Star Wars fans are poised for a notably busier 2026 after a quieter 2025, which nonetheless delivered standout storytelling with Andor Season 2. The centerpiece is Lucasfilm’s first new live-action Star Wars movie in seven years, directed by Jon Favreau. The Mandalorian and Grogu are headed to theaters on May 26 in a film that acts as a condensed continuation of The Mandalorian on Disney+. Mando and Grogu will pursue a mission for the New Republic, clashing with remnants of the Empire and a rogues’ gallery of criminals. Returning faces from the series are teased, including Dave Filoni’s Trapper Wolf and Steve Blum’s Zeb Orrelios, while new players arrive such as Sigourney Weaver as Col. Ward, Jonny Coyne as an Imperial warlord, and Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt. Even with a strong track record, the reception to Season 3 has tempered expectations about translating the series’ momentum to the big screen. Lucasfilm is signaling a broader slate beyond 2026, with Starfighter from Shawn Levy wrapped and primed for trailers in 2026 ahead of a 2027 theatrical push. In addition, the studio has floated classic non‑Special Edition restorations of the Original Trilogy for theater reissues in 2027, with early footage likely to surface in 2026.
Star Wars on Disney+ in 2026 remains robust but not as aggressively stacked as in earlier years. Ahsoka Season 2 is not yet officially confirmed for 2026, but the plan is to bring back Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano and Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, with Lars Mikkelsen returning as Grand Admiral Thrawn to bolster the dying Empire against the New Republic. The eight-episode second season is written entirely by creator Dave Filoni, with most of the Season 1 cast expected to return, save for Rory McCann stepping in for the late Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll. Filoni’s involvement suggests the season will directly feed into the studio’s broader Star Wars strategy, potentially laying groundwork for a future live-action film. Another animated project on the horizon is Maul: Shadow Lord, a Clone Wars–era series following Maul as he rebuilds his criminal empire after escaping Republic custody. In addition, Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi will extend the Visions anthology with a miniseries continuation of the Ninth Jedi concept, signaling a more extended exploration of Star Wars storytelling through animation.
Star Wars games also look set for a stronger year. Star Wars: Galactic Racer is pitched as a modern arcade racer and a spiritual successor to Episode I: Racer and Racer Revenge, letting players pilot high-speed podracers across diverse planets. Fuse Games, staffed by ex‑Criterion developers, leads development for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox, with a 2026 release window. On the broader gaming front, Fate of the Old Republic was revealed at the Game Awards and is described as a later release; industry chatter suggests remakes of Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel are still in development, which could yield new trailers in 2026 and reposition the property for contemporary audiences.
Comic and book publishing remains in a state of transition. Marvel’s Star Wars line is reshuffling as several ongoing series conclude early in 2026, including Star Wars and Legacy of Vader. The publisher will also release Star Wars: Shadow of Maul, a miniseries that serves as a prequel to the Shadow Lord cartoon, and a Jar Jar Binks one-shot co-written by Ahmed Best with art by Phil Noto. Beyond these titles, exact plans for the rest of 2026 are less certain. In novels, Random House has several Star Wars titles on the docket, including Outlaws: Low Red Moon by Mike Chen—a prequel to the Outlaws game arc focusing on Jaylen Vrax and ND-5—alongside Legacy, centered on Rey’s Jedi training, and Reign of the Empire: Edge of the Abyss by Rebecca Roanhorse, the second entry in a trilogy tracing early Rebel origins.
Taken together, the 2026 Star Wars slate spans film, streaming, games, and books, signaling Lucasfilm’s intent to knit its live-action cinema with animation, interactive, and publishing storytelling. Which project are you most looking forward to this year? A poll accompanies this piece, and ongoing coverage will track every Star Wars movie and series in development as the year unfolds."