Star Wars' Mandalorian Movie Will Relaunch The Entire Franchise

It's certainly looking like The Mandalorian & Grogu will be used by Lucasfilm to revive and relaunch the entire Star Wars franchise. Recently, there's always been a live-action Star Wars show right around the corner, while movies have been non-existent since 2019's Rise of Skywalker. However, the next Star Wars movie should be uniquely positioned to give the franchise what I believe will be some new life and a much-needed jumpstart.

Currently, The Mandalorian & Grogu is set to release in May 2026. In the interim, only two live-action Star Wars shows are confirmed to be released before that time. Combined with some new information about Ahsoka season 2, it's looking like Lucasfilm is preparing to slow down its output right before The Mandalorian & Grogu, maximizing its impact as the start of a brand-new chapter for the Star Wars franchise.

The Mandalorian & Grogu Will (Likely) Be The First Live-Action Star Wars In A Year

There's Likely Going To Be A Year-Long Gap After Andor Season 2

As far as Star Wars movies are concerned, it's been a pretty disappointing few years filled with exciting movie announcements that were eventually met with cancelations and several updates with projects pausing development. It's a pretty big reason I found the initial announcement of a Mandalorian & Grogu movie so exciting, seeing how the characters have proven success on the small screen. Now, The Mandalorian & Grogu is currently filming, exclusive footage has been released as D23 (which I loved), and a release date has been set for 2026.

The Mandalorian & Grogu's 2026 release means there will likely be a rare hiatus from live-action Star Wars content in the interim. At the moment, Skeleton Crew is expected to wrap up 2024, while Andor season 2 is expected to release in the first part of 2025. Likewise, it was recently revealed by Sabine Wren actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo that Ahsoka season 2 wouldn't be filming until next summer, meaning the show won't return until 2026 at the earliest, and likely after The Mandalorian & Grogu. As such, this would create about a year gap where there wouldn't be any live-action Star Wars content.

Star Wars Is Treating The Mandalorian Movie As A Major Reset

Reviving The Franchise With A Much-Needed Jumpstart

Keeping that in mind, I believe this year-long gap from live-action Star Wars is exactly what the franchise needs before its exciting return to the big screen. To that end, it's more than likely intentional on the part of Lucasfilm. There could certainly be live-action projects we simply don't yet know about that are slated for 2025 (though it is unlikely). Instead, what's more likely is that the year-long gap is to avoid saturating the market, while also building up hype and high demand for Star Wars content that will make The Mandalorian & Grogu even more special when it finally releases in theaters.