2024 is expected to be a quieter year for Star Wars as a whole, with pushbacks and delays from the strike meaning fewer projects ready to release. Despite this, the 25th anniversary of The Phantom Menace will hopefully have a lot in store for all corners of the franchise, as it is a momentous occasion! Read on to see what new stories and projects we can expect to see from Star Wars in 2024!
Star Wars series arriving in 2024
Before delving into the shows, it must be stated that as of the publication of this article, none of these shows have definite release dates. So I will be doing my best to predict when we can see them, based on various updates from the cast and crew.
Season 3 of The Bad Batch will, unfortunately, be its last! We can expect more hijinks from the Batch, along with the rescue of Omega after her capture at the end of the last season. Some questions will hopefully be answered too, like what happens with all the Clones and is Tech alive? (My vote is yes!)
The trailer shown exclusively at Star Wars Celebration 2023 looked action-packed and also teased the return of some fan-favorite characters like Fennec Shand and Emperor Palpatine.
The Bad Batch season 3 will hopefully be released on Disney+ in Spring 2024! (Edit 1/22: It has just been announced that the final season of The Bad Batch will be released on February 21, 2024 with a three-episode premiere. (UPDATE: here’s our review of The Bad Batch season 3 premiere!)
The Acolyte is set around 100 years before The Phantom Menace. It will tie into both the end of the fabled High Republic era, whilst paving the way for the downfall of the Jedi by the time of the Prequels.
Not much is known about the show outside of it following two different stories. One, is about a former Jedi Padawan reuniting with their master to solve a series of crimes, and the second, follows a Sith Acolyte. The teaser shown at Celebration 2023 featured many Jedi in colorful robes, even more colorful lightsabers, and Carrie-Anne Moss doing some amazing Jedi martial arts!
The show will also tie into the High Republic books in a big way as it will feature Jedi Vernestra Rwoh (played by Rebecca Henderson) who became one of the youngest Jedi Knights in a generation. The Acolyte will provide fans of the books the opportunity to see her as a much older Jedi alongside the new characters of the show.
The Acolyte may be aiming for a mid-2024 release on Disney+.
Skeleton Crew will be the next installment in the Mandoverse era of Star Wars. The coming-of-age style show follows four children who become lost in the galaxy and must make their way home. Not much else is known about the show outside of it starring Jude Law in a “complicated” mentor role for the young kids. But with the show being set during the time of The Mandalorian, who knows just who or what may pop up as the kids try to make their way home.
Skeleton Crew may be released on Disney+ sometime in late 2024 after several pushbacks have delayed it.
Tales of the Jedi is a Clone Wars-style animated series which is expected to make its return to Disney+ some time this year! Nothing is known about how many episodes it will be, or which Jedi it will focus on. But with a plethora of eras and characters at their disposal, it could be anyone’s guess.
New episodes of Young Jedi Adventures, the animated kids show set in the High Republic, will release on February 14th! The new episodes aim to include yet more characters from the books, such as Chancellor Lina Soh.
Video games include Hunters and Outlaws
Dark Forces Remaster, the 1995 fps game that redefined Star Wars gaming, will be re-released this year as a remaster. The Nightdive Studios game will have better graphics, updated models, textures, and gameplay. Players can play as a mercenary for hire, Kyle Katarn, as he uncovers the Empire’s deadly new threat: the Dark Trooper project.
Dark Forces Remaster releases on February 28th! Find a trailer and more information about the game on STEAM.
Hunters is a free-to-play third-person PVP competitive arena game developed by Zynga. This game has suffered many setbacks in its long development cycle, but will hopefully be released this year. It allows players to battle against one another in different game modes, all whilst utilizing a cast of characters from the Rebellion, Empire, and Bounty Hunter groups.
Star Wars Hunters is set to be released sometime this year on iOS, Android and Switch! Find a trailer and more information about the game here.
With Outlaws, 2024 will bring with it the first ever open-world Star Wars game brought to us by Ubisoft! Outlaws is set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi. The game will follow Kay Vess, a scoundrel who seeks freedom from her life in the underworld. Players will face off against crime syndicates and the empire alike as they aim to make a new life for Kay.
Players will visit a whole array of new and familiar planets such as Kijimi and Tattooine and the open world aspect will make exploring your environment a priority and also encourage different ways to tackle missions. Players will also be able to control Nix, Kay’s alien pet (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker!) who will be able to distract enemies and pick up collectibles.
Star Wars: Outlaws doesn’t have a specific release date yet, but Disney themselves have stated a late 2024 release for the game on PlayStation, Xbox, PC and more. Find a trailer and future updates on the release via Ubisoft’s official site. (Update: theStar Wars: Outlaws game release is now slated for August 30, 2024!)
Star Wars books releasing in 2024
The Living Force is the first of the adult Star Wars books of the year. It also marks the return of John Jackson Miller to the world of Star Wars after 10 years. The book itself is set one year before The Phantom Menace. With the Jedi’s focus being increasingly drawn to Coruscant, the Jedi Council, along with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, go on a goodwill mission to a planet to reassure the rest of the galaxy that the Jedi still care. Unfortunately, Pirates aim to thwart their plans as they plot the council’s assassination.
