After Andor season 2, only has one more confirmed live-action TV series in the works, representing a major shift in the franchise’s strategy. Since Disney+ launched in 2019, Star Wars content has focused almost entirely on live-action TV projects. This was a massive change for Star Wars, which was originally conceived as a movie franchise, only later adding animated Star Wars shows to its roster like Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.

With the debut of The Mandalorian as Disney+’s flagship show, the way Star Wars structured its narrative changed dramatically. Within a few years, the New Republic era became a focal point of the Star Wars timeline, with viewers forced to watch multiple TV series to understand the full scope of the so-called “Mandoverse’s” story, as well as the upcoming film The Mandalorian and Grogu, Star Wars’ first theatrical outing in seven years. What’s changed?

on Tuesday, May 13. Surprisingly, the only brand-new Star Wars TV announcement made at this year’s Star Wars Celebration in Japan was the animated series Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, which will pick up (formerly Darth) Maul’s criminal story after his Order 66 escape in The Clone Wars.

Not even The Mandalorian, arguably the most popular Star Wars live-action TV show, has been confirmed for season 4, as Din Djarin and Grogu’s story will instead continue in cinemas in 2026. Ahsoka season 2 has a lot to live up to. Not only will it have to tie in to the events of The Mandalorian and Grogu, it will also have to deal with Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren being stranded in another galaxy, Grand Admiral Thrawn’s return, and the political issues plaguing the New Republic.

. In the last five to six years, Disney+ has produced seven separate live-action Star Wars TV titles and 10 streaming-sized seasons in total. That’s an average of two shows a year, though 2022 showcased three series, including The Book of Boba Fett (which premiered on December 29, 2021, but aired most of its episodes in 2022), Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Andor season 1.

Though the Mandoverse, consisting of The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and, in the most minor of ways, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, are connected by the New Republic era, shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, and Star Wars: The Acolyte focus on completely different periods and characters. Live-action TV gave Star Wars a chance to experiment with new eras, genres, and storytelling styles, but clearly, the payoff wasn’t as big as Disney had hoped.

While The Mandalorian has enjoyed a three-season run and Ahsoka and Andor were both given second seasons (though Andor was originally pitched as a five-season show), Obi-Wan Kenobi was instead meant as a miniseries. The Book of Boba Fett faced major critical and audience backlash. The Acolyte was the first show to be officially canceled after one season, and there’s been no word on Skeleton Crew. Aside from Andor’s well-deserved critical acclaim and The Mandalorian’s initial widespread popularity, how much of a cultural impact have the Star Wars live-action TV shows truly had?

That doesn't mean that the other shows have failed to prove their worth; they’ve largely been fun and innovative, but undoubtedly, Disney was hoping for more traction. Some live-action Star Wars TV shows are also wildly expensive to make, with shows like Andor seasons 1 and 2 reportedly costing more than $600 million and The Acolyte costing approximately $230 million.

Star Wars isn’t the only major franchise grappling with how to handle its streaming TV slate. The Marvel Cinematic Universe produced a slew of MCU-related shows in Disney+’s first few years, with wildly varying levels of success, making the franchise’s continuity needlessly complicated. The MCU and Star Wars should learn from Daredevil: Born Again’s success. Creating longer, less frequent, character-driven shows that function independently within the franchise’s larger framework might be the perfect way to keep these major brands effective in cinemas and on Disney+.

With five confirmed Star Wars movies in the works (and more in limbo), Disney has sent a clear message: . Though The Mandalorian and Grogu and Dave Filoni’s as-yet untitled Mandalorian movie will presumably wrap up the Mandoverse along with Ahsoka season 2, Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, Daisy Ridley’s tentatively titled New Jedi Order movie, and James Mangold’s “Dawn of the Jedi” movie will all provide Star Wars with a chance to try something fresh, largely unburdened by the stories that came before.

If, as we suspect, (Andor season 2 in 2025, Ahsoka season 2 reportedly in 2026, something yet to be announced in 2027), Star Wars will be able to commission TV projects that can impact the wider franchise positively without making canon more complex. Pumping out content at a rapid pace hasn’t worked the way Disney hoped it would. Giving creators a chance to tell stories that are important to them and that are best served by an eight-episode structure is the way forward.

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  Andor

  

  8/10

  2022 - 2025-00-00

  Disney+

  Tony Gilroy

  Susanna White

  Dan Gilroy

  Andor is a Star Wars prequel series set before the events of Rogue One, following Cassian Andor as he navigates a world of danger and deception. The series delves into his transformation into a pivotal figure in the struggle against the Galactic Empire.

  Star Wars

  Sci-Fi

  Tony Gilroy

  Diego Luna, Kate Hazell, Kathleen Kennedy, Tony Gilroy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Toby Haynes, Michelle Rejwan

  2

  Streaming Service(s)

  Disney+