Lucasfilm will host a presentation at the D23 Expo 2022 Expo, meaning some big Star Wars announcements could be on their way. A few upcoming Star Wars projects have long been revealed, such as the Disney+ shows Ahsoka and The Acolyte, but fans are undoubtedly hoping for more content, trailers, and cast reveals, and D23 Expo 2022 might just satisfy their curiosity.
Over the last few years, Star Wars has been expanding its universe by producing interconnected shows and releasing them on Disney+. Though a few movie projects have been announced as well, many are stuck in development limbo, such as Rian Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy, and others have suffered delays, such as Patty Jenkins’s Rogue Squadron feature film. As such, the Disney+ side of Star Wars seems to be the studios’ current main focus, and numerous announcements and reveals can be expected at D23 Expo 2022, most notably for The Mandalorian season 3.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Lucasfilm’s D23 Expo 2022 presentation will take place the morning of September 10. The official description promises attendees will “preview upcoming releases, including sneak peeks and special guests.” Which upcoming releases will be previewed is unclear, and none of the special guests have been identified yet. Given that the highly anticipated Obi-Wan Kenobi series was officially announced at D23 Expo back in 2019, and star Ewan McGregor was in attendance that year, anything is possible. Here are some predictions of what Star Wars news and announcements might be revealed at D23 Expo 2022.
The First Official Trailer For The Mandalorian Season 3
The Mandalorian season 3 is perhaps Star Wars’ most anticipated current project. Though The Mandalorian season 2 ended with the separation of Din Djarin and Grogu, they were later reunited in The Book of Boba Fett after Grogu made the decision to return to Din instead of staying with Luke Skywalker and relearning the ways of the Force. The first footage for The Mandalorian season 3 debuted at Star Wars Celebration back in May, teasing Din and Grogu’s journey to Mandalore so that Din might find a way to regain his honor after being shunned from the covert in The Book of Boba Fett episode 5. Since The Mandalorian’s footage from the 2022 Star Wars Celebration event was only revealed to attendees, it’s possible that D23 Expo could finally see the official release of the trailer for The Mandalorian season 3, which is slated for release in February 2023.
What Will We Learn About The Ahsoka Show?
Ahsoka has been in production since May of this year, spearheaded by the character's creator, Dave Filoni. Rosario Dawson will star as the title character, whose live-action debut happened in The Mandalorian season 2. Ahsoka's storyline will reportedly continue from where Star Wars Rebels left off and will include the Mandalorian rebel Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo). The show will likely feature the search for the young Jedi Ezra Bridger and Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn, who disappeared together at the end of Star Wars Rebels. Major characters confirmed for the show so far, aside from Ahsoka and Sabine Wren, include Hera Syndulla (also of Star Wars Rebels fame) and the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. Casting for Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn hasn't been confirmed yet, but if the show does provide a continuation from Star Wars Rebels, it's certainly possible that the actors taking on these two popular characters will finally be confirmed at D23 Expo 2022's Star Wars presentation. A few first-look images are also on the table. Sabine Wren's casting has been confirmed for some time, but her live-action look has yet to be officially revealed.
More Details About The Acolyte
Not much is known yet about the upcoming Disney+ Star Wars show The Acolyte, so Lucasfilm's D23 Expo 2022 presentation may finally provide some concrete answers. Amandla Stenberg will star in the show, presumably as the titular Acolyte. The series will provide a different perspective on the Force as well as take place in a vastly unexplored era of the Star Wars timeline, namely The High Republic. This era has so far been explored off-screen, in numerous comics and novels. A show set in the time of The High Republic is probably the next step for this multimedia narrative format, and a show that focuses on the dark side of the Force and its users will certainly provide a fresh and fascinating perspective on the events of that time. The High Republic's second phase of Star Wars storytelling is set to begin soon, and presenting more news on The Acolyte at D23 Expo 2022 could provide an extra hype boost in regard to this innovative storytelling experience that the franchise has been offering over the last few years. A more detailed synopsis might be revealed for The Acolyte at the D23 Expo, as well as additional casting news. So far, Stenberg is the only confirmed member of the cast.
The Next Star Wars Movie Could Finally Be Confirmed
Though Star Wars has been more focused on the Disney+ side of things recently, there are still a few Star Wars movies in the works as well. At the moment, Patty Jenkins's Star Wars movie Rogue Squadron is still set for release in December 2023, but the production had reportedly been delayed once before, and it is currently unclear whether the movie will still premiere on that particular date. Taika Waititi is also currently working on a Star Wars movie, both as its writer and director. Lucasfilm could announce that Waititi's film will take the December 2023 release slot, pushing Rogue Squadron back even further, but so far, they have been adamant that Rogue Squadron will release on time.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson also recently confirmed that his Star Wars trilogy is still in the works. Back in 2017, Johnson began development on a Star Wars trilogy separate from the Skywalker Saga. The concept was put on the back burner, reportedly because Lucasfilm wanted to focus more on anthology movies, such as Solo: A Star Wars Story and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. However, Johnson revealed that he still meets with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy regularly to try and work out a plan to make this new trilogy a reality (via Empire). Considering the timing of this statement, so close to D23 Expo 2022, more details may be revealed about the project during the Expo's Star Wars presentation.
Other Star Wars Projects That Are In Development
This year's Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim revealed a slew of projects that are in the works, including a new show called Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, which will star Jude Law, as well as a new animated anthology series called Tales of the Jedi, which will premiere this fall, alongside season 2 of The Bad Batch. Not much should be expected in the way of news updates for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew at D23 Expo 2022, as it was only just announced and doesn't have a specified release window yet, but Expo attendees may finally get to see some footage from Tales of the Jedi, as opposed to just a few first-look images. A new trailer for The Bad Batch season 2, which premieres on Disney+ on September 28, could also be on the horizon.
The Star Wars panel at D23 Expo 2022 is sure to present some exciting new adventures in the Star Wars universe. Despite several new projects being revealed at Star Wars Celebration earlier this year, it's still entirely possible that even more upcoming Star Wars shows and movies will be announced at this year's D23 Expo. It's unlikely that Lucasfilm has already revealed every trick up its sleeve, and with its past and future projects, it's clear they are building toward a more interconnected universe and working to provide ever-more exciting Star Wars stories for their audience.