Season 1 of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars streaming series Andor took a deep dive into some uncomfortable corners of the galaxy far, far away. One of those corners included the moon known as Narkina 5, which was the location of an Imperial Prison Complex where Cassian Andor found himself sent following his arrest on Niamos. There, Andor met one of the series’ most talked about new characters: Andy Serkis‘ Kino Loy.
The floor manager of Unit-Five-Two-D, Loy evolved from a no-nonsense ball buster to one of the organizers of the wonderful “One Way Out!” breakout from Narkina.
When he was incarcerated, he then almost sheds any desire to look out for other people apart from himself. Just do his time and get out. To try and get out and just survive the sentence, the torture, the desensitization. I think it was that desensitization that made me perhaps have that slightly lost but kind of hardened and toughened shell.
Andy Serkis on Kino Loy
That breakout, as you might remember, led to the prisoners having to jump into the water surrounding the prison and the revelation that, after having led the prisoners to freedom, Loy couldn’t join them in their escape because he couldn’t swim. The last we saw of him, Loy was left behind in the prison to face an uncertain fate: did he make the jump or choose to remain in prison and face the consequences? In an interview with ET, series creator Tony Gilroy and Serkis recently revealed Loy’s choice.
“Well, he didn’t die,” revealed Gilroy, adding “I don’t know what happened, but he didn’t die. We never see him die.” According to Serkis, that means Loy stayed behind at the prison because he certainly didn’t jump. “If he jumped, that would be the end of him and he would be out of the picture,” explained Serkis. “But no, he’s alive and [Kino’s] working out his next move.”
Does that mean Loy might turn up in Season 2? While neither Gilroy nor Serkis gave any indication, the short answer is most likely “no.” While fans responded well to Serkis‘ character and there might be a time and place for him to return, Season 2 of Andor looks set to move at breakneck speed covering 4 years of time in 12 episodes. The Narkina 5 arc was beautifully designed and shot and had a major impact on the audience and Andor and with the fact that the prisoners there were making components for the Death Star already revealed, it might be best to let that part of the story remain complete.
One of the most interesting aspects of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars streaming series Andor was how it tied into not only the live-action film Rogue One but also the beloved animated streaming series. One character who tied into both eras is Saw Gerrera, played by Forrest Whitaker, and it seems that the character is destined for another go around in Andor Season 2.
Locations for Season 2 of Andor have indicated that the streaming series would find a way to incorporate not only major characters from the animated series but also the transitional live-action series as well. Despite the bad news facing them and according to Whitaker, Gerrara is set to appear in Season 2 of Andor.
As for what Whitaker’s Gerrera might be up to ahead of Andor Season 2, it is absolutely tied to the events of Rogue One. The first season of the show deals a significant amount of growth for Diego Luna‘s Cassian Andor. At some point soon, Andor will be faced with the totality of his actions and we all will be left to judge its success!
What began as a “top secret” Star Wars sequel-era project being written by Damon Lindelof has now become known as the first project in an all-new era of Star Wars stories know as the New Jedi Order era. That film, which looks to be on track for a 2025 release, is set to be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and will see Daisy Ridley–and possibly John Boyega–return to the franchise. Though it looks like production will be able.to get underway sometime next year, it hasn’t necessarily been a smooth ride.
After delivering a script co-authored by Justin Britt-Gibson, Lindelof left the project but was quickly replaced by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. The announcement of Ridley’s return as Rey stirred up both positive and negative buzz, though it was recently rumored she was not intended to be the film’s protagonist. That role was expected to go to Aquaman and Watchmen star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who is already on board for a major Disney project in Marvel Studios streaming series Wonder Man. Now, a new rumor from the same source that initially reported Abdul-Mateen‘s involvement indicates the star has left the project.
During a recent segment on The Hot Mic Podcast, the show’s co-hosts seemed to confirm that the film’s “original lead”, who was “from Watchmen“, had departed the project. It seems the timing of Abdul-Mateen‘s departure coincided with Lindelof’s decision to move on, though no further details about that connection were given.
Despite all that, it’s full speed ahead on the New Jedi Order project. Casting is expected to be ongoing throughout the Summer with principal photography to follow in either late-2023 or early-2024. Though it has been made official by Lucasfilm, the project is expected to be in theaters on December 19, 2025.
According to the Hot Mic Podcast, Lucasfilm is negotiating a return of sequel star John Boyega. If true, it’s especially noteworthy given that Boyega had relatively recently made it clear that he had no plans to return to the franchise.
At this point I’m cool off it. I’m good off it. I think Finn is at a good confirmation point where you can just enjoy him in other things, the games, the animation. But I feel like ‘[Episode] VII’ to ‘[Episode] IX’ was good for me.
