Star Wars’ Most Exciting New TV Show Releases This Week

Star Wars has a brand-new TV show releasing this week, and it’s one of the most exciting new projects the franchise has had in a while. 2026 is shaping up to be an interesting year for Star Wars. Although The Mandalorian and Grogu is hitting theaters on May 22, 2026—the franchise’s first new movie releasing in theaters since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019—it’s actually been a fairly quiet year. Whereas the franchise has long had many TV show releases in one year, 2026 is quite sparse.

Regarding upcoming TV shows, Star Wars really has just two, at least in terms of canon stories. The first is Ahsoka season 2, which audiences have known is in the works for some time. The other, and the first to be released of the two, is Maul: Shadow Lord, and as the title suggests, this new series will see the return of one of the most beloved characters in Star Wars movies and TV shows at a time when such a return is really needed.

Maul: Shadow Lord Is Exactly What Star Wars Needs

Star Wars began as a film franchise with George Lucas’s original trilogy in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the prequel trilogy maintained that identity in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, after the prequels, Star Wars took on a new life as a franchise with a range of TV shows. Before Disney bought Star Wars, that included the Star Wars: The Clone Wars show, set between Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and, for the most part, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, although season 7 has some overlap with that movie.

In the time since, Star Wars TV shows have had a massive expansion. Yes, the sequel trilogy was released not long after Disney’s acquisition of Star Wars, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story were also released in the time since. Yet, it’s been nearly seven years since a new Star Wars movie has been released in theaters, while shows like The Mandalorian, Star Wars Rebels, Andor, and so many others have felt like the focus—and many of them, like The Mandalorian, have proven very successful.

Things seem to be shifting for Star Wars again, though, leaving the franchise on potentially unstable footing. TV shows have dominated Star Wars in recent years, but the franchise has very few currently lined up, and while there are several movies reportedly in development, only two (The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter) have confirmed release dates. It is with this tumultuous history and current context that Maul: Shadow Lord becomes absolutely pivotal. Star Wars is seemingly returning to form in this show, and that’s exactly what the franchise needs.

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Shadow Lord will be a return to form for Star Wars not only because it’s an animated show akin to Clone Wars but also because it’s bringing back a beloved character in a brand-new story. Maul isn’t just any Star Wars character, either. In fact, since returning in The Clone Wars as a dark side Force-user who is essentially lost because he is no longer a Sith apprentice, Maul has only gotten more interesting. Audiences will now get to see what exactly he got up to in the Dark Times, which will undoubtedly include all sorts of new criminal activity.

The show will also be bringing some of the most celebrated parts of Star Wars back to the screen, from epic lightsaber duels to Force feats—something that, at least in terms of the former, audiences aren’t likely to see when it comes to The Mandalorian and Grogu or Starfighter. There will no doubt be grumbles from some in the fanbase that this show isn’t necessary, but the truth is, Star Wars really needs a fun, classic, Force-focused show to liven up what is a relatively uncertain period in the franchise’s history.

What’s Next For Star Wars?

In addition to Shadow Lord and The Mandalorian and Grogu, Star Wars’ other significant 2026 release is Ahsoka season 2, which will also prove to be an important show. Ahsoka is actually the only currently confirmed live-action Star Wars show, which is surprising and means that there’s quite a bit riding on the new season. Beyond these 2026 releases and Starfighter, the future of Star Wars really does feel up in the air.

There will surely be new projects announced and updates on some of the movies that are currently in development. In the meantime, though, Maul: Shadow Lord is easily one of the most exciting upcoming Star Wars projects, and its Disney+ release on April 6 is just around the corner.

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