10 Years After The Force Awakens, Star Wars Is Setting Up A New Episode 7

by

After a decade since its release, a new era of Star Wars films is coming, starting in 2026. Lucasfilm is bringing the galaxy far, far away back to the big screen with several upcoming movies. The last Star Wars film they released in theaters was The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, which concluded the somewhat controversial sequel trilogy. This new wave of films will essentially be a fresh start, replacing The Force Awakens as the beginning of a new story.

When people rank the Star Wars movies, the three most recent films – the sequels – usually end up ranked lowest. The first of these, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, came out in December 2015. Now, ten years later, new Star Wars stories set in a different time period are emerging, potentially taking the place of Episode VII in fans’ estimations.

The Mandoverse Is The New Episode VII

The latest era of Star Wars storytelling started in 2019 as the sequel trilogy concluded. While several projects were in development for Episode VII, this period is commonly called “The Mandoverse” because The Mandalorian launched this new direction. Over three seasons, The Mandalorian has led to spin-off series like The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka.

As a huge Star Wars fan, I’m really excited about where things are going. We’re getting a theatrical movie continuing the story of Din Djarin and Grogu in 2026, picking up after season 3 of The Mandalorian. Then, season 2 of Ahsoka is planned, and after that, Dave Filoni is getting his own big-screen movie! It feels like all of this is building towards a new era of Star Wars storytelling – almost like a whole new trilogy, and it seems like Filoni’s movie will be its The Force Awakens moment, launching things into a bigger, connected narrative.

With The Force Awakens, Disney began a new chapter for Star Wars, and the interconnected shows and series known as ‘The Mandoverse’ have continued that trend, but in a way that feels more aligned with what fans originally anticipated. ‘The Mandoverse’ delivers elements many hoped to see in the sequel trilogy – a prominent role for Luke Skywalker, exploration of New Republic government, and the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn as a major antagonist.

It’s important to remember that The Force Awakens was designed to revive the Star Wars franchise after a long hiatus, which explains why it felt quite different from the original films. However, the shows and movies within ‘The Mandoverse’ feel like a true continuation of that story, almost like a second Force Awakens released a decade later.

The Force Awakens Couldn’t Please All Star Wars Fans

Being a fresh start for the series, The Force Awakens wasn’t likely to satisfy all Star Wars fans. Many hoped for a deeper dive into the established stories and characters, and while the film touched on these elements, it didn’t go as far as some viewers wanted.

Despite its flaws, The Force Awakens largely succeeded in revitalizing the Star Wars franchise. The film was a massive commercial success, earning over $2 billion globally, and received generally positive reviews from both critics and fans. However, the mixed reactions to the subsequent films, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, eventually led to a less favorable view of The Force Awakens over time.

Dave Filoni’s Star Wars Film Will Change How We Perceive The Sequels

So far, the recent Star Wars films have simply continued the story of the original trilogy, wrapping up the storylines of iconic characters like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa, and setting the stage for a new generation. However, Dave Filoni’s upcoming movie, connected to The Mandalorian universe, has the potential to shift how these films are viewed.

As a fan, I’m still not sure if Luke, Leia, and Han will be back for more of the Star Wars shows connected through The Mandalorian, but it definitely feels like everything is leading to a huge showdown set during the time of the New Republic. The return of Thrawn and his gathering of Imperial forces is going to be a major problem for them, and it’s setting up a really exciting story that takes place before the events of the sequel movies.

This could completely change how people view the sequels. In a lot of ways, the interconnected stories of ‘The Mandalorian’ universe might end up feeling more like a true continuation of the original films than the sequels we already have.

If Dave Filoni’s film successfully connects storylines and characters from that period – including Luke Skywalker, Leia’s role in the New Republic, and other heroes – the stories of The Mandalorian and its related shows would essentially become the true continuation of the original saga, starting with what would be considered Episode VII. This would reframe The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker as a fresh start rather than direct sequels to Return of the Jedi.

Star Wars Has A Luke Skywalker Problem To Solve

All of this brings up questions about Luke Skywalker, and how his story connects to Han Solo and Leia Organa. Luke has appeared in two shows within the connected universe of The Mandalorian – the finale of The Mandalorian season 2 and The Book of Boba Fett. These appearances used technology to make a stand-in actor look like a younger version of Mark Hamill.

While the visual effects were okay, they weren’t seamless, and many viewers questioned why they didn’t just find another actor to play Luke Skywalker. Apparently, Lucasfilm misinterpreted the disappointing performance of the movie Solo, and now believes it’s not possible to replace actors who originally played iconic characters.

Considering all of this, it’s unclear how significant Luke, Leia, and Han will be in future Star Wars stories within ‘The Mandoverse.’ If they do reappear, the question is whether they’ll be recreated using deepfake technology or be played by new actors. While deepfakes were somewhat successful for brief TV appearances, using them extensively in a full movie could be very disruptive, particularly when dealing with such well-known characters, rather than just one.

Lucasfilm needs to figure out if Luke Skywalker and his companions will continue to be part of the ongoing stories in The Mandalorian universe. If they can handle this well, The Mandalorian and its related shows have the potential to greatly expand the Star Wars galaxy after Return of the Jedi, essentially offering a fresh continuation of the saga, similar to what Episode VII could have been, but different from The Force Awakens.

Read More

2025-12-08 18:50