Star Wars Could Have Its Best Year Ever in 2019

This past December marked a major change for Lucasfilm after its purchase by Disney, as it was the end of a three-year streak where Star Wars fans were delivered a new movie. While fans are still disappointed that we’ve had to wait for a new film to land in theaters, a variety of upcoming projects that are slated to debut this year could make for one of the most exciting for the galaxy far, far away.

2018 marked a difficult year for fans, which kicked off with 2017 ending on a conflicting note. Star Wars: The Last Jedi hit theaters in December and, while many fans loved the adventure, a vocal faction of viewers spent much of 2018 decrying how the film had “ruined” the saga permanently.

In March, fans witnessed the series finale of Star Wars Rebels and, while the series is considered by many to have delivered the most riveting Star Wars storytelling in years, having to say goodbye to the regular exploits of the Ghost crew was an emotional affair. Viewers were happy to see the series only get better in its final season, but we also saw beloved heroes suffer fatal ends to their journeys.

In May, Solo: A Star Wars Story landed in theaters and, while the film received mostly positive reviews from fans and critics, there was far less excitement about the project in general, leading to a lackluster box office performance and an overall disappointing reception.

With the new year officially underway, scroll down to see the events from this year that could put all previous years in Star Wars to shame!

‘Star Wars: Episode IX’

Both Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: The Force Awakens are milestones in the saga, as they were the first chapters that kicked off trilogies following a lapse in releases, yet it’s possible that some fans are more excited about Episode IX than these previous films. The currently-untitled film is set to bring the Skywalker Saga to its conclusion, an event more than 40 years in the making.

Despite some fans not enjoying The Last Jedi, excitement for Episode IX won’t be contained to just the traditional Star Wars fandom and will bring in casual viewers. The small faction of fans who claim they will boycott the film won’t see any actual ramifications on the franchise, with Episode IX being a major event in pop culture whose successes could surpass earlier films in the series.

Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters in December.

‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian’

A game-changing moment in the series will debut later this year in the form of Star Wars: The Mandalorian, which marks the first live-action TV series in the franchise. While audiences have seen multiple animated series with exciting storylines, these series were geared towards younger audiences, potentially turning off older viewers. The Mandalorian being a live-action series will appeal to fans who weren’t interested in The Clone Wars or Rebels, delivering audiences compelling long-form storytelling that they have been clamoring for.

As if the medium alone isn’t enticing enough for fans, The Mandalorian comes from Jon Favreau and features an impressive cast and crew. The debut of the series later this year is a highly anticipated event and, if it succeeds, could pave the way for even more live-action series.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian hits Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, towards the end of the year.

‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ Final Season

The Mandalorian isn’t the only Star Wars series coming this year, as we’ll also be given the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

The Clone Wars debuted on Cartoon Network in 2008 and quickly built a passionate fanbase over the course of its six seasons. In the midst of its run, Lucasfilm was purchased by Disney, resulting in complications over its fate on the network which ultimately led to the series being abruptly canceled in 2014.

While Rebels allowed producer Dave Filoni to incorporate characters from the canceled series, fans have been patiently waiting for four years to get an organic conclusion to the series, which is finally coming this year.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars will conclude on Disney+ later this year.

Untitled ‘Rogue One’ Spinoff Series Begins Production

While it likely won’t actually premiere until 2020, the spinoff TV series focusing on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story‘s Cassian Andor is slated to head into production later this year, which means we can expect many exciting updates and reveals.

The Mandalorian will take place after the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, though the time frame of the untitled series means that we could potentially see appearances from characters who were in either the prequel trilogy or the original trilogy. Various casting announcements and filmmaker reveals will make for engaging speculation all year long and, with production on The Mandalorian being the first for live-action series in the saga, the Cassian Andor series can potentially be an even bigger success when it debuts.

Unannounced Films

Many fans are excited about the release of Episode IX, though we’re also curious about what is to come after that film debuts. At some point this year, Lucasfilm is likely to make some major announcements about new films on the horizon.

Lucasfilm has previously announced that The Last Jedi writer/director Rian Johnson is developing a trilogy of films, as well as Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss developing a series of films. No release dates have been announced for any of these projects, which we expect will change at some point this year.

Additionally, various other projects, like films focused on Obi-Wan Kenobi and Boba Fett, have previously been hinted at by sources close to the studio, so it’s also possible a new spinoff film could be announced at some point.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Audiences will be given all sorts of adventures to sit back and enjoy in 2019, while the launch of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort will transport fans to a galaxy far, far away like never before. 

Between Star Tours and multiple Star Wars: Galactic Nights events, fans have been able to enjoy Star Wars content at both parks, yet Galaxy’s Edge will take things to an all-new level. Both parks are dedicating large portions of their real estate to recreating an outpost in the Star Wars galaxy and will bring to life various rides and attractions to deliver magical experiences.

The size and scale of Galaxy’s Edge is impressive enough, but the technology on display at both parks will truly make you feel like you’ve stepped right into the films.

The attractions are set to open at Disneyland this summer and at Walt Disney World Resort this fall.

Books

Following the release of Return of the Jedi and up until 2012, some Star Wars fans took to novels and comic books to discover new adventures featuring both fresh and familiar characters. These stories were all rendered non-canonical when Disney purchased the studio, but we’ve also been granted multiple new stories that fall in line with the rest of the saga.

New novels will debut this year focusing on both heroes and villains, such as Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow, Star Wars: Master & Apprentice, and Thrawn: Treason. Comic fans will also see a continuation of various series and likely new titles debut.

Star Wars Celebration Chicago

Heading to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge could be a pricey endeavor for a Star Wars fan, but you don’t have to head to the theme park to be totally immersed in your love of the saga. Star Wars Celebration, the series’ official gathering of super fans, will descend upon Chicago, Illinois on April 11-15.

The convention’s early years saw various members of the cast and crew host a number of panels and retrospectives for thousands of Star Wars fans. As Lucasfilm continues to churn out content, Celebration has since begun debuting first looks at trailers and behind the scenes footage, as well as introduce audiences to the newest stars of the franchise.

This year will likely see the first reveal of an Episode IX trailer and possibly confirm what’s next for the saga.

Star Wars Celebration Chicago will kick off on April 11th.

Video Games

Similar to Star Wars novels, video game fans are aware of multiple different projects that are on the horizon that could potentially debut before the end of the year.

Set to debut this holiday season, EA’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order takes place after the execution of Order 66, following a Jedi who managed to escape the ordeal. The adventure is likely to incorporate familiar characters, though there are still many unconfirmed details about the project.

Another exciting project that takes place after the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series. Fans will encounter the Sith Lord on the molten planet of Mustafar and even engage the villain in a lightsaber battle.

Stay tuned for details on the upcoming Star Wars video game projects.