Last Friday, The Mandalorian returned to Disney+ to kick off its second season, and it did so in style. That seems to have created something of a resurgence in Star Wars news after a slow few months, and we now have some exciting new intel to share with you on this Galaxy Far, Far Away.
We start off with comments from Jon Favreau about how George Lucas inspired all that secrecy surrounding The Child's debut last year, before sharing some concept art from "The Marshal."
Felicity Jones, meanwhile, has shared some surprising comments about returning to play Jyn Erso after the character died in Rogue: One A Star Wars Story, while Marvel Comics has released a new timeline for the entire franchise. We wrap things up with a big Ahsoka Tano update too.
To delve into all this Star Wars news, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button below!
5. Jon Favreau Credits George Lucas For Baby Yoda Secrecy
While the big surprise at the end of last Friday's episode of The Mandalorian wasn't overly shocking after some early leaks, the Baby Yoda reveal in that season one premiere blew us all away.
During a virtual premiere for "Chapter 9," executive producer and director Jon Favreau credited George Lucas for that headline-grabbing moment. "George drew from the cliffhanger. That's what he grew up with," he explained. "A cliffhanger doesn't always have to be an action cliffhanger. It could be a character cliffhanger, an emotional cliffhanger, and that's what creates that compelling relationship that I, as an audience member, appreciate the most."
Favreau admitted that, "secrecy is very hard to come by in Star Wars," noting: "Because the fans are very engaged and they're curious, and because of the internet and social media, everybody's talking to one another," he said. "And so there's this really interesting relationship where you really want to know what you're getting for Christmas, but you don't really want to know."
There's a lot which hasn't been revealed about this season of The Mandalorian, so it seems fair to say that despite some casting leaks, Lucasfilm has successfully managed to keep a lid on spoilers.
4. Christian Alzmann Shares Concept Art From The Mandalorian
Just like during the show's first season, The Mandalorian's premiere on Friday ended with concept art depicting key moments and giving us an idea of what those scenes looked like at an early stage.
Now, Lucasfilm concept artist Christian Alzmann has shared one of his pieces showing Din Djarin riding alongside Tatooine's Sand People, a group the Mandalorian finds it easy to communicate with.
3. Felicity Jones Open To Return As Jyn Erso In Rogue One Spinoff
Felicity Jones played Jyn Erso in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and like the rest of that crew, her character died by the time the credits rolled. Diego Luna's Cassian Andor is returning in a prequel TV series on Disney+, though, so is there a chance we'll be able to pick up with Jyn in the past?
"I just keep saying that reincarnation is totally possible in the Star Wars universe," the actress told THR during a recent interview. "So, I feel there’s unfinished business for Jyn, for sure."
"I think it would be fascinating to see her getting older and wiser and fighting the dark forces in the universe, of which there are many it seems," Jones added, alluding to having interest in a sequel rather than a prequel. It's impossible to imagine that happening, though, as we saw her disintegrate!
2. A New, Official Star Wars Timeline
Marvel Comics' latest Star Wars publishing initiative will see them visit "The High Republic" hundreds of years before the events of The Skywalker Saga. As well as a younger Yoda, the series promises to include plenty of new characters too, though this timeline is bound to be of interest to many fans.
As you can see, certain eras of stories have now been slotted into certain timeframes, and it's going to be interesting seeing how these continue to be fleshed out in the coming years.
After all, we definitely need more stories set during "The New Republic" era, with many fans anxious to see what became of Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo after Return to the Jedi.
1. Rosario Dawson Confirmed As Ahsoka Tano
The trades have already confirmed that Rosario Dawson will appear in The Mandalorian's second season, and that she's set to take on the role of a live-action Ahsoka Tano. Disney and Lucasfilm have remained quiet on that point, but the official Disney+ India Instagram account inadvertently confirmed the news in a now-deleted post (which, let's face it, says a huge amount).
This clearly wasn't supposed to be shared and commented on, especially when Ahsoka's role is likely designed to be a surprise. However, just with Cobb Vanth and Boba Fett, Lucasfilm has really struggled to keep a lid on season two spoilers, even if the characters are being kept out of trailers and merchandise. That's a decision they could regret with Christmas rapidly approaching.