01/07/2026
2026 promises to be a big year for Star Wars. The last few years have seen the Star Wars franchise morph into a totally different shape, embracing the transmedia potential of Disney+ in a range of Star Wars TV shows. There have been successes and failures, triumphs and missteps; The Acolyte became the first show to be canceled in 2024, but Andor became an award-winning hit in 2025.
Two years ago, there were reports that Lucasfilm had been told to “ramp up” production on the big screen again. These efforts are finally about to pay off, with the first Star Wars movie since 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The studio has rebalanced, appearing to shift to one theatrical release every year, with one live-action TV show as well. But that’s not all due to come out in 2026 – in what promises to be an epic year for Lucasfilm. Here are all six major Star Wars releases in 2026.
The Mandalorian and Grogu
Releasing on May 22, and marks Star Wars’ celebrated return to theaters. Directed by Jon Favreau, this seems to have been adapted from the original plans for The Mandalorian season 4, and it features the return of Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin and the delightful Grogu. Lucasfilm released the first trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu back in September, but it was surprisingly light on plot details. No doubt future trailers will reveal more.
The so-called “Mandoverse” movies and TV shows are all set roughly five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, and there appears to be an overarching narrative involving the return of Lars Mikkelsen’s Grand Admiral Thrawn, an Imperial strategist who hopes to lead a resurgence of the Empire. Mikkelsen himself isn’t confirmed for The Mandalorian and Grogu, but the film is known to feature Steve Bum as Zeb, Sigourney Weaver as a New Republic strategist, Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt, and Jonny Coyne as an Imperial warlord.
Season 2
All the signs indicate that Ahsoka season 2 will release in August or September 2026, coming out three years after the first season and picking up from the dramatic ending. This saw Rosario Dawon’s Ahsoka Tano and Natasha Liu Bordizzo’s Sabine Wren stranded on the extragalactic planet Peridea, a world that is steeped in ancient secrets of the Force. They’re not the only ones on Peridea; Rory McCann has taken over as dark Jedi Baylan Skoll after Ray Stevenson’s sad passing, and Ivanna Sakhno is returning as his Padawan, Shin Hati.
Ahsoka will continue Grand Admiral Thrawn’s campaign in the main galaxy, with Eman Esfandi’s Ezra Bridger and Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Hera Syndulla on the front lines. Speaking at Star Wars Celebration 2025, showrunner Dave Filoni confirmed the story will see Thrawn go up against celebrated New Republic strategist Admrial Ackbar – reproducing an epic moment from the classic Star Wars Expanded Universe.
Maul: Shadow Lord
Also confirmed at Star Wars Celebration, Maul: Shadow Lord is the first Star Wars TV show to star a villain as its lead. This story is set in the aftermath of Revenge of the Sith, and will explore Maul’s efforts to reestablish himself as a force to be reckoned with after the rise of the Empire. Sam Witwer will return as the lead, with the former Sith Apprentice presumably setting to work creating his Crimson Dawn criminal organization – the group seen in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Not much is known about Maul: Shadow Lord at this time; Lucasfilm is yet to give a release date, and there’s no concrete news about whether the show will feature the long-anticipated duel between Darths Maul and Vader. Only time will tell.
Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi
Spinning out of the popular animated anthology series Star Wars: Visions, The Ninth Jedi explores an alternate timeline in which the light of the Jedi has almost been extinguished by the Sith. Created by Production I.G., this story will build on epic adventures seen in Visions seasons 1 and 3, as the heroic Margrave Juro attempts to rebuild the Jedi. The star will be the titular “Ninth Jedi,” Lah Kara, daughter of a sabersmith whose father has been kidnapped by the Sith.
The Ninth Jedi promises to be an epic miniseries, running four episodes in length. It will be largely standalone, demonstrating once again that canonicity isn’t the same as quality when it comes to Star Wars.
Star Wars: Zero Company
Set to release in 2026, Bit Reactor’s Star Wars: is a turn-based tactical game set during the Clone Wars. Players take control of Galactic Republic officer Hawks as he leads a crack team to save the galaxy, in a story reportedly influenced by both and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It’s time to learn the secrets of “the war beneath the war.”
