Disney Bans Beloved Character From ‘Star Wars,’ Will Not Allow Return
Lucasfilm appears determined to keep one of the most famous Star Wars relationships firmly outside the official canon.
Romance has long threaded through the Star Wars saga, beginning with the franchise’s most famous pairing: Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher). Introduced as adversaries in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), their dynamic gradually evolved into one of the trilogy’s defining relationships.
By the time The Empire Strikes Back (1980) arrived, their flirtatious hostility had transformed into genuine affection. The pairing became one of the emotional pillars of the original trilogy and remains one of the franchise’s most recognizable love stories.
The prequel trilogy approached romance from a darker angle. Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) secretly married in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002), a relationship that ultimately collapsed during Revenge of the Sith (2005).
Their doomed romance became the emotional catalyst for Anakin’s fall to the dark side and the rise of Darth Vader.
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More recently, the sequel trilogy reignited debate with the connection between Kylo Ren/Ben Solo (Adam Driver) and Rey (Daisy Ridley). The two characters are ultimately revealed to share a rare bond known as a Force dyad in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
The relationship divided audiences. Some fans embraced the pairing — widely referred to as “Reylo” — while others criticized the implication of romance between characters whose interactions had often been violent or manipulative.
Even so, the number of fans advocating for Ben Solo’s return in Rey’s planned standalone film demonstrates how enduring that interest remains.
Yet one of the franchise’s most beloved romances never appeared on screen at all.
Luke Skywalker’s Lost Love Story
Outside the films, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) found romance in the Expanded Universe with Mara Jade, a former Emperor’s Hand who later became a Jedi.
Introduced in Timothy Zahn’s Star Wars novels, Mara Jade began as an elite operative serving Emperor Palpatine before eventually forging her own path in the post-Empire galaxy.
Her story gradually intertwined with Luke’s. Over time, the two characters formed a relationship that eventually led to marriage, making Mara Jade one of the most popular figures in the Expanded Universe.
The storyline resonated particularly strongly with fans because Luke never received a clear romantic arc in the films. Aside from the briefly confusing kiss with Leia — later revealed to be his sister — the Jedi hero remained largely unattached on screen.
Everything changed when Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012.
The company reorganized the franchise’s continuity, declaring most Expanded Universe material non-canon and rebranding it as Star Wars Legends. The move wiped away decades of stories, including Luke Skywalker’s marriage to Mara Jade.
For years, fans have speculated that Lucasfilm might eventually restore the character.
After all, other Expanded Universe creations have already returned. Grand Admiral Thrawn, another character created by Timothy Zahn, was reintroduced through the animated series Star Wars Rebels before appearing in live action in Ahsoka.
Mara Jade, however, has remained conspicuously absent.
Lucasfilm Reportedly Won’t Budge
Recent comments from Star Wars: Bloodline author Claudia Gray suggest that Lucasfilm has taken a firm position on the matter.
“A couple of times I was like, ‘Really? Really, no Mara Jade?’ And they were like, ‘[Stern voice] Nope,’” Gray revealed during an appearance on the Writing the Star Wars Universe panel at MegaCon 2026 (via PopVerse).
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The response appears consistent even for the character’s creator.
Timothy Zahn confirmed that he had also asked Lucasfilm about bringing Mara Jade into the official canon.
“I asked them too” – and was also told no.
Ironically, the reluctance may stretch back to the franchise’s original architect.
During a Dragon Con panel in 2024, Zahn claimed that George Lucas reportedly had reservations about elements of Heir to the Empire, including Mara Jade herself.
Zahn emphasized that he never heard those criticisms directly from Lucas, but that they circulated internally within Lucasfilm.
“I had heard later on from other sources that he didn’t like certain things about the book,” Zahn said. “He didn’t like Mara, didn’t like Ysalamiri and such.”
Even so, Zahn noted that Lucas’ feelings toward the novel remain somewhat unclear.
He recalled discovering that Lucas had once given copies of Heir to the Empire to Lucasfilm employees as a Christmas gift in 1991 — a gesture that suggests the filmmaker may not have disliked the story as strongly as some reports indicate.
Lucas is no longer directly involved in shaping the Star Wars universe.
However, Dave Filoni — now co-president of Lucasfilm and widely considered Lucas’ creative protégé — has continued integrating ideas previously discussed with the filmmaker into modern projects.
Filoni recently confirmed that his upcoming series Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord incorporates concepts he once discussed with Lucas.
The ongoing resistance to Mara Jade has frustrated some fans because Lucasfilm has selectively restored other Legends elements over the years.
Characters, ships, and story ideas from the Expanded Universe have quietly resurfaced across Star Wars books, comics, and television projects.
That pattern has fueled speculation that Lucasfilm could still have long-term plans for Mara Jade.
Rumors circulated in 2025 that the studio was exploring a Disney+ project centered on the character.
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Industry insider My Time to Shine Hello (via Comic Book Movie) reported that the series was in development, with additional speculation suggesting that Spider-Man star Zendaya had met with Lucasfilm for the role.
Others believe Mara Jade could eventually appear in the so-called MandoVerse — the interconnected storyline linking The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and related projects.
Those shows take place after Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), the same general era where Mara Jade’s Expanded Universe story originally unfolded.
That timeline follows Luke Skywalker as he attempts to rebuild the Jedi Order, potentially creating space for new allies and adversaries.
Do you think Lucasfilm should incorporate Mara Jade into the Star Wars universe?
