5 Most Exciting Star Wars Movies & TV Shows Currently In Development

The "Star Wars" franchise has had its ups and downs, with "Andor" certainly being one of the more recent high points. But it's still capable of drumming up plenty of excitement with new releases, and with a lot of different movies and shows still on the way, along with some executive shake-ups, the future is looking very interesting.

Rumors and announcements have become commonplace, with many "Star Wars" release dates perpetually on the horizon. But some titles have been cancelled or shelved, like Taika Waititi's project or those from Kevin Feige, Rian Johnson, and likely the new Ben Solo film. There's no use crying over spilled milk, however, because there is still a ton of content on the way — some of it sure to be good, and some maybe not. Thus is the ever-swinging pendulum of releases far, far away.

Looking ahead, some of the upcoming projects warrant excitement in name and context alone. "The Mandalorian and Grogu" drops soon, and it will be bringing "Star Wars" back to the big screen in a big way. Since that is so close (and technically out of development), we opted to exclude it from this list — but make no mistake, it's sure to shake things up. If you're looking forward to what else is on the event horizon, here are some of the other exciting "Star Wars" projects currently in development or coming soon.

Taking place after the events of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," this animated adventure will follow Maul as he works to rebuild and strengthen his criminal syndicate. The series is developed by Matt Michnovetz and Dave Filoni, now President and Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm.

Perhaps more exciting for long-standing fans, Maul is played by Sam Witwer, who portrayed the character in the original "Clone Wars" series. The voice cast also includes Gideon Adlon as Devon Izara, Wagner Moura as Brander Lawson, Richard Ayoade as Two-Boots, Dennis Haysbert as Master Eeko-Dio-Daki, Chris Diamantopoulos as Looti Vario, and Charlie Bushnell as Rylee Lawson. Vanessa Marshall will play Rook Kast, David W. Collins is Spybot, A.J. LoCascio is Marrok, and, finally, Steve Blum is Icarus.

As the trailer so brazenly claims, the age of Maul begins here. Also, if it's any indication, the trailer shows a dark, gritty, and action-packed ride is in store. It doesn't hurt that the "Duel of the Fates" sets the mood in the background. "Star Wars: Maul – The Shadow Lord" drops April 6, 2026 on Disney+. Two episodes will release each week, with the finale airing on May 4.

Featuring Ryan Gosling and a star-studded cast that includes Mia Goth, Amy Adams, Daniel Ings, Matt Smith, Aaron Pierre, and Flynn Gray, "Star Wars: Starfighter" is a standalone movie set in the universe. More importantly, it's a "new adventure" playing out during a period that we haven't seen explored by "Star Wars" properties yet. It's a live-action film that takes place about five years after "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" at a time when the galaxy is rebuilding. While it doesn't seem to focus on the Jedi, the tagline teases that new emerging threats "may alter the future of the Force itself."

Ominous? Yes. Exciting? Oh, yes. Given the name, it's not difficult to imagine some truly epic space battles are in our future. There isn't much word about the story beyond that, but it hasn't stopped fans and interested pundits from making a few guesses. It's currently scheduled to hit theaters on May 28, 2027, if nothing changes.

Said to be a continuation of the film series, but an entirely new adventure separate from the Skywalker Saga, is Simon Kinberg's upcoming trilogy. Plot details are extremely thin, but Kinberg worked closely with Dave Filoni on "Star Wars: Rebels," so it seems like the franchise may be in good hands. Take note of the "seems like," as there are never any guarantees. Kinberg is currently writing the movies, so they're very early in development.

We don't know about the cast. We don't know about the plot or the timeline. What we do know is that Kinberg has been responsible for several movies and shows, with roles spanning writing and producing, including "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "Star Wars: Rebels," and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." He also produced "Deadpool & Wolverine" and Edgar Wright's "The Running Man" remake. This is the closest thing "Star Wars" fans have to a new mainline movie series in the franchise, so let's hope it pans out. That uncertainty seems to be the reason for George Lucas' biggest "Star Wars" regret – he sold to Disney, which had a different vision for the universe than he did.

"Star Wars: Visions" is largely an anthology series featuring unique animated shorts released in volumes on Disney+. In Season 1, however, the fifth episode introduced the fandom to "The Ninth Jedi," following a character named Kara who was tasked with carrying newly-forged lightsabers to their potential owners. We don't want to expound more on the plot line lest we give away some of the twist, and the beautiful way it weaves its tale, but it was originally meant to be a self-contained episode. Though, the way it ended left plenty of questions unanswered, enough that the story returned in "Star Wars: Visions" Season 3 and is also getting a limited series spinoff in "Star Wars: Visions Presents The Ninth Jedi."

Altogether, that will make three episodes total covering Kara's journey, one in Season 1, another in Season 3, and this standalone release, coming sometime in 2026. If you haven't watched "Visions" yet or haven't caught up on Kara's story, now is a great time to do so.

While Season 2 of Ahsoka is currently in production, equally exciting, and Rey's potential New Jedi Order movie helmed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy hasn't been officially cancelled yet, Dave Filoni's upcoming Mando-Verse movie is purported to bring together all of the stories from "The Mandalorian," "Ahsoka," and "The Book of Boba Fett" to focus on a growing conflict between the New Republic and leftovers from the Imperial Empire. Grand Admiral Thrawn is said to play an integral role with his cunning and wit (we could always use more of him on screen). But it's also supposed to fill the gap between "Return of the Jedi" and "The Force Awakens," a period that could use some exploring.

There are reports it may be flipped into a Disney+ series instead of a movie, but nothing is confirmed yet. Either way, it sounds like an interesting mashup of "Star Wars" properties that have given us some iconic in-universe experiences, for better or worse. Assuming the original actors from the shows will reprise their roles, we could see Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka, Natasha Liu Bordizzo's Sabine Wren, Ivanna Sakhno's Shin Hati, Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin, Katee Sackhoff's Bo-Katan Kryze, and Lars Mikkelsen's Grand Admiral Thrawn trading exposition on screen and maybe battling it out. The sheer potential is definitely invigorating.