Having been almost four years since the lastStar Warsmovie, one would think that bringing the franchise back to the big screen with several new films sooner rather than later would be the best-case scenario. Star Wars is one of the most iconic franchises of all time, and its movies tend to be a big deal. However, it would be much wiser for Lucasfilm to spread out its new slate ofStar Warsmovies.
The recent news that thenext threeStar Warsfilmswill release on August 09, 2025, Aug 22, 2025, and Jul 07, 2025, should be alarming for all fans since it suggests that Lucasfilm and Disney have not learned, or perhaps even listened to, the negative reception of the sequel trilogy and its accompanying movies. Additionally, these release dates directly contradict recent comments from the president of Lucasfilm, further indicating that the studio is in turmoil.
“Let The Past Die”
Moving forward, Lucasfilm must deeply reflect on what went wrong with the sequel trilogy. WhileThe Force AwakensandRogue One, released in Dec. 2015 and Dec. 2016, respectively, were almost unanimously praised by fans and critics alike, things quickly went downhill for the new era ofStar Wars.
Rian Johnson’sThe Last Jedi, the eighth entry in the Skywalker Saga, is perhaps one of the most divisive movies of all time. While some applaudThe Last Jedifor its fresh take on the galaxy far, far away, others wholeheartedly believe the film ruined the entire franchise. No matter what side you were on upon the film’s release and in the following months, it was obvious that no one was ready to return to the series in May 2018, just five months afterThe Last Jedisplit the fandom in two. Nevertheless, Lucasfilm chose to releaseSolo: A Star Wars Story, thelowest-grossing live-actionStar Warsmovieever. In a way, Disney is making the exact same mistake as one of their newStar Warsfilms will open so closely toAvengers: Secret Warsand many pointed out thatSolo: A Star Wars Storybeing released so close to Avengers: Infinity War hurt its box office.
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While there is a slightly longer gap between them, the reveal that two upcomingStar Warsmovies will be released within seven months of one another is eerily reminiscent ofSolo’sdisastrous release strategy. With the plethora ofStar Warsshows on Disney+nowadays, rushing to release new movies should not be Lucasfilm’s priority. Instead, the studio should take its time with its movies, which are often bombastic sci-fi epics, and give each of them time to breathe and really impact the audience.
Star Wars Should Be An Event
The release dates for the three upcomingStar Warsmovies are even more surprising given Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy’s recent comments regarding the franchise. Shereferenced James Bond filmswhen speaking about what the future release schedule will look like. Speaking with Empire, she said,
“That’s every three or four years and there wasn’t this pressure to feel like you had to have a movie every year. I feel that was very important toStar Wars. We have to eventise this.”
Kennedy went on to stress the importance of not rushingStar Warsfilms. While many fans have disagreed with certain decisions she has made as the head of Lucasfilm, here she is proving that she understands what madeStar Warsso special in the first place.
Going back to the blueprint of the entire franchise, George Lucas and the creative team behind the original trilogy did not rush to release the next entry in the series every year. Instead, there were three years between each movie in the original trilogy. Lucas followed the exact same plan for his prequel trilogy as well. Additionally,Star Warsfans waited ten years following 2005’sThe Revenge of the Sith, as Disney worked towards acquiring the franchise from Lucas and bringing it back to theaters. Therefore, no one could be rightfully disappointed in longer periods between futureStar Warsmovies, as long as Lucasfilm is ensuring those movies are of the highest quality possible.
The 2026 release will be seven years following the release ofRise of Skywalker, but there certainly has not been any less Star Wars material as audiences have watchedThe Mandalorian,The Book of Boba Fett,Andor,The Bad Batch, and the upcomingAhsoka.Star Warsdoes not feel like it has truly been away because it never left.
Stepping Away From The Skywalker Saga
Another important note is that the three previously announcedStar Warsmovies are not directly connected to each other. Unlike the sequel trilogy, these films will not be tied to the Skywalker Saga. Since they are not serving as direct sequels to each other, they should each be given the time to hold their own as the one and onlyStar Warsmovie of a certain time period.
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While one of the movies will feature the return of Rey as she works to rebuild a new Jedi order, the story is set fifteen years after the events ofThe Rise of Skywalker. It is likely that the Skywalker saga will be referenced in it, but the Daisy Ridley-led movie should mark a new beginning for the franchise and provide some much-needed excitement for the post-Skywalker era after a mostlynegative receptiontoThe Rise of Skywalker.
One of the other upcoming movies will be directed by Dave Filoni and will serve as a climactic crossover between characters fromThe Mandalorian,The Book of Boba Fett, andAhsoka. Since those shows have mostly told their own interconnected story on Disney+, there is no reason to rush the movie until each of them has reached a suitable endpoint on the streaming service.
Finally,Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinydirector James Mangold has signed on to directDawn of the Jedi. Mangold described the movie as a “biblical epic” that will reportedly be set about 25,000 years before the events of the Skywalker Saga and present the story of the first Force-using peacekeepers. Since this movie is so far removed from the rest of theStar Warstimeline, there is also no reason to rush its development, and might take some time asMangold is also developingSwamp Thingfor Warner Bros. Discovery DCU.
While the release dates for these threeStar Warsmovies have already been unveiled, it is common practice for major studios, specifically Disney, to shift things around. Even if the studio spaced each entry out every two years, it would be enough to generate excitement. In this case, as Yoda preaches to Luke, patience would be the wisest way forward.
