Disney Confirms Galaxy’s Edge Transformation Next Year, More Changes Also Likely in 2027
The future of Star Wars storytelling is about to touch both the silver screen and Disney parks in new ways. Fans of Batuu’s Black Spire Outpost—home to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge—can look forward to not just one, but potentially two major updates that will expand the immersive world introduced at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort in 2019.
Next year marks the arrival of a refreshed mission at Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Beginning May 22, 2026, the attraction will tie directly into Jon Favreau’s film The Mandalorian and Grogu. The update introduces Mando and Grogu as allies in the cockpit, with guests joining them on a high-stakes mission.
“In this new thrilling storyline, Hondo Ohnaka has gotten wind of a deal going down on Tatooine between ex-Imperial officers and a band of pirates,” Disney Parks Blog explained. “There’s a generous bounty for their capture, so you’ll borrow the iconic ship and team up with Mando and Grogu to track them down and explore the galaxy.”
As always, guests will still step into the roles of pilots, gunners, or engineers, where the outcome of each run depends on the crew’s skill. The addition of new locations such as Coruscant and Endor marks the attraction’s first major expansion since opening.
This isn’t the first time Galaxy’s Edge has played with the established Star Wars timeline. While the land was originally anchored to the sequel trilogy era, recent years have seen appearances from Din Djarin, Grogu, Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, and Fennec Shand, creating flexibility in how characters and stories are introduced to the parks. Even with the closure of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, which was built around the Resistance versus First Order storyline, Batuu has continued to evolve.
That evolution will take another leap in 2027, when Lucasfilm’s newly announced Star Wars: Starfighter arrives in theaters on May 28. Revealed during Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, the film pushes the timeline beyond the events of Star Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker (2019) and introduces a slate of new characters.
Ryan Gosling headlines as the lead in Starfighter, mentoring a younger character played by Flynn Gray. Amy Adams is rumored to appear as Gray’s mother, while Matt Smith and Mia Goth step into antagonist roles. The cast also features Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, and Daniel Ings. With a film of this scale, there is strong potential for these new characters to appear in Galaxy’s Edge, either through meet-and-greets or further attraction updates, just as Mando and Grogu are joining Smugglers Run.
Shawn Levy, director of 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, will helm the project, with Jonathan Tropper (The Adam Project) providing the script. The film is being developed by Lucasfilm and 21 Laps Entertainment, with Levy producing alongside Kathleen Kennedy, Ryan Gosling, Dan Levine, and Mary and Josh McLaglen. Academy Award-winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda is attached to give the story its cinematic scope.
Development has stretched over several years, beginning with Levy’s initial talks in 2022. Tropper began work on the script in 2024, and by summer 2025, casting announcements were rolling out. Production begins this August in the United Kingdom.
With Star Wars: Starfighter charting new territory and Smugglers Run preparing for its 2026 update, the galaxy continues to grow. Batuu, with its shops, dining like Oga’s Cantina, and marquee attractions, remains a central hub for Star Wars storytelling in the parks. Guests may soon find themselves stepping into a new era of the saga—one that reaches beyond the Skywalker story and into fresh adventures.
