When does Star Wars: Skeleton Crew take place on the Star Wars timeline?

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is turning quite a few heads. The series’ newest trailer doubles down on the Goonies-inspired vibes established in the first, confirming this Star Wars series is treading unfamiliar ground. It also dropped some interesting hints on where the series falls on the Star Wars timeline.

The official Star Wars timeline is a tangled chord that’s only gotten more twisted since the series started dipping into Marvel Cinematic Universe-style storytelling. Luckily, the trailers and a few comments from the series’ creators have painted a pretty clear picture of when Skeleton Crew takes place in Star Wars canon.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew unfolds in a familiar chapter of the Star Wars timeline

Image via Disney+

Star Wars fans have had questions about Skeleton Crew‘s place on the timeline since the series’ first trailer in August. Scenes of cookie-cutter intergalactic suburbia threw viewers for a loop since we’ve seen nothing like that in the current canon or the original Star Wars Expanded Universe continuity, now known as Legends.

Thanks to an official statement from director Jon Watts, we have confirmation that Skeleton Crew‘s events will happen during Star Wars’ New Republic Era. This is the same era in which The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka occur. Set roughly five years after Star Wars: Episode VI – The Return of the Jedi, the New Republic era explores the early days of the titular galactic democracy, particularly its struggle to mend the scars left behind by the Galactic Empire.

Ironically, the day-to-day politics of the New Republic have taken a backseat during the New Republic era. Overhead X-Wings flying Vs and the rumblings of the new Galactic Senate act as loose threads that tie the era’s different series together and rarely matter outside the rare individual episodes that incorporate the government’s goings-on into their storylines. However, it looks like Skeleton Crew might buck this trend by focusing on the lives of New Republic citizens.

Skeleton Crew might cross over with other Star Wars New Republic era shows

Image via Disney+

Skeleton Crew follows a group of children who accidentally send themselves careening into a far-flung corner of the galaxy on an old ship. On the surface, this premise doesn’t exactly scream “crossover.” However, the various New Republic Star Wars series coming out on Disney+ have been increasingly crossing wires lately. The Book of Boba Fett effectively became The Madnaolorian Season 2.5 in the second half. Ahsoka, meanwhile, pulled muscles setting up Dave Filoni’s upcoming Star Wars theatrical film, pulling in characters from almost every Filoni-lead Star Wars project.

Skeleton Crew reportedly has a budget of over one hundred and thirty million dollars, so I find it hard to believe that we aren’t in for some flashy, late-season denouement that connects it to the web Filoni’s weaving. Then again, Star Wars: The Acolyte had an even bigger budget and was standalone. I guess we’ll have to wait and see whether Skeleton Crew’s young explorers are as alone as they think.

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