It’s still early in 2022, which means we have a lot of juicy new Star Wars content to look forward to for the rest of the year.
Which is good news because 2021 was a bit dry for Star Wars. We only got the first season of The Bad Batch in May, followed by a months-long dry spell and then The Book of Boba Fett in December. Then, in a difficult blow, Star Wars Celebration was postponed from August 2021 to May 2022 due to the covid 19 pandemic.
One particularly bright spot, however, were the adult, YA, and middle-grade books. These provided a rich source of new stories, thanks to the High Republic publishing initiative that introduced beloved new characters, planets, and adventures.
But in 2022, lots of new stories are brewing on the screen, the page, and in person. Not only is Star Wars Celebration scheduled to proceed in May as planned, but Disney World is preparing to open its Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser resort experience in March.
Without further ado, here is a breakdown of what’s happening with Star Wars in 2022.
Disney Plus Shows
Obi Wan Kenobi
We finally have an official release date for the much-anticipated Obi Wan Kenobi series on Disney Plus. The first of 6 episodes will premiere on May 25th. Disney hasn’t released a full synopsis, but we do know that the series will feature an exciting showdown between Obi Wan and Darth Vader.
Ewan McGregor will return as the beloved Jedi, and Hayden Christensen will reprise his role as Kenobi’s fallen brother. Other confirmed cast members include Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie.
The Bad Batch
In August 2021, Disney announced that the second season of The Bad Batch would premiere in Spring 2022. We still don’t have a specific date, but it’s good to know that this series is still alive and well. Star Wars animation has been sparse for the past few years, but the first season of this show was fantastic. It deserves to continue.
Andor
Andor stars Diego Luna in his Rogue One role as Cassian Andor, a spy for the Rebel Alliance. Wait, you ask, isn’t Cassian dead? Yes, but this series takes place prior to the events of Rogue One which led to his demise. It’s being touted as a spy thriller and will include the following actors and actresses: Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Fiona Shaw, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, and Genevieve O’Reilly. As of the writing of this article, Disney has not released an official release date or a more detailed synopsis.
The Mandalorian Season Three
The Mandalorian season three is widely expected to debut on Disney Plus by the end of 2022. However, Disney has remained closemouthed about the premiere date, so it is possible that we won’t see season three until 2023.
Books
The High Republic: Tempest Runner By Cavan Scott
The High Republic: Tempest Runner is the script of an audio drama written by Cavan Scott. It will be released on March 15th.
From the publisher:
The Nihil storm has raged through the galaxy, leaving chaos and grief in its wake. Few of its raiders are as vicious as the Tempest Runner Lourna Dee. She stays one step ahead of the Jedi Order at the helm of a vessel named after one of the deadliest monsters in the galaxy: the Lourna Dee. But no one can outrun the defenders of the High Republic forever.
After the defeat of her crew, Lourna falls into the hands of the Jedi–but not before she hides her identity, becoming just another Nihil convict. Her captors fail to understand the beast they have cornered. Just like every fool she’s ever buried, their first mistake was keeping her alive.
Lourna is determined to make underestimating her their last.
Locked onto a Republic correctional ship, she’s dragged across the galaxy to repair the very damage she and her fellow Tempest Runners inflicted on it. But as Lourna plans her glorious escape, she makes alliances that grow dangerously close to friendships. Outside the Nihil—separated from her infamous ship, her terrifying arsenal, and her feared name—Lourna must carve her own path. But will it lead to redemption? Or will she emerge as a deadlier threat than ever before?
Queen’s Hope By E.K. Johnston
Queen’s Hope is a young adult novel written by E.K. Johnston. Its expected release date is April 5th.
From the publisher:
Padmé is adjusting to being a wartime senator during the Clone Wars. Her secret husband, Anakin Skwyalker, is off fighting the war, and excels at being a wartime Jedi. In contrast, when Padmé gets the opportunity to see the casualties on the war-torn front lines, she is horrified. The stakes have never been higher for the galaxy, or for the newly-married couple.
