One of the best parts of the D23 Expo is all the Star Wars news that comes out. This is a Star Wars fan’s dream and between all the panels, presentations and pavilions around the Expo, you can get lost in the madness.
We’re going to break down all the Star Wars news from the D23 Expo this year, plus other announcements we are expecting to hear throughout the weekend including The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, the Rogue One series, Obi-Wan Kenobi series, and more…
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Disney+
Disney made a bunch of announcements about the individual shows coming to Disney+, but one of the biggest announcements was that due to the Fox acquisition, Disney will have back the rights to all the Star Wars movies, including the Prequels (Episodes 1-3) and the Original Trilogy (Episodes 4-6).
That is a plus for any Star Wars fan, and the fact that they’ll be streaming on Disney+ means you’ll be able to watch the whole catalog anytime you want. Not bad! But what NEW content is coming from Star Wars?
The Mandalorian
One of the highlights of the Disney+ panel on Friday was the first Star Wars-based live action series The Mandalorian which will be out on Disney+ with the launch on November 12.
The series stars Pedro Pascal as a bounty hunter and star of the series. Pascal was on stage for the presentation and talked a little bit about his role in the series and how it differs from other Star Wars films.
It has a much different feel to it than other Star Wars franchises, very gritty, real and shows a republic after the fall of the Empire without jurisdiction or rule.
The world premiere The Mandalorian trailer debuted during the panel and it was unreal to say the least. The tone of the show was set right at the beginning with the stormtrooper heads mounted on spikes. You know this isn’t going to be your dad’s Star Wars series, it’s a much tougher, and wild world out there.
You can watch the full Mandalorian trailer here, just make sure you sit down before you do:
We can’t wait The Mandaloria drops on Disney+ November 12.
Rogue One Series
We knew already that a Rogue One series based on the Diego Luna character Cassian Andor was coming out, but we got a little more information from the cast themselves at D23 Expo.
Last we saw Andor he was able to steal the Death Star plans and deliver them to the Rebellion, however costing him his life at the same time. The Rouge One series instead will give us insight into Cassian’s life before those events and let us see similar spy and espionage missions he carried out.
This is intriguing because we know Cassian hinted at doing many terrible things before the events of Rogue One and that he had to make many “gray” decisions, many of which he wasn’t proud of. This series will likely explore some of those scenarios.
Cassian isn’t alone though, his old partner and trusty friend K-2SO is back too, played by Alan Tudyk. During the D23 presentation they both came out on stand and talked about the film a little and joked around about the story moving forward.
The series doesn’t currently have a name yet, but Tudyk even suggested that the series should be called: K2 Fast, K2 Furious.
No release date has been set yet for this series, but it should drop sometime in 2020.
Obi-Wan Kenobi Series
This announcement stole the spotlight during the Disney+ panel as the best known secret in Hollywood was confirmed: Ewan McGregor is coming back to reprise the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in a new series.
Kathleen Kennedy invited McGregor out onto the stage and the whole crowd lost it with excitement over seeing him. He then confirmed he will be playing Master Kenobi again, and said he is so happy to be able to talk about it finally.
The dates haven’t been announced yet, but the script has been written, and production starts next year. For more info read our Obi-Wan Kenobi series page with more info.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Today, during the Saturday Walt Disney Studios presentation we were treated to some more info from Katheleen Kennedy about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. She pointed out how the Skywalker saga is finally coming to a close after 40 years of telling the story.
Most of the stars from the cast of Rise of Skywalker were there on stage, including: Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Issac (Poe), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), Billy Dee Williams (Lando) Kelly Marie Tran (Rose), Naomi Ackie (Jannah), robot versions of BB-8 and R2-D2 and of course, Director J.J. Abrams.
They talked about the film and what makes it so special, how it’s sad seeing this 40-year old story come to an end, but how much fun it was to make and how much we all as Star Wars fans are going to love it!
First a new poster for The Rise of Skywalker was released and it is pretty unbelievable! It features Rey and Kylo in the middle of a lightsaber duel, on the top of a big rock with lightning coming from each saber:
The biggest deal of all though is the face of Emperor Palpatine grinning above them, showing he is in control of the situation.
Even though there wasn’t a full trailer of the film ready to go at the Expo, they did show a featurette, which was very similar to a real trailer. In this video we see Rey and Kylo dueling (much like the poster), but then at the end we get an ominous voice by Palpatine, and a shot of Rey holding a double-bladed dark-side lightsaber.
I was quite blown away by the trailer to be honest, and if they final product is half as good as it looks right now, then I think we are in good hands. Some might be skeptical after The Last Jedi, but I got a great feeling after the panel today and think episode 9 is going to make up for any failings episode 8 had.
This panel was truly special and we only have to wait another 4 months or so to see it! The Rise of Skywalker releases December 20, 2019.
Star Wars Stormtroopers Exhibit
Something you don’t see everyday are 10 different types of stormtroopers all in the same room and lined up. This display I the Lucasfilm pavilion was a sight to see.
They are all different styles dating back to the original stormtroopers in A New Hope, all the way up to the Sith Troopers in “The Rise of Skywalker.”
This was very cool to see and let’s hope they keep bringing out similar stuff at future Expos.
Star Wars Hotel
Think you’re going to stay in a hotel? Think again! Stays onboard the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Hotel will work more like a cruise, rather than a regular hotel. Guests staying there will purchase a 2-Night stay onboard the glamorous Galactic Starcruiser hotel, and unlike anything you’ve experienced yet.
All of your meals and various on-ship and off-ship experiences will be included in the price.
The official name for the Star Wars Hotel is Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, and the name of the ship is “Halcyon,” part of the Chandrila Star Line group of ships.
To learn more about the Star Wars Hotel, please read our full post which explains it all.
So that wraps up all our coverage of Star Wars from the D23 Expo. There certainly is a lot to digest, and I expect we’ll be learning a lot in the coming months so stay tuned right here.
For more information on the D23 Expo check out one of our links below:
- D23 Expo Guide – Everything You Need to Know about the Expo!
- D23 Expo News and Announcements – All the Announcements from the Expo
- D23 Expo First Timer Tips and Tricks – Everything you need to know BEFORE going to the D23 Expo.
- Star Wars at D23 Expo
- Marvel and Phase 4 at the D23 Expo
- Tour of the D23 Expo Show Floor
Your Thoughts:
I want to know what you think about all the Star Wars action at D23 Expo…
- Which Star Wars related news are you most excited about?
- What else would you like to see?
Let us know in the comments section below!
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My name is Ziggy and I love Disney, everything Disney! I grew up on Disney and it has and continues to be a huge part of my life. I started young when my parents took me to Disney World when I was 18 months old. Little did they know that would be the first of an uncountable number of trips we would take. I have so many amazing memories going to Disney with my family and friends and it has been interwoven into my DNA.