Star Wars in 2026: Grogu Hits Theaters, Maul Gets Weird, and We’re (Maybe) Podracing Again

You know how Star Wars works: disappear for five minutes, come back, and suddenly there’s a movie, two animated shows, and a racing game that might finally scratch the “Episode I: Racer” itch without holding your nostalgia hostage.

So here’s our Star Wars corner doing what it does best: sorting the hype from the actual dates. This is the Star Wars in 2026 slate as it stands — with the important reminder that Lucasfilm plans change faster than a stormtrooper’s aim.

Star Wars in 2026: The Mandalorian and Grogu

If you want the “straight from the source” version, you can cross-check the current announcements at StarWars.com or Lucasfilm Games’ official hub at Lucasfilm Games. And yes, we’re linking out, because the internet shouldn’t be a closed ecosystem where we all just quote each other until we become soup.

Star Wars in 2026: The big one — The Mandalorian & Grogu goes full big-screen

Yes. The small green chaos goblin is officially graduating from “Disney+ mascot who sells your aunt throw pillows” to “put him on a 60-foot screen and let the audience collectively awww in Dolby.”

The Mandalorian & Grogu hits theaters May 22, 2026. This is the next theatrical Star Wars release on the calendar, and it’s being framed as the clan of two taking on their biggest mission yet — which is Lucasfilm-speak for “we’re continuing the Mandoverse storyline, but with popcorn pricing.”

Also: Sigourney Weaver is in this thing. That’s not “Reddit detective work.” That’s official-materials energy.

And if you’re wondering what this means for The Mandalorian as a TV show: Favreau has talked openly about how a Season 4 plan existed before the movie pivot. Which tracks with the vibe of “we were gonna do TV… then we remembered theaters exist.”

Either way, Star Wars in 2026 clearly wants its “safe theatrical win,” and Din + Grogu is the cleanest on-ramp Lucasfilm has right now.

Disney+ in 2026: Maul is back (again), and Visions is getting a real series

Maul: Shadow Lord

Maul: Shadow Lord is an animated Disney+ series confirmed for 2026. And yes, Darth Maul returning is basically a franchise tradition at this point. The difference this time is the pitch: post–Clone Wars underworld, villain POV energy, and a story lane that’s less “destiny of the Force” and more “how does a monster build an empire in the shadows?”

Sam Witwer is back voicing Maul — because if you’re going to do Maul, you hire the guy who’s been doing the character’s best work for years.

Why this matters: if you’ve been begging Star Wars to stop playing it safe and lean into crime syndicates, grime, and bad-guy stories, this is the lane.

Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi

Star Wars: Visions isn’t just doing anthology shorts anymore. Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi is getting the longer-form treatment, with Kenji Kamiyama involved, and it’s slated for Disney+ in 2026.

If you liked the original Ninth Jedi short, this is the “okay, now let us actually cook with these characters” upgrade. And if you didn’t watch it yet, congrats: you get to discover one of the more interesting modern Star Wars ideas without the internet screaming at you first.

Between Maul and Visions expanding, Star Wars in 2026 is looking a lot less like “one flagship show” and a lot more like “multiple lanes, pick your poison.” Which is healthier. And way less boring.

Games in 2026: Star Wars is racing again (and also doing tactics)

Star Wars: Galactic Racer

A new Star Wars racing game is coming in 2026, and the obvious read is also the correct one: it’s poking the same dopamine button that podracing did. Is it literally Episode I: Racer 2? No. But it’s absolutely trying to tap that “go fast in a universe that shouldn’t be safe” feeling.

If you want more context on the broader direction of the game side, keep an eye on Lucasfilm Games — they’re the central hub for official beats as they land.

Star Wars: Zero Company

If you prefer your Star Wars with squad management and tactical decision-making, Star Wars: Zero Company is also slated for 2026 — a strategy game from Bit Reactor with Respawn involved.

So, yeah: Star Wars in 2026 is shaping up to be “Grogu in theaters, Maul on your couch, and you yelling at your friends because you clipped a podracer wing in Turn 3.”

The messy part: what’s unclear (and why you shouldn’t tattoo release dates on your body)

Ahsoka Season 2 is the big question mark for live-action Star Wars on Disney+ in 2026. It’s been discussed, it’s been hinted at, but there’s still no clean, hard date you can build your life around.

Absence from a slate isn’t confirmation of a delay — it’s just corporate calendar opacity, a proud Disney tradition. So treat it as “maybe 2026, maybe not” until Lucasfilm puts a date on it.

What Press X actually thinks about this

Star Wars works best when it’s not trying to be a single “event” you’re obligated to care about. And Star Wars in 2026 looks like a buffet:

• One big theatrical swing (The Mandalorian & Grogu) that’s basically Lucasfilm saying “okay fine, here’s the blockbuster.”
• Animation doing the most interesting character work (Maul: Shadow Lord) and the most creative storytelling experiments (Visions turning into The Ninth Jedi).
• Games that aren’t all the same flavor. Racing and tactics is a healthier spread than “here’s another shooter, please clap.”

And that’s kind of the Press X thesis in a nutshell: its finally less corporate “one-size-fits-all,” more “pick your lane and have fun with it.” If you want more like this, hit Ctrl Issues — that’s where we keep the takes and the receipts.

TL;DR (For The Skippers)

• The Mandalorian & Grogu hits theaters May 22, 2026.
• Maul: Shadow Lord (animated) lands on Disney+ in 2026, with Sam Witwer returning as Maul.
• Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi expands Visions into a full Disney+ series in 2026.
• Star Wars: Galactic Racer is coming in 2026 and is absolutely trying to hit the same “podracing-adjacent” thrill button.
• Star Wars: Zero Company is also slated for 2026, bringing turn-based tactics to the galaxy.
• Ahsoka Season 2 for 2026 is not confirmed, so don’t plan your personality around it yet.

AJ Hanson

AJ Hanson has been part of games media since 2011, writing, streaming, and ranting about the industry long before it was his job. He runs the Galaxy’s Edge Discord, the go-to community for fans of Disney’s Star Wars parks, and works as Marketing Director for the Virtual Cantina Network, helping produce shows, interviews, and fan events. A lifelong Star Wars fan and unapologetic nerd, AJ’s focus has always been on building spaces where people can connect, argue, and celebrate the things they love without all the corporate gloss.