2018 was not a great year for Star Wars. Solo was a box office disappointment that resulted in Disney and Lucasfilm rethinking their plans for future spinoffs, there was the lingering (and in my opinion wrongheaded) fan backlash against The Last Jedi and while Battlefront II saw a steady stream of DLC, its reputation will forever be tainted by the microtransactions controversy that saw an immense amount of bad press.
But with all that behind us, 2019 might be shaping up to be the biggest year for the franchise yet. The main course will obviously be Episode IX, the final film in Disney’s Sequel Trilogy that’ll wrap up the Skywalker saga and reveal what happens to Rey, Finn, Poe and the rest of the gang. There’s a lot riding on the pic, too, especially since the studio’s promising a tasteful posthumous performance by Carrie Fisher assembled from unused footage.
That releases on December 20th, but before then, we’re in for a wealth of new Star Wars experiences. One of the most exciting will be the opening of Galaxy’s Edge, Disney’s new Star Wars theme park which aims to make people feel as if they’ve stepped into the movies, allowing guests to pilot the Millennium Falcon, infiltrate the First Order and hang out in a seedy cantina. Disney has just unveiled their concepts for the rides as well and it’s looking like an indispensable experience for fans.
Then, of course, there are the TV shows. If we’re lucky, winter 2019 will see The Mandalorian premiering on Disney Plus. The show’s had a hell of a lot of resources poured into it, boasts an impressive cast and should give us a peek into the immediate aftermath of the Empire’s defeat in Return of the Jedi. We’ll also have the surprise resurrection of The Clone Wars during the summer, which will allow the creators to wrap up several storylines left dangling after the show’s abrupt cancellation in 2012. And then, of course, January will see the final episodes of Resistance‘s first season, which is picking up rave reviews.
On top of all that is Jedi Fallen Order, a single player action adventure game set after the events of Return of the Sith developed by Titanfall‘s Respawn Entertainment. Aside from rumors, information on this one’s pretty thin on the ground right now, but after the multiplayer-focused Battlefront games, I’m craving a proper single player Star Wars experience really badly.
Beyond all that, there’s also a plethora of books and comics coming out. I’m particularly looking forward to Age of Republic Special on January 19th, which will tell stories about characters from the prequels… including Jar Jar.
I think that just about does it for Star Wars in 2019, but tell us, what are you most excited about? Make yourself heard by sounding off down below.