John Boyega on Tell Me Everything
While the only known details about the film indicate it will focus on Rey and tell “the story of rebuilding the New Jedi Order and the powers that rise to tear it down” the Hot Mic Podcast co-hosts also suggested that Rey will not be the film’s lead but rather fill the sort of mentor role that Luke Skywalker did in the sequel trilogy. Those rumors seem to fall in line with a previous rumor that Yahya Abdul-MateenII had joined the project in a lead role. It’s unknown just how big of a role Boyega‘s Finn would have in the film should he agree to return.
With Chapter 24 of The Mandalorian now streaming, Season 3 of the series is now in the books! Though the finale made good on several season-long arcs, made some major moves and significantly changed the status quo of the New Republic era, it probably won’t erase some of the hard feelings fans felt towards some of the other episodes along the way. Now that all eight episodes have been etched in beskar, we take a look back and the best and the worst of Season 3.
Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore
One of the best episodes of the entire series, The Mines of Mandalore was the highlight of Season 3. This chapter saw Din Djarin, Grogu and still reluctant Bo-Katan Kryze take the first step in restoring Mandalore to its former glory. The episode’s exploration of the mythology and culture of Mandalorians was something hardcore fans loved and are still buzzing about even after the finale.
Kicking off the second half of the season, The Pirate was a remarkably well-made episode that firmly grounded the events of the series in the larger universe of the New Republic and set in motion the march to the finale. While it started off as the story of Grogu and Din Djarin, The Mandalorian has grown into something much bigger as has its central cast of characters. Just as everything seemed to be trending up for everyone, The Pirate reminded everyone it’s not always so easy to put the past behind you.
Chapter 23: The Spies
The Shadow Council. The revelation that Gideon had set up shop deep within Mandalore. Din Djarin’s impassioned speech to Bo-Katan. The sacrifice of Paz Viszla. The Spies was about as good of a penultimate episode as we could have hoped for and was the perfect bridge between Chapter 22’s feel-good story and Chapter 24’s finale.
Before Chapter 20 streamed, fans had spent the better part of a week bemoaning its short run time. And then the episode spent almost every second of that runtime with its ears pinned back and having a helluva lot of fun. A huge episode for Bo-Katan’s redemption; an incredible action sequence with some crazy birds of prey; more of Grogu’s story complete with the live-action introduction of Jedi Master Kelleran Beq. Just a great all-around Star Wars story.
Chapter 24: The Return
While it lacked the big cameo appearance of the Season 2 finale, The Return gave fans everything they’d been asking for in Season 3 and somehow still made them unhappy. The Mandalorian Renaissance has officially begun with the destruction of the Darksaber symbolically ushering in a new era free of the prejudices of the past. Mando and Grogu kicked ass together and left to begin their journey anew in Season 4. Big action and big heart came together for a fun and fulfilling Season 3 finale.
Though it felt like a sluggish start to Season 3, in hindsight, The Apostate laid the foundation for a great season of The Mandalorian. Not only did it remind us of just how big the galaxy in which this story is told is, it subtly set us up to see what had previously been a story with a pretty small scope expand into one that has major consequences for the New Republic era of storytelling.
Chapter 19: The Convert
Notable for establishing the hypocrisy of the New Republic and establishing it as anything but safe, The Convert took the focus off of Din and Grogu in lieu of some time with Doctor Pershing and Elia Kane. If the characters of The Mandalorian were ever going to start impacting the galaxy on a larger scale (spoiler, they were) then making sure the audience has a good grasp on the goings on of that galaxy matter. So while this episode seemed pretty humdrum, not every episode can be action-packed.
Memorable for is wild cameos and the hatred they inspired online, Chapter 22 actually had quite a bit to say for anyone paying attention to the story rather than than the players. From beginning to end, Guns for Hire actually served as a reminder of just how big of a mess the galaxy is and how hard it is for the wounds of war to heal. Unfortunately, the episode relied too heavily on fans being both savvy and pretty deeply immersed in Star Wars lore to be able to read between the lines of the over the top cameos of Jack Black and Lizzo and will probably continue to be used as an example of “Disney Star Wars bad” for years.
One of three new films announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023, the untitled New Jedi Order movie will feature Daisy Ridley’s return to the Star Wars universe as Rey. Set 15 years after the events of Episode IX-The Rise of Skywalker, the project will tell “the story of rebuilding the New Jedi Order and the powers that rise to tear it down.”
Among the biggest bits of news to come out of Star Wars Celebration 2023 was the announcement of three new theatrical projects set in three different eras in the Star Wars galaxy. While all three already have writers and directors on board, none were given a release date leaving fans to wonder which film would relaunch Star Wars in theaters. Though several projects have been put on and taken off the slate over the last several years, there hasn’t been a Star Wars film since 2019’s Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker as Lucasfilm has focused on streaming projects. There are a few dates still set aside for Star Wars films, including one in December 2025, however, and now a trade report gives a clearer picture of what film is most likely to end up there.
