Has Disney just pulled the plug on its upcoming Star Wars release?
The galaxy far, far away is bursting with new plans, but that excitement comes with a hefty dose of uncertainty. Between freshly announced films, returning characters, and overlapping creative visions, the current state of Star Wars has fans energized—and a little overwhelmed—as Disney and Lucasfilm attempt to chart the next chapter of their billion-dollar saga.
Back in April 2023, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy made headlines at Star Wars Celebration Europe with the announcement of three new theatrical projects. James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy were all revealed to be helming films, joining already-teased entries from directors Shawn Levy and Taika Waititi. Meanwhile, Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron, previously shelved, is reportedly back on track.
Each film offers a distinct vision for the franchise. Mangold’s entry will take fans the furthest back in Star Wars history yet, delving into the mythological roots of the Force. Filoni’s film, on the other hand, is shaping up to be a crossover event—one that could pull threads from The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, The Book of Boba Fett, and Skeleton Crew.
Then came a seismic shift at the start of 2024. Less than a year after Kennedy’s initial announcement, Lucasfilm revealed a surprise pivot: Jon Favreau would bring Din Djarin and Grogu to the big screen. The announcement placed The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) at the front of the upcoming film slate, effectively concluding The Mandalorian series on Disney+. Reports now suggest that a fourth season is no longer in development.
This change has a domino effect. Obaid-Chinoy’s film, which is set years after Star Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker (2019) and stars Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker as she attempts to rebuild the Jedi Order, was initially thought to follow soon after. Two potential titles have been circulating—New Jedi Order and A New Beginning—though nothing official has been confirmed.
Complicating matters further, on November 7, 2024, another major announcement shifted the franchise’s momentum yet again. Lucasfilm revealed that X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) director and The Martian (2015) producer Simon Kinberg would develop a brand-new Star Wars trilogy as a writer and producer.
“The new story is not meant to be a continuation of the Skywalker Saga, the name of the overall arc of the popular and pop culture-dominating Star Wars movies known as Episodes 1 through 9,” The Hollywood Reporter noted on the announcement.
“The intent here is to have brand new characters and a new story, and not have it be a continuation, sources tell [THR]. (Although that does not mean that some characters could not or would not pop up.)”
Almost immediately, questions arose about how Kinberg’s trilogy might impact Obaid-Chinoy’s Rey-centric film, especially if both projects try to steer Star Wars in different directions. Kathleen Kennedy would later confirm that Kinberg’s movies will firmly take Star Wars in a new direction, seemingly leaving the Skywalker Saga behind.
“But Rey, the scavenger-turned-Jedi played by Daisy Ridley in the last three episode movies, is key to the franchise’s next turn,” THR reported at the time. “That potentially puts Kinberg’s trilogy story development, as early in its conceptual stages as it may be, on a collision course with the Rey standalone movie that is actively in the works with director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.”
A source told the outlet, “[Rey] is the most valuable cinematic asset, in some ways maybe the only one, Star Wars has right now.” The most recent update on the movie was that George Nolfi (The Banker) was onboard as writer. That was until new information came to light recently.
“According to scooper Daniel Richtman, ‘The Rey movie is on hold once again, as both the Shawn Levy and James Mangold Star Wars films are moving forward first. The project is not canceled — just temporarily on hold,’” SFF Gazette reported.
Star Wars fans knew that Shawn Levy’s movie would quickly follow The Mandalorian and Grogu, thanks to its release announcement at Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. Titled Star Wars: Starfighter (2027), Levy’s movie will star Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth and is set approximately five years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker.
The report that James Mangold’s movie is being moved up the list is intriguing. Years ago, Lucasfilm announced that Game of Thrones creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff would develop their own trilogy exploring the Force’s origins. That project ultimately stalled, and the thematic groundwork now appears to be influencing Mangold’s upcoming film. Both directors have acknowledged the similarities in recent interviews.
As fans continue to debate the future of George Lucas’ iconic universe—and voice frustrations about Disney’s management of the franchise, specifically the New Jedi Order movie—some took matters into their own hands. Popular fan channel Darth Trailer released a conceptual teaser last year for Rey’s next film, titling it Star Wars: Episode X – New Jedi Order.
With so many moving pieces and competing visions in motion, the next few years will be crucial for shaping what Star Wars looks like on the big screen.
How do you feel about the direction Star Wars is headed in? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below.
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