We're returning to a Galaxy Far, Far Away today to share more Star Wars updates with you! Lucasfilm's big screen plans remain a mystery, but there's plenty happening on the small screen as the franchise finds a new home on Disney+ with The Mandalorian and a number of other shows.
Talking of that series, we have an update with Greef Karga actor Carl Weathers about which episode he's directing and a first look at a new type of Stormtrooper coming to season two.
Then, there's a big update on the female-led Star Wars show coming to the streaming service, confirmation that one Rogue One actor won't be in Cassian Andor, and even real-life lightsabers!
To take a look through this Star Wars news, all you need to do is click on the "Next" button below.
5. Carl Weathers Reveals His Episode Of The Mandalorian
In the above interview, The Mandalorian star Carl Weathers confirms that he stepped behind the camera to take the helm of "Chapter 12" of the Disney+ TV series.
That's the fourth episode of season two, and likely the one which will see Din Djarin return to Nevarro to reunite with Greef Karga (Weathers) and Cara Dune (Gina Carano). That means the actor will be directing both himself and his co-stars, a unique challenge, but one many filmmakers take on.
There are plenty of other interesting comments from Weathers which you can see in the player above.
4. Rogue One Actor Denies Cassian Andor Return
There's a lot of excitement surrounding the Cassian Andor TV series coming to Disney+, and it's believed that the plan is for it to explore both the title character's origin story and the early days of the Rebellion. If that's the case, we're bound to see some familiar faces from Rogue One, right?
Genevieve O'Reilly's Mon Mothma will be back, but actor Alistair Petrie has denunked the rumour that he'll return as General Draven. "No... of course, it's possible, because of the role I played in [Rogue One]. I'm respecting the filmmakers, I'm not trying to be clever in terms of 'I'd love to say something but I can't, I've signed an NDA' It's nothing to do with any of that."
"If the storytelling allows me to appear in it, then I would in a heartbeat," he added. "I love the personnel and the possibility of the stories they could tell around Diego's character."
Check out the full interview above.
3. Leslye Headland Shares An Update Of Her Star Wars TV Show
In an interview with Fantastic Frankey, Leslye Headland - the showrunner of a new, female-led Star Wars TV show coming to Disney+ - reveals that she's been working on that project for a little over a year now. She also shared some insight into what it's been like working with the team at Lucasfilm.
"Working at Lucasfilm has been like a dream come true, and kind of beyond my wildest dreams, which I tweeted when it happened," Headland says in the video above. "I was like 'I don't really know what else to say, except that I love it.' But that's what I've been working on for the last year - a year and some change. So all of 2020 has been working on that."
The prevailing theory is that Ahsoka Tano will be the star of this series, but that's unconfirmed.
2. Welcome To 2020: Lightsabers Are Real Now
Lightsabers are a classic sci-fi weapon, but are they now one step closer to becoming real? Well, Engineers at The Hacksmith have created "the world's first retractable plasma-based lightsaber," and as we're sure you'll agree after watching the video above, they've done a damn good job.
It's obviously not exactly like the lightsabers in the Star Wars movies (technology isn't quite there yet), but the team explains why that's not possible, while also creating a damn good alternative.
This bad boy can pretty much cut through anything too, and while we're probably not going to see people battling each other with them, there's no denying that these "real" lightsabers impress.
1. A New Style Of Stormtrooper
The Empire may have been defeated in Return of the Jedi, but they're not finished quite yet.
A new trading card for The Mandalorian (first shared on Reddit) shows off a new class of Stormtrooper coming to the Disney+ series. While the colour of the armour is similar to the Shoretroopers last seen in Rogue One, the helmet appears to be closer to those worn by hovertank pilots. There are also some similarities to Solo's Range Troopers, so who knows what Trooper this is!
Check it out below and let us know your thoughts and theories in the comments section!