered what the ultimate plans are for Mando and Grogu, as Mandalorian season 3 has felt particularly meandering. And, now we know.
As posted on StarWars.com, Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Ahsoka) is helming an upcoming Star Wars movie which will "close out the interconnected stories told in The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and other" Disney Plus series.
Daisy Ridley's back as Rey — and starring in her own movie
Formerly of Jakku, now a leader in the New Jedi Order era of Star Wars that's never been touched upon before, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is back in the Star Wars universe. She's the only announced character/actor for the movie, which will see Rey look to rebuild the Jedi Order after it's been basically destroyed.
The film, which seems like you could call it Episode X — as it's a sequel to Rise of the Skywalker — will be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel, Saving Face). As Polygon reports, the film will be based on a script from Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders), and not the previously rumored script from Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson.
This film, as is the case with the Filoni and Mangold films, does not have a release date yet.
Analysis: Star Wars feels slightly back on track
Going into Star Wars Celebration, the state of Star Wars' filmic side was very much up in the air. Now that we know one of the biggest characters (Rey) from the sequel trilogy is coming back, it's starting to feel like the Star Wars universe may be under control. Still, an update on that Taika Waititi-helmed Star Wars movie would be great.
On the TV side, the Andor release window is not as important as what we got from the Ahsoka teaser trailer, as it's eerily comforting to see a big bad villain on the horizon. Also, it's a tad comforting to learn that there actually is a plan for all these shows in The Mandalorian's timeline.
Now, let's just hope that The Mandalorian season 3 ends strong and that Ashoka brings more life into the over-arching Star Wars world.
