During Disney's Investor Day, it was confirmed that Hayden Christensen will reprise the role of Darth Vader in Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series, and all the signs are pointing to one heck of a rematch. However, the Sith Lord is also going to dispatch a team of "Jedi hunters" after his old Master, and we now have more details on what to expect from them.
Kessel Run Transmissions, a reliable source for Star Wars news, reveals that this group won't necessarily be Sith Inquisitors we've seen in other recent stories. "It's actually a group of Clone Troopers. Specialized Clones that are hunting Obi-Wan with Vader. We don't know if this is where Cody comes in, or if Cody's from the flashbacks, or if he's hunting them with these Clone troopers. But it is going to be a Clone squad after Obi-Wan."
Of course, it's fitting that clones would be sent after Kenobi following Order 66, and the site would go on to speculate that this group could, in fact, be the Bad Batch. They're set to star in their own animated series, so perhaps that will explain how they ultimately head down a dark path.
Adding further fuel to the fire is the fact that Temuera Morrison has reportedly been cast in Obi-Wan Kenobi. It sounds like he might be playing Clone Commander Cody, one of Kenobi's closest allies during The Clone Wars who ultimately betrayed him in Revenge of the Sith thanks to Palpatine's machinations.
With any luck, we'll learn more about what Lucasfilm has planned for the series soon.
Click on the "Next" button below for a recap of the
biggest Star Wars reveals from Disney's Investor Day!
5. The Acolyte
We've known for a while that Leslye Headland, the Emmy Award-nominated creator of Netflix's Russian Doll, is developing a Star Wars TV series for Disney+. For a time, it looked like she's be tasked with bringing Ahsoka Tano back to the streaming service, but it's actually something very different!
The Acolyte is described as "a mystery-thriller that will take the audience into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark side powers in the final days of the High Republic era."
The High Republic era is one we know Lucasfilm is prioritising in terms of novels and comic books, so the fact that we're now getting a TV show is a definite surprise. Here's hoping we get to see a younger Yoda in action because it's already been confirmed that he'll be part of the upcoming comic books.
4. Lando Calrissian Is Getting His Own "Event" Series
This was one of the biggest announcements to come out of Lucasfilm's presentation, but also frustratingly vague. Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that everyone’s favourite scoundrel Lando Calrissian will return in a brand-new "event series" on Disney+.
The creator of the critically-acclaimed Dear White People, Justin Simien, is developing the show, and...well, that's all we know. We're assuming it's going to be a live-action project, but there's no word on whether Donald Glover will be returning to the role after playing Lando in Solo: A Star Wars Story or if it's going to put the spotlight on Billy Dee Williams' older version of the hero.
Either way, it's impossible not to be excited about what this series could ultimately entail.
3. A Droid Story In The Works From ILM
The Bad Batch got an action-packed sizzle reel during Disney's Investor Day, but it wasn't the only animated series to receive the spotlight. Star Wars: Visions is billed as a series of animated short films celebrating Star Wars through the lens of the world’s best anime creators.
However, the show that really jumped out at us is A Droid Story. Developed by Lucasfilm Animation and Industrial Light & Magic, it's going to introduce us to a new hero, guided by R2-D2 and C-3PO.
We're assuming that will make use of state-of-the-art effects, possibly with photorealistic visuals. Either way, it sounds like it's going to be something really special, and we can't wait for this one.
2. The World Of The Mandalorian Expands
We're one week away from the season finale of The Mandalorian, and it became clear last night that Lucasfilm has bigger plans for this corner of the Galaxy Far, Far Away than we may have suspected.
Two spinoffs have been announced, starting with Ahsoka. Written by Dave Filoni and executive produced by him and Jon Favreau, it will see Rosario Dawson reprise the role of the Jedi Knight. Rangers of the New Republic, meanwhile, comes from the same creative team and will "intersect with future stories and culminate into a climactic story event."
This is clearly all building to some sort of massive crossover event, likely featuring everything from the battle to retake Mandalore to the long awaited return of Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn.
1. Patty Jenkins Is Directing Rogue Squadron
Taikia Waititi remains hard at work on a Star Wars movie Kathleen Kennedy describes as "fresh, unexpected, and...unique." However, the big announcement is Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron.
The Wonder Woman helmer will "introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill-ride, and move the saga into the future era of the galaxy." It sounds awesome, and it's clearly a passion project for the filmmaker.
The movie is set to be released Christmas 2023, and Kennedy would go on to describe Jenkins as "a visionary who knows how to strike the balance between action and heart, and I can’t wait to see what she does in the Star Wars galaxy."