According to THR, director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s film–which will be set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker and see Daisy Ridley‘s Rey found a new Jedi Order–is Lucasfilm’s top choice to kick off their return to theaters.
But there is still a December 2025 date kept open for an unspecified Star Wars movie, which in theory could be one of these titles. A source tells The Hollywood Reporter that Lucasfilm would ideally like to return to theaters with the Rey-focused film and follow that a year later with the Filoni movie, although nothing is set due to the timetables of the Disney+ Mandalorian universe shows.
THR
Given how far along the Rey project is in development, a 2025 release date does seem achievable. Though original co-writers Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson left the project earlier this year, a new draft of the film is already in the works by Steven Knight. Given that production on the film wouldn’t have to begin until next mid-to-late 2024, there’s plenty of time for the project to come together.
Interestingly enough, THR also stated that, if possible, Lucasfilm would look to return to theaters “a year later” with Dave Filoni‘s Mando-verse film. Given that Filoni’s Mando-verse seems to always have at least one project in production at all times, it looks like a tough timeline. Additionally, Disney currently has no Star Wars film slated for 2026, though that could obviously always change. The news also puts James Mangold‘s Dawn of the Jedi era film the furthest out, though it was recently reported that he planned to complete his Star Wars project before beginning work on DC Studios’ Swamp Thing. Could Lucasfilm be aiming for an ambitious slate of Star Wars films rolling out in 2025, 2026 and 2027? Given their recent track record with postponing and canceling films, we’re not holding our breath.
During Star Wars Celebration 2023, it was revealed thatDave Filoni was set to direct a film that would serve as the denouement of the story he and Jon Favreau have been and will continue telling through their “Mando-verse” streaming series. While it’s easy to look at that film as the end of the stories told in the New Republic era, it’s also important to remember that, at present, two additional eras are open to the telling of further stories set in a galaxy far, far away. Given that the New Republic era can now be seen as a bridge connecting Luke Skywalker’s Age of Rebellion stories to his epilogue in the Rise of the First Order stories, it is worth considering if Filoni, who has shown a penchant for bringing non-canon/Legends characters into the modern Star Wars canon may choose to use his film to bring one of the most popular Legends characters into canon.
An increasingly popular theory is that Filoni’s New Republic-era film will be an adaptation of Timothy Zanh‘s 1991 now non-canonical novel, Heir to the Empire. That novel, set nine years after the Battle of Yavin, introduced Grand Admiral Thrawn, who has since been adopted into canon and will soon be portrayed in live-action by Lars Mikkelsen. During the Ahsoka trailer which debuted at Star Wars Celebration, the phrase “heir to the Empire”, uttered by Rosario Dawson‘s titular character, created a significant buzz that the next chapter of stories in Filoni’s Mando-verse might be an adaptation of Zahn’s iconic Thrawn trilogy and, if that is the case, Thrawn will hardly be the only major character making a canonical live-action debut.
Further evidence that the Mando-verse stories might begin to adapt and include Zahn’s trilogy came in Chapter 23 of The Mandalorian when Gilad Pellaeon made his live-action debut as part of the second iteration of The Shadow Council. While Pellaeon played a minor role Star Wars Rebels, he played a much larger role in Thrawn’s plans in the non-canon Zahn trilogy. If Pellaeon is going to play a role, no matter now small, in Star Wars canon, it’s possible another of the Emperor’s servants–indeed the Emperor’s Hand–could appear in Filioni’s film.
There is, perhaps, no Legends character whose addition to canon is more anticipated than Mara Jade’s. Once one of Palpatine’s most trusted assassins tasked with killing Luke Skywalker, Jade eventually married Luke and played a key role in the foundation of the New Jedi Order. Jade played a major role in one of the non-canonical novels’ most well-known conflicts, the Yuuzhan Vong War, which, coincidentally, would bridge a major gap in the current canonical eras. Would Filoni introduce Mara Jade/Mara Skywalker into the Star Wars canon? Given the work he and Favreau have done with Legends characters and concepts over the years, it’s nowhere near out of the question that Jade could soon be introduced into their Mando-verse and then quickly become a main character in the Rise of the First Order and New Jedi Order timelines.
I saw it coming. You saw it coming. We all saw it coming. Everyone saw it coming except for Bo-Katan, Din Djarin and the dozen or so other Mandos who walked right into Moff Gideon’s trap. Things were going far too well for the Mandalorians in their quest to reclaim Mandalore and in a galaxy where peace is not an acceptable status quo, things were bound to take a turn for the worse. After several episodes established Din, Bo-Katan and Grogu as a functional unit at the center of the Mandalorian Renaissance, Chapter 23, The Spies, saw it all taken away from them at the hands of Gideon, calling into question if Mandalore might not just be cursed after all.
