With 2027 barreling towards us whether we like it or not, it was time for Lucasfilm to peel back some glimpses of what fans can expect on the big and little screens. At the D23 convention, they did just that, showcasing what appears to be a much bigger season for Ahsoka, which launches on January 20, 2027, with massive battles and a much better sense of scale than season one, judging by the trailer alone. Starfighter had its moment too, officially revealing a new poster with a new logo, but the leaked trailer is out there (which I break down below) if you look hard enough, also teasing a small focus with big potential. UPDATE: Plus, Dave Filoni responds how they aren’t making The Hunt for Ben Solo…right now!? Let’s get into it all below the cut!
Ahsoka
For starters, they aren’t being too subtle about Anakin Skywalker’s return, hey? His Force Ghost, and more flashbacks to the Clone Wars, are all over the start of the trailer, and all I can say is: heck yes!! Especially following the absolutely lovely usage of the character in the novel Legacy, I can’t wait to see what else they want to do with him here. I think it’s going to be much better than season one’s stuff, given the flashbacks appear to be actual flashbacks and Anakin’s Force Ghost-ing is in the present, instead of it all happening in the mythical realm of the World Between Worlds. Having him here, to challenge her, to continue her training, could be really fun to watch and it’s what Anakin, and Hayden Christensen, deserve. Plus, it feels like the right place for him to be, as Luke has his sister, of course, and is trying to do his own thing (though we got to see him interact with Luke in the novel Shadow of the Sith), so allowing Luke to push forward and maybe chat with less problematic Force Ghosts isn’t such a bad idea. It makes the most sense why Anakin doesn’t appear to Leia, as the novels have shown (much like in Legends) she hasn’t really forgiven him like her brother did, while I’ll bet we’ll start getting more ideas on why he’d be with Ahsoka anyways as at one point they’ll have to explain where Luke, Leia, and Han are all during these events if they don’t show up!
Oh Thrawn, you petty little smarty-pants. Calling the New Republic the Rebel Alliance instead, unwilling to acknowledge their victory. Mad respect for the psychological petty warfare. But you also have to love the epic size of the warfare! The space battles look BIG. Like movie big! It’s impressive. And now we know what he’s using all the coffins for…expendable Nightsister soldiers so he doesn’t have to come back and try to raise an army right away, he can just attack as he wishes. I hope Hera gets more to do with the big battles, as we do see the Ghost in on the action at one point, but I also hope some familiar military faces show up as well. Because right now, all we got is the absolutely love to hate him Senator Hamato Xiono, the smarmy jerk played so well by Nelson Lee, who you can see with her at one point on the bridge of a ship. We also get to see Ezra Bridger and, fresh off some adventures with Mando, Zeb and Ezra reuniting!! At least they get to hug one another, unlike how Hera and Ezra didn’t hug and that still feels like a weird choice…she is the space mom, after all!
But it’s not all about the normal galaxy, as there’s plenty of footage of what everyone’s up to in the other galaxy! Sabine Wren and Ahsoka are off exploring ruins on Peridea, which I hope to see a lot of in the show as I’m down for all the weird Force shit Filoni wants to throw at us. Shin Hati is trying to catch up with her Master, Baylan Skoll, now played by Rory McCann after Ray Stevenson’s untimely passing, but she seems to get lost along the way and face off against Hyuang doing his best General Grievous impression. Or maybe it’s some training, as Sabine’s hair is suspiciously lighter, like Shin’s shock-white hair…hmm, is Sabine trying to match her not-yet girlfriend? And what’s this about a power that can end wars they’re all investigating out there? Sounds suspicious to me, especially if the rumors are true and this ties into the Mortis gods stuff, including Legend’s own add-on, Abeloth, the Mother.
Regardless, this appears like it’s really shaping up to address many of the criticism of the first season, but I’m not trying to get my hopes up too much given this still wasn’t made with a writer’s room to help mitigate some of Filoni’s habits. So yes, I’ll always wish this show was animated (though rumors suggest Lucasfilm and Marvel will be more animated for Disney+ show content going forward!), but hey, if this does turn out good, I’ll wish it less loudly. Check back to the Manor for more as it comes and reviews once the show begins on January 20, 2027.
Starfighter
Those at home only get a poster, which adds some metallic detail to the film’s title and gives the Star Wars logo a very retro feel. But if you know where to look (*cough cough cough sneeze hello cough sneeze cough*), the teaser is out there, featuring Ryan Gosling’s Kade Auberon (no, he will not be Cade Skywalker…look, they spelt it with a K!) talking with Flynn Gray’s yet to be named character about a super special starfighter of Imperial design. Kade calls it a G-17 Reaper, which a G-17 was a landspeeder in Legends, and its design sort of looks like one until you get to the cockpit/engine compartment. Just how fast it is, and why it was never made into full production, should be an interesting tale itself, as well as if it’ll be fast enough for Kade to help Flynn’s character outrun whomever is after him for whatever reason (with rumors, and the mention of that Tom Cruise directed lightsaber fight, pointing towards Force-related reasons). UPDATE: Plus, there’s the first though somewhat vague synopsis of the film, which hints at a darker past (maybe Imperial? Imperial remnant given his age? Or family was Imperial/the ones who made the Reaper ship?) for Kade END UPDATE:
“..when a cynical rogue is confronted by his mysterious past, he is hurled into a dangerous adventure across the galaxy that puts him on a crash course with destiny.”
Here’s a quick rundown of other shots in the trailer: we see a ship blasting across the surface of a muddy-looking planet and then some type of water place where it’s flowing upwards and they’re like sailing a ship (maybe Kade’s not yet completed Reaper); a glimpse of Kade’s leather jacket which Ryan wore to the convention (and yes, I swear he won’t be Cade Skywalker even though he’s wearing a leather jacket); a shuttle trying to take off and being shot at; a jump across a closing bridge à la A New Hope; and a cool looking visual for just how fast the ship might be able to go once it’s up and running. Hopefully fans everywhere will get to see it in HD sooner than later as I’m finally really hyped for this now there’s footage! I’m sure we’ll see a ton before its May 28, 2027 release date…eventually.
The Hunt for Ben Solo
So you’re saying there’s a chance?!? “Not right now” sounds far better than it being cancelled to me and Filoni does have a habit of playing the long game. We shall see, even if Adam Driver is about to be busy playing Mr. Sinister in the 2028 X-Men movie. And if they donmake it, just as long as it’s a new director, the original one is all about A.I. now. Good riddance.
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