Disney+ streaming service over the next few years. The announcement was made during the Disney Investor Day 2020 presentation, with Disney's chairman of Media and Entertainment Distribution, Kareem Daniel, outlining an ambitious plan to build up Disney+'s library of original and exclusive content.
Since its premiere in 2019, The Mandalorian has attracted a massive audience and generated excitement, speculation, adoration and many, many memes - thanks in no small part to the powerful dynamic between the always-helmeted space dad Din Djarin (a.k.a. Mando) and his surrogate son Grogu (a.k.a Baby Yoda). Lucasfilm is now hoping to capture a similarly devoted audiences for its slate of original Star Wars TV shows, some of which were revealed during the Disney Investor Day 2020 presentation.
There are two Mandalorian spinoff series in the works, which will be set concurrently with the existing series and eventually crossover with each other. Ahsoka, which will explore the continued adventures of Star Wars: The Clone Wars protagonist Ahsoka Tano. Rosario Dawson played the character in her live-action debut in The Mandalorian's season 2 episode "The Jedi," which teased that she is searching for Imperial villain Grand iral Thrawn.
One of the more exciting announcements was that the Hayden Christensen reprise his role as Darth Vader. Christensen played Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and while the movies themselves are generally poorly regarded, many Star Wars fans are excited to see what the cast of the prequels can do when they're given better material to work with. Temuera Morrison, who played Jango Fett in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, recently returned as Boba Fett in The Mandalorian season 2.
Han Solo's longtime frenemy Lando Calrissian is also getting his own Star Wars TV show on Disney+. No one has yet been cast in the lead role, but Dear White People director Justin Simien is leading development on the series. On the darker side of the galaxy is Star Wars: Acolyte, from Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland, which is described as "a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era."
The Disney Investor Day 2020 presentation also included a sizzle reel for animated Clone Wars spinoff Star Wars: The Bad Batch, which was announced earlier this year. Additional Star Wars animated TV shows announced were Star Wars: A Droid Story, which will focus on the iconic droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, and a ten-episode series of anime short films titled Star Wars: Visions. The presentation also included a first look behind-the-scenes at early production on the live-action Rogue One series Andor, which will star Diego Luna back in the role of the Rebel spy Cassian Andor. All told, it's going to be a very busy few years for fans of that galaxy far, far away.