Lucasfilm Axes ‘The Mandalorian,’ Rewrites ‘Star Wars’ Sequel Trilogy Canon

The Star Wars franchise is approaching its next theatrical chapter after an extended absence from cinemas, but the path forward has narrowed considerably in recent months.

Rather than unveiling new expansions, Lucasfilm has scaled back several ongoing initiatives, quietly closing out projects that once defined its Disney+ strategy while making smaller adjustments elsewhere in the canon – including a recent retcon for The Force Awakens that raises questions about Han Solo’s (Harrison Ford) storyline.

Streaming Expansion Slows as Theatrical Focus Returns

It has been more than six years since Star Wars last premiered on the big screen. That drought will end with The Mandalorian & Grogu, currently dated for release on May 22, 2026.

The film follows several years in which Lucasfilm concentrated almost exclusively on Disney+, building an interconnected slate of series set in the post-Return of the Jedi era.

That shared continuity, informally known as the MandoVerse, began with Season 1 of The Mandalorian. It later expanded through The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka.

Recent reports indicate that expansion has stalled. According to industry insider Daniel Richtman (via Patreon), The Mandalorian & Grogu and Season 2 of Ahsoka may serve as the final entries within the Mandalorian universe.

No additional MandoVerse projects are currently greenlit. Lucasfilm is reportedly using the performance of Ahsoka’s second season to evaluate whether any continuation is warranted after Season 3 of The Mandalorian failed to strike the same chord as its predecessors.

The pause follows earlier reporting that a fourth season of The Mandalorian will not move forward, despite scripts having been completed before the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.

A major leadership reset is also pending. Kathleen Kennedy – who’s faced the wrath of many Star Wars fans since Disney bought Lucasfilm – is expected to step aside later this year, with Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan set to assume roles as co-presidents of the studio.

The slowdown marks a notable shift from earlier years, when multiple Star Wars series were in development simultaneously for streaming.

For now, Lucasfilm’s active slate appears narrower, with emphasis placed on concluding existing projects rather than launching new interconnected arcs.

A Canon Adjustment Reframes a Key Sequel-Era Moment

As television plans contract, a recent change in Star Wars publishing has drawn attention for altering the context of a major moment from the sequel trilogy.

The comic miniseries Han Solo – Hunt for the Falcon, set before The Force Awakens, depicts Han Solo actively tracking the Millennium Falcon during the years he is separated from the ship.

In The Force Awakens, Han and Chewbacca reclaim the Falcon after Rey and Finn flee Jakku. Han later remarks that they “should’ve double-checked the Western Reaches,” suggesting uncertainty over the ship’s whereabouts.

The comic revises that implication. Han is shown locating the Falcon on Jakku, confronting Unkar Plutt, and deciding to leave after determining the situation is too dangerous to pursue further.

That depiction alters how the film’s dialogue is understood. In The Force Awakens, Rey explains that Unkar Plutt acquired the Falcon after it passed through multiple owners, while Han believes Ducain still possessed it.

The new material places Han on Jakku prior to the film’s events, establishing that he knew Unkar Plutt had the ship and chose not to recover it at that time.

The adjustment affects character motivation rather than film continuity. The events of The Force Awakens remain unchanged, but the reasoning behind Han’s surprise is reframed.

The change also addresses a long-standing audience complaint regarding Han’s apparent lack of effort to recover the Falcon, a ship closely tied to his identity.

Lucasfilm has not announced any additional sequel-era revisions. The comic’s changes are limited to expanded-universe material.

Speculation about broader alterations to the sequel trilogy has circulated in the past, but no plans have been confirmed.

The trilogy remains a central part of Star Wars canon, despite criticism surrounding creative decisions such as the separation of legacy characters, Rey’s rapid Force mastery, and Ben Solo’s death.

Instead of revisiting those films directly, Lucasfilm has pursued separate projects set after the sequel era, including a Rey-centered film that remains in development.

Younger versions of Luke Skywalker have also appeared via CGI in The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian, set decades earlier in the timeline.