While Gideon’s return was already advertised, the live-action debut of the Shadow Council–a group of Imperial loyalists working behind the scenes to ensure the return to power of the Empire–serves as an interesting parallel to the work being done by the Mandalorians. Just as Bo-Katan, Din Djarin and the Armorer seek to round up and reunite Mandalorians from across the galaxy, Gideon seeks to amass the resources of the Imperial remnants from across the galaxy to stop them. Having Gideon launch his plan–and his trap–from the depths of Mandalore, indeed from the heart of their once great civilization, just adds another notch on the belt of this wonderful bastard.
The fallout from the events of this episode promises to be nothing short of transformational for the next arc of the series. Bo-Katan–whose desire to lead again had to be stirred extrinsically–has now led her newly formed army into a trap that cost her the life of Paz Vizsla and steadying influence of Din Djarin. How those losses will impact her next move and how an increasingly independent Grogu will respond to the capture of his father are major questions that will define not only Chapter 24, the Season 3 finale, but also next season and, ultimately, the Mandalorian-centric film set to be directed by Dave Filoni.
While the finale of the episode feels like the beginning of a slow march to the creation of the First Order, their canonical birth is still 5 or so years away and, so far as we know, Gideon is not a part of their sequel trilogy story. So, as parallel as their paths may seem at the moment, Bo-Katan and Gideon are certain to come together again. Will that be the time that Bo-Katan’s song is finally written? As Din Djarin said, Bo-Katan is defined by honor, loyalty and character–all things Gideon knows nothing about. While their goals may seem superficially similar, Bo-Katan’s quest to reclaim Mandalore is done selflessly for the good of her people while Gideon looks to amass the resources of the Empire for his own selfish ends. While the Shadow Council was swayed to play along for now, it’s safe to say that while Thrawn may see value in eliminating the Mandalorians, Gideon won’t find him so easy to manipulate. As things move towards their inevitable end and Bo-Katan and Gideon are positioned against one another, this episode will be noteworthy for its subtle conveyance of the idea that while Gideon seems to have the upper hand, he rules from a throne of fear and manipulation while Bo-Katan has grown from her mistakes and seeks not to lead but is called to it. Short of the Darksaber, which has slowly lost its meaning, Gideon now has everything Bo-Katan, Grogu and The Mandalorians desire. Has that put him in a good place or a very bad place? Place your bets and let’s see what surprises are in store for the season finale!
Chapter 22 of The Mandalorian saw Bo-Katan reclaim her fleet, take possession of the Darksaber and become the chosen one to lead the Mandalorian Renaissance. It was all too easy. Chapter 23, The Spies, brought all the good Mandalorian mojo to a quick halt. While fans expected the episode to feature the return of Mandalorian archnemesis Moff Gideon, the episode also contained a delightful surprise that portends continuing bad news for the heroes of the story.
The opening moments of The Spies not only quickly added Gideon back into the mix but also introduced a group of high-ranking Imperial loyalists known as the Shadow Council. The Shadow Council made its first canonical appearance in Chuck Wendig‘s 2017 novel Aftermath: Life Debt where, led by Admiral Gallius Rax, they planned to overthrow the New Republic. The machinations of the Shadow Council, which consisted of Rax, Rae Sloane, Brendol Hux, Ferric Obdur, Grand Moff Rand and Hodnar Borrum, were thought to be thwarted with their defeat at the Battle of Jokku, however, as seen in Chapter 23 of The Mandalorian, it has been reformed.
While the identities of every member of the Shadow Council weren’t revealed, their goals–by in large–remain the same: reestablish the Empire. Two members of the council, Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Number 2, Gilad Pellaeon, and soon-to-be First Order General Brendol Hux, who is heading the mysterious Project Necromancer, seem to be allotted a disproportionate amount of the resources available the Imperial loyalists as they work. As seen in The Spies, however, Gideon is less than impressed with his fellow council members, who seem content to wait for the return of the Heir to the Empire, Thrawn.
Gideon’s speech in the opening moments of Chapter 23 certainly stirred the Shadow Council to action as the agreed to move on the accumulating Mandalorians before they were able to rise to their full strength and offer a much more real threat to the reemergence of the Empire. Given what’s known about the future of the Star Wars universe, Hux’s work on Project Necromancer, likely being done in the Unknown Regions, will lead to the creation of Snoke, a reborn Emperor and the rise of the First Order. However, with Thrawn set to make his return in Ahsoka and the future of Gideon’s feud with the Mandalorians yet to be written, there are certainly some tense moments ahead for the beskar warriors.
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