The Living Force releases on April 9, 2024! For information on where to preorder it, visit Penguin Random House here. (Update: Check out my review of The Living Force here!)
Next up is Temptation of the Force. Not much is known about the second of the adult books for Phase 3 of the High Republic apart from that it will be written by Tessa Gratton who has previously written other books for the High Republic. After the events of The Eye of Darkness, we can expect this book to involve the Jedi searching for more ways to break the Stormwall, defeat Marchion Ro and search for more clues into the mystery of the Nameless.
Temptation of the Force releases on June 11, 2024! For more information on where to preorder this book, visit Penguin Random House here.
Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss is set shortly after The Phantom Menace. Written by Steven Barnes, the story focuses on Mace Windu as he grapples with the death of Qui-Gon Jinn at the hands of a Sith lord. Mace Windu then receives a message from Qui-Gon, to be sent on his death, that brings Mace to a planet in dire need of help against Crime Lords who threaten the people of the planet.
Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss releases on August 6, 2024! For more information on where to preorder this book, visit Penguin Random House here.
Alongside Temptation of the Force, there are many more High Republic books being released this year, most ranging from Children’s to Young Adult. The books will carry on telling the stories of characters we first met in Phase 1, seeing how they cope under Nihil rule, and hoping to gain more answers to burning questions after the fall of Starlight Beacon.
Escape From Valo arrives on January 30th and is the first Children’s book of Phase 3. Co-written by Daniel José Older and Alyssa Wong, the book features a group of Jedi Padawans left behind on Valo (which you may remember from The Rising Storm). Now under Nihil control, the Padawans, must team up and overcome their fears to escape the planet.
For more information on where to preorder Escape From Valo, visit Penguin Random House here.
Defy The Storm, the first Young Adult novel of Phase 3 arrives on March 5th. The book, written by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland, features Jedi Knight Venestra Rwoh and scientist Avon Starros as they find a way to escape both the Nameless creatures, and the Occlusion Zone that keeps them trapped behind enemy lines.
For more information on where to preorder Defy The Storm, visit Penguin Random House here. (UPDATE: Here’s my review of Defy The Storm!)
The next part of the phase will continue after Temptation of The Force. August 27th will bring us Beware The Nameless by Zoraida Córdova, the second of the children’s novels and featuring the Jedi Padawans from Escape From Valo. The Padawans will team up once more to try to stop the threat of the Nameless, mysterious creatures that seem to feed on the Force itself.
For more information on where to preorder Beware The Nameless, visit Penguin Random House here.
Finally, September 24th will bring Tears of the Nameless, the next of the Young Adult books written by George Mann (recent author of Eye of Darkness). This story features Jedi Knight Reath Silas along with Padawan Amadeo Azzazzo as they are sent on a mission to test their recent theories about the Nameless threat. But may yet need to heed the words of disgraced former Jedi Azlin Rell if they have any hope of surviving.
For more information on where to preorder Tears of the Nameless, visit Penguin Random House here.
Star Wars comics in 2024
Many exciting things are happening in the world of comics this year. Star Wars and Darth Vader continue their ongoing series’ set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi, with new issues every few weeks. The High Republic also continues with High Republic #3 released on January 17th and High Republic Adventures #2 on January 24th.
There will be plenty more from the High Republic later in the year, too, such as The Broken Blade by Charles Soule. Some other new Star Wars series will also begin this year…
Thrawn: Alliances will be a four-issue adaptation of the book. The story features Thrawn teaming up with Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader across two time periods. Threats from different eras coincide and help teach both Anakin and Vader just how powerful a tactician Thrawn can be.
The first issue of Thrawn: Alliances drops on January 24, 2024.
Mace Windu is a new mini-series from writer Marc Bernadin as it puts Mace on a mysterious path as he must stop a scientist’s discovery from threatening the balance of the galaxy. The series will be set before the Clone Wars, highlighting an unforseen part of Mace’s life alongside tying into the 25th Anniversary of The Phantom Menace. The first issue drops on February 7, 2024.
Jango Fett is another new mini-series from Marvel and will be about none other than one of the most feared Bounty Hunters in the galaxy, Jango Fett! From writer Ethan Sacks, the series will include bounties, mysteries, a treaty, and of course, another famous Bounty Hunter, Aurra Sing! The first issue drops on March 20, 2024.
Free Comic Book Day takes place on May 4th this year and marks the first time a Star Wars comic will be offered in the roster of comics from Marvel! The free comic will tell two tales, one of Luke, Leia, Lando and Chewbacca returning to Hoth to mount a daring rescue. With the other being about Darth Vader employing one of Padme’s former handmaidens, Sabe to help him on a quest to remove Palpatine from power. The issue will coincide with ongoing ones from both Star Wars and Darth Vader, so will surely be a must-read for new and old fans alike.
Future news from a galaxy far, far, away…
With the lack of Star Wars Celebration this year (the next one takes place in Japan next year) there isn’t a dedicated space for purely Star Wars news and updates. However, there are other events where we may yet get some!
D23 is expected to return this year, taking place August 9-11, the event will be the best place to get updates on the future of the films and shows. There are plenty of films in different stages of development, so August may be our first chance to get a feel for what the two Star Wars films coming in 2026 may be!
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