Star Wars is officially returning to the original trio for its next chapter in the galaxy far, far away.
The Star Wars original trilogy launched a pop culture empire that remains strong today. Despite the number of incomplete and in-development projects festering behind Lucasfilm’s closed doors, the fandom remains loyal to the sci-fi saga and hopes to see it return to the big screen soon.
The return will come in just over a year with Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)–which may or may not be replacing The Mandalorian Season 4. While it was expected that Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s movie centering Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker would be the next to hit the theaters, that honor seems to have landed on the shoulders of Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) director Shawn Levy.
The filmmaker’s movie was first set in motion in late 2022, and up until a month ago, updates had been few and far between. Now, numerous reports are circulating suggesting that A-list talent is attached and that production could begin as soon as this fall in the United Kingdom. That A-list talent? It was recently shared that Ryan Gosling is attached to headline the film.
Even a decade on, the Star Wars franchise continues to find its footing under The Walt Disney Company. Fans are expecting big things from the theatrical slate, considering the controversial and divisive sequel trilogy that ran from 2015 through 2019. Of course, the Disney+ entries have been a mixed bag, too, with the likes of The Book of Boba Fett and The Acolyte drawing criticism. The latter was ultimately canceled due to low viewership.
While fans await the next chapter to launch on screen, Marvel Comics is returning the original trilogy era in a post-Return of the Jedi narrative that reimagines the iconic lead characters of those first movies. In George Lucas’s Star Wars: Episode IV–A New Hope (1977), the world was introduced to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher).
The legacy they forged is everlasting, and even though all three characters perished in the sequel trilogy (Han in Star Wars: Episode VII–The Force Awakens (2015), Luke in Star Wars: Episode VIII–The Last Jedi (2017), and Leia in Star Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker (2019)), they live in through the ever-expanding Star Wars timeline both on-screen (like in The Mandalorian) and in tie-in media.
The trio will return for their next story in the relaunch of the “Star Wars” comic series, which begins this May.
“It’s the dawn of the New Republic, and as the dust settles after the Battle of Jakku, our rebel heroes — Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, and Han Solo — find themselves forging a new order as pirates and thieves swarm to fill the power vacuum left behind by the fallen Empire,” the official description of the new era reads.
Written by Alex Segura and drawn by Phil Noto, the new “Star Wars” series follows the recent Battle of Jakku trilogy and, according to StarWars.com, will reimagine key characters in the franchise.
“Alex is an amazing writer and has come up with some great storylines and new characters for this series and I’m thrilled for the opportunity to bring them to life on the page! It’s also been exciting to draw the classic characters in the post-Return of the Jedi era because there’s no existing film or TV versions of them,” Noto told StarWars.com. “I get to create new looks for them while also having reference of the actors from the 80s to help sell the look of this timeline.”
Alex Segura added that, following the culmination of the Battle of Jakku comics, they “can speed ahead into a new, uncharted era, with some new galactic threats, foes, and mysteries for our beloved heroes to grapple with, blending the familiar with the new and shocking.”
Star Wars is known for using tie-in media to expand the events seen on screen, whether through comics, novels, audio dramas, or video games. The studio recently shared that they would be returning to another fan-favorite character, Kylo Ren, in a new series set after the events of Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi. The series showcases how the First Order warrior became increasingly obsessed with his grandfather, the Sith Lord Darth Vader, AKA Anakin Skywalker.
How do you feel about Star Wars heading back to Luke, Han, and Leia? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
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