Star Wars Returns to The Big Screen
Let’s face it, 2025 was the quietest year in Star Wars in a long time, but still provided a bang with Andor Season 2. As we look to 2026, we can see it will change with the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu on 22 May. It’s been seven years since the last Star Wars film (The Rise of Skywalker), but the pause was a welcome one. Since then, we had several TV shows, but that all changed soon.
Disney is set to release Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu in theaters on May 26. This new film continues the story from the hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian and, by all indications, serves as a condensed Season 4. Once again, Pedro Pascal returns as Mando, joined by Grogu, as they embark on a mission for the New Republic—facing off against Imperial remnants and a host of underworld adversaries.
Fans can expect the return of some familiar faces, including Dave Filoni’s Trapper Wolf and Steve Blum’s Zeb Orrelios. The film will also introduce several new characters to the Mando-verse: Sigourney Weaver joins as New Republic operative Col. Ward, Jonny Coyne appears as an Imperial warlord, and Jeremy Allen White takes on the role of the unusually muscular Rotta the Hutt (last seen in the original Clone Wars movie).
The Mandalorian has been one of the standout successes of Disney’s Star Wars era. Still, it remains to be seen whether it can draw crowds in today’s unpredictable box office climate—especially after the mixed reception to Season 3. Fortunately, Disney doesn’t have to compete with the release of Grand Theft Auto VI this time around.
Looking ahead, Star Wars fans will also get a glimpse of Disney’s 2027 theatrical slate. Production has just wrapped on Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, so a trailer is likely to debut in 2026, perhaps timed for Star Wars Day.
Additionally, the long-standing rumors are true: Disney will release restored, non-Special Edition versions of the Original Trilogy in theaters in 2027. With these classic films returning to the big screen, fans can expect trailers and previews showcasing the newly remastered footage well in advance.
Star Wars on the Small Screen
The Star Wars lineup on Disney+ is a bit slimmer in 2026 than the jam-packed schedules of the past few years, as Lucasfilm has decided to scale back new streaming releases. Still, there are several major projects to look forward to this year.
While not officially confirmed for 2026, fans are hopeful for the arrival of Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2 in the latter half of the year. Picking up directly after the events of the 2023 season, the new episodes will follow Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano and Natasha Liu Bordizzo’s Sabine Wren, now stranded in another galaxy. Meanwhile, Lars Mikkelsen’s Grand Admiral Thrawn has returned to bolster the crumbling Empire against the New Republic.
Like its predecessor, Ahsoka Season 2 will feature eight episodes, all penned by series creator Dave Filoni. Most of the original cast is expected to return, including Ivanna Sakhno’s Shin Hati, Eman Esfandi’s Ezra Bridger, Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Hera Syndulla, and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. The notable exception is the role of Baylan Skoll, with Rory McCann stepping in after Ray Stevenson’s passing.
Although Lucasfilm hasn’t set a release date, production wrapped in September 2025. The new season is expected to play a pivotal role in setting up Filoni’s upcoming live-action Star Wars film.
However, confirmed for 2026 is the animated series Maul: Shadow Lord. A spinoff of The Clone Wars in the vein of The Bad Batch, this series explores Maul’s quest to rebuild his criminal empire after escaping Republic custody, bridging the gap to his appearance in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story. Sam Witwer returns to voice Maul, with executive production from Dave Filoni, Brad Rau, Athena Yvette Portillo, and Matt Michnovetz.
On the animation front, Star Wars: Visions is also expanding with a new miniseries, Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi. This project continues the story from Production I.G.’s acclaimed “The Ninth Jedi” shorts featured in Visions Seasons 1 and 3, diving deeper into this unique and adventurous corner of the Star Wars universe.
Star Wars Games
2025 was also a quiet year for Star Wars gaming, with the only notable release being some DLC and a Nintendo Switch 2 port for Ubisoft’s Star Wars: Outlaws. The good news is that 2026 promises at least one major new title—especially for fans of podracing.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer serves as a spiritual successor to 1999’s Star Wars Episode I: Racer and 2002’s Racer Revenge. This arcade-style racer puts players behind the controls of high-speed podracers, competing in dangerous tournaments across the galaxy. According to the trailer, Sebulba returns to reclaim his title, suggesting a more developed storyline this time.
Developed by Fuse Games and published by Secret Mode, Galactic Racer should excite racing fans, as the team at Fuse includes several former Criterion Games developers. The game is set to launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox sometime in 2026.
As for the rest of the year, it remains uncertain whether we’ll see additional Star Wars gaming content outside the mobile space. There’s hope for news on the Knights of the Old Republic franchise: Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic was recently unveiled at the Game Awards, though it may be too early for another trailer in 2026. Meanwhile, reports suggest remakes of the first two KOTOR games are still in development, so there’s always a chance we could get a trailer or update for one of those.
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
Art by MADIBEK MUSABEKOV
Cover by DERRICK CHEW
Headshot Variant Cover by AKA
Variant Cover by BJÖRN BARENDS
On Sale 3/4
Star Wars Comics
Marvel’s Star Wars comics have long been a reliable source of new stories, but as we head into 2026, the future of the line is uncertain. Despite launching several new ongoing series in 2025, Marvel appears to be abruptly ending them early in the year. Writer Alex Segura confirmed his series will conclude with issue #10, cutting short the post-Return of the Jedi adventures of Luke, Han, and Leia. Similarly, the Kylo Ren–centered Star Wars: Legacy of Vader wraps up with issue #12 in January.
That leaves just a few smaller projects on Marvel’s Star Wars slate for 2026. There’s the miniseries Star Wars: Shadow of Maul, a prequel to the upcoming Shadow Lord animated series, as well as a Jar Jar Binks one-shot co-written by actor Ahmed Best.
Beyond these, Marvel’s future Star Wars plans remain a mystery. It seems likely the publisher will introduce new titles to fill the gap left by Star Wars and Legacy of Vader. Still, it’s unclear whether they’ll continue exploring the Sequel Trilogy era or shift to a different timeline. While the franchise may not command the sales it did a decade ago, it’s unlikely Marvel will step away from Star Wars comics entirely. More announcements are expected soon.
On the novel front, Star Wars fans have plenty to look forward to. Random House is releasing several new titles next year, including Mike Chen’s Outlaws: Low Red Moon (a prequel to the upcoming game starring Jaylen Vrax and ND-5), Madeleine Roux’s Legacy (focused on Rey’s Jedi training), and Rebecca Roanhorse’s Reign of the Empire: Edge of the Abyss, the second book in a trilogy chronicling the early days of the Rebel Alliance.
