Disney Drops Surprise ‘Star Wars’ Announcement, Villain Show Happening Imminently
Lucasfilm is bringing back two of Star Wars’ most infamous bounty hunters in a newly announced Disney+ animated series, set to premiere on May 4—also known as Star Wars Day. The studio has officially confirmed that Asajj Ventress and Cad Bane will take center stage in Tales of the Underworld, the latest entry in the Tales of anthology series.
Created by Dave Filoni, Tales of the Underworld follows in the footsteps of Tales of the Jedi and Tales of the Empire, but this time shifts the focus to the criminal underworld of the galaxy far, far away.
The upcoming series will see Ventress, voiced by Nika Futterman, given “a new chance at life” while going on the run with an unexpected ally. Meanwhile, Cad Bane, voiced by Corey Burton, will confront his past when he comes face-to-face with an old friend—now a Marshal on the opposite side of the law.
“The popular series, which began in 2022 with Tales of the Jedi and continued in 2024 with Tales of the Empire, this time focuses on the criminal underbelly of the *Star Wars* galaxy through the experiences of two iconic villains,” reads an official Walt Disney Company press release.
Filoni, who now serves as Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer, will oversee the project as supervising director and executive producer, alongside Athena Yvette Portillo and Carrie Beck. The writing comes from Matt Michnovetz, with Josh Rimes as co-executive producer and Alex Spotswood as senior producer. The voice cast features Futterman, Burton, Artt Butler, Lane Factor, AJ LoCascio, Clare Grant, Dawn-Lyen Gardner, and Eric Lopez.
The reveal of Tales of the Underworld comes amid a turbulent time for Star Wars on Disney+. While Andor Season 2 is set to premiere on April 22—continuing Cassian Andor’s rebellion against the Galactic Empire—the franchise has seen some recent struggles.
The Acolyte was review-bombed and later canceled, while Skeleton Crew failed to gain strong viewership numbers. However, Andor remains one of the most critically praised Star Wars series to date, proving quality can prevail even if streaming figures don’t reach the heights of The Mandalorian.
Meanwhile, the discussion surrounding Cad Bane’s fate continues. The infamous bounty hunter made his live-action debut in The Book of Boba Fett, only to seemingly meet his end at the hands of the titular ex-bounty hunter. However, the “Star Wars: Timelines” book (2023) suggests Bane wasn’t killed, instead describing him as being “out of action.”
Given his enduring popularity, speculation remains that he could reappear in future live-action Star Wars projects, particularly as the franchise heads toward its The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) film and Filoni’s upcoming Mando-Verse crossover.
For now, fans can look forward to seeing both Cad Bane and Asajj Ventress back in action when Tales of the Underworld drops on Disney+ this May 4.
Are you excited about their return? Let us know in the comments!
