2026 promises to be an exciting year for Star Wars enthusiasts, but it also marks the end of a significant chapter. While Disney’s Star Wars projects since 2012 haven’t all hit the mark, most fans have still found things to love. However, with the franchise heading in a new direction, 2026 should be appreciated for what it is, rather than seen as a stepping stone back to older Star Wars styles.
Although the biggest Star Wars release of 2026 is definitely The Mandalorian and Grogu, scheduled to premiere on May 22nd, there are several other promising projects coming this year. We can expect the second season of Ahsoka later in 2026, along with the highly anticipated Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord. Adding in The Ninth Jedi and the exciting Star Wars: Visions spin-off, 2026 looks like an incredible year for Star Wars fans. However, despite all the excitement, there’s also a sense of melancholy.
2026 Is the Beginning of the End for Disney’s Focus on ‘Star Wars’ TV Shows
Disney’s recent Star Wars films have been met with mixed reactions, which started to hurt the franchise’s reputation. Although the movies made a lot of money, they received more criticism than praise. While Rogue One (2016) helped improve things, Solo (2018) faced a fan boycott as a way to show dissatisfaction with The Last Jedi (2017). After the final film in the sequel trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker (2019), also received criticism, Disney hasn’t released another Star Wars movie in theaters.
Rather than focusing on theatrical releases, the priority shifted to developing new Star Wars shows for Disney+. The arrival of The Mandalorian alongside The Rise of Skywalker put the franchise at a crossroads: continue pursuing big-screen success or embrace the potential of streaming. The decision was made to follow the path of The Mandalorian, and Star Wars has largely become a television franchise. This strategy has been in place for more than five years now.
It often felt like a new Star Wars show was appearing on Disney+ every week recently. While that wasn’t exactly true, the number of new Star Wars stories has been remarkable, and most have been well-received. However, the release schedule for 2026 looks quite different, as Star Wars plans to create less content for Disney+ and instead focus on returning to the big screen.
The upcoming movie featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu perfectly illustrates the current state of Star Wars. It’s essentially a longer version of an episode from the Disney+ show that revitalized the franchise in 2019, blending the feel of both the movies and television series. Disney+’s other Star Wars projects this year are either continuations or spin-offs of existing shows, and most are animated. Even The Ninth Jedi doesn’t fit into the main storyline. This shift away from live-action suggests Disney is saving that format for major future films like Star Wars: Starfighter and Star Wars: New Jedi Order, planned for 2027.
The Disney+ ‘Star Wars’ Shows Have Been Vital to Eventually Making More Movies
Disney+
The Star Wars films have consistently pushed boundaries, particularly the original trilogy which pioneered new filmmaking methods and technologies. The movies have always been the defining element of the Star Wars experience, and even the recent Disney+ shows strive to capture that same grand, cinematic feel with their visuals and stories. While Disney faced challenges with the sequel trilogy, films like Rogue One and Solo demonstrated they were learning what Star Wars fans wanted. Expanding into television series was a natural next step for the franchise.
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Creating a lot of content for Disney+ has given Star Wars the freedom to try out different kinds of stories. This has also let them revisit beloved characters and introduce new ones. It’s good these experiments are happening on the streaming service, because if they’d happened in major movies, Star Wars could have really damaged its reputation. While fans have been vocal about some Disney+ shows not working out, the reaction would have been far worse if a series of disappointing Star Wars movies had been released.
Disney has learned a lot from its successful Star Wars shows on TV, and it’s using that knowledge to prepare for new movies in theaters starting in 2026. Disney+ will still get new Star Wars content, as it’s an important part of the streaming service, and will eventually include the new films. However, fans might see a slower, more measured release of Star Wars projects compared to what they’re used to.
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2026-01-04 00:35