Star Wars Celebration 2025: All the Highlights and Announcements

A major "Star Wars" event has taken place over the past few days: The "Star Wars Celebration 2025" in Japan. There was a lot of news about the upcoming productions in the franchise. In this article, we would like to give you an overview of all the highlights and announcements.

Star Wars: Starfighter

It had been known for a while that "Deadpool & Wolverine" director Shawn Levy would be directing a "Star Wars" film. Now Lucasfilm has given a big update. The movie will be called "Star Wars: Starfighter". A few weeks ago, there was also speculation about the casting of superstar Ryan Gosling. It has now been made official at the event: the actor will take on the lead role in "Starfighter". Gosling is of course a household name to most movie fans. He has appeared in films including "La La Land", the stylish gangster thriller "Drive" and most recently as Ken in "Barbie".

Shawn Levy also announced the first plot details: "Starfighter" will be set five years after "Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker". The film will not be part of the Skywalker saga, but rather tell an independent story with completely new characters. Filming is scheduled to start in the fall of 2025 and a cinema release date has already been announced: May 28, 2027.

The Mandalorian & Grogu

An important part of the event was also "The Mandalorian & Grogu". The movie is set after the third season of the popular "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian". Of course, Pedro Pascal will once again be seen in the leading role as Din Djarin. As in the series, he will be accompanied by Grogu, also known to fans as Baby Yoda. The movie will show a new adventure of our two heroes.

A particular highlight of the panel on the film was the presentation of the first trailer. After Din Djarin offered to work unofficially for the New Republic at the end of the third season, a mission now awaits the bounty hunter. The trailer mainly shows the Mandalorian in action. At least part of the action will take place on an ice planet. The trailer also features "Alien" and "Avatar" star Sigourney Weaver as a commander of the New Republic. A picture of Din Djarin was also shown – without a helmet! Fans of the series know that the Mandalorian only reveals his face in exceptional circumstances.

After a break of more than six years, the production is set to bring a breath of fresh air to the "Star Wars" movies. "The Mandalorian & Grogu" already has a start date: May 22, 2026.

Ahsoka

There was also news about the second season of "Ahsoka". Probably the biggest news: Hayden Christensen will once again be seen as Anakin Skywalker. The role of Baylan Skoll will now be played by "Game of Thrones" star Rory McCann, as the previous actor Ray Stevenson recently passed away. Fan favorite Admiral Ackbar will also be seen in "Ahsoka". Filming is currently underway, with the new season due to be released in 2026.

Star Wars: Visions

There will also be new episodes of "Star Wars: Visions" this year. Nine fresh episodes will be waiting for us, including sequels to existing episodes. "Visions" will be available to watch on Disney Plus from October 29, 2025. A spin-off series has also been announced for an episode from season 1. The series will be called "Star Wars Visions Presents: The Ninth Jedi".

Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord

"Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord" is also a new animated series. The focus is of course on the popular character Darth Maul. The series is set after "Star Wars: The Clone Wars". Maul is the leader of a crime syndicate in the underworld. "Maul: Shadow Lord" is set to be released on Disney+ in 2026.

Further announcements

We can also expect the third season of "Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures" in fall 2025. The industry portal Variety has now also reported that another new series is being planned at Lucasfilm. So far, only the creative team is known: the series is being developed by "Lost" showrunner Carlton Cuse and his son Nick Cuse.

What's coming up next?

The upcoming productions in the "Star Wars" universe are the acclaimed series "Andor", which will be shown on Disney Plus from April 23, 2025. However, the second season will also be the last. Fans can also look forward to the animated series "Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld" on May 4, 2025. Like all other "Star Wars" productions, you can also find this series on Disney+.