Meanwhile, with Padmé on a secret mission, her handmaiden Sabé steps into the role of Senator Amidala, something no handmaiden has done for an extended period of time. While in the Senate, Sabé is equally horrified by the machinations that happen there. She comes face to face with a gut-wrenching decision as she realizes that she cannot fight a war this way, not even for Padmé.
And Chancellor Palpatine hovers over it all, manipulating the players to his own ends…
Brotherhood By Mike Chen
Brotherhood by Mike Chen is an adult Star Wars novel, which will be released on May 10th.
From the publisher:
The Clone Wars have begun. Battle lines are being drawn throughout the galaxy. With every world that joins the Separatists, the peace guarded by the Jedi Order is slipping through their fingers.
After an explosion devastates Cato Neimoidia, the jewel of the Trade Federation, the Republic is blamed and the fragile neutrality of the planet is threatened. The Jedi dispatch Obi-Wan Kenobi, one of the Order’s most gifted diplomatic minds, to investigate the crime and maintain the balance that has begun to dangerously shift. As Obi-Wan investigates with the help of a heroic Neimoidian guard, he finds himself working against the Separatists who hope to draw the planet into their conspiracy—and senses the sinister hand of Asajj Ventress in the mists that cloak the planet.
Amid the brewing chaos, Anakin Skywalker rises to the rank of Jedi Knight. Despite the mandate that Obi-Wan travel alone–and his former master’s insistence that he listen this time—Anakin’s headstrong determination means nothing can stop him from crashing the party, and bringing along a promising but conflicted youngling.
Once a Padawan to Obi-Wan, Anakin now finds himself on equal—but uncertain—footing with the man who raised him. The lingering friction between them increases the danger for everyone around them. The two knights must learn a new way to work together—and they must learn quickly, to save Cato Neimoidia and its people from the fires of war. To overcome the threat they face they must grow beyond master and apprentice. They must stand together as brothers.
Stories Of Jedi And Sith By Various Authors
Stories of Jedi and Sith is a short story anthology. Its expected release date is June 7th.
From the publisher:
Just in time to celebrate the highly-anticipated re-match between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader in the Disney+ forthcoming event Obi-Wan Kenobi, here are ten original stories about the the valiant Jedi and the evil Sith. Larger-than-life characters clash in epic lightsaber battles that will appeal to young readers and to the young Star Wars fan in all of us! Ten acclaimed authors imagine new tales for some of the most iconic Star Wars characters ever, from Luke Skywalker to Darth Vader, from Obi-Wan Kenobi to Darth Maul, and beyond, complete with beautiful spot illustrations.
Shadow Of The Sith By Adam Christopher
Shadow of the Sith is an adult Star Wars novel, written by Adam Christopher and set to release on June 28th.
From the publisher:
The Empire is dead. Nearly two decades on from the Battle of Endor, the tattered remnants of Palpatine’s forces have fled to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. But for the heroes of the New Republic, danger and loss are ever-present companions, even in this newly forged era of peace.
Jedi Master Luke Skywalker is haunted by visions of the dark side, foretelling an ominous secret growing somewhere in the depths of space, on a dead world called Exegol. The disturbance in the Force is undeniable . . . and Luke’s worst fears are confirmed when his old friend, Lando Calrissian, comes to him with reports of a new Sith menace.
After his daughter was stolen from his arms, Lando searched the stars for any trace of his lost child. But every new rumor only led to dead ends and fading hopes—until he crossed paths with Ochi of Bestoon, a Sith assassin tasked with kidnapping a young girl.
Ochi’s true motives remain shrouded to Luke and Lando. For on a junkyard moon, a mysterious envoy of the Sith Eternal has bequeathed a sacred blade to the assassin, promising that it will give him answers to the questions that have haunted him since the Empire fell. In exchange, he must complete a final mission: return to Exegol with the key to the Sith’s glorious rebirth—the granddaughter of Darth Sidious himself, Rey.
As Ochi hunts Rey and her parents to the edge of the galaxy, Luke and Lando race into the mystery of the Sith’s lingering shadow and aid a young family running for their lives.
Padawan By Kiersten White
Padawan is a young adult novel about Obi Wan Kenobi written by Kiersten White. It will be released on July 26th.
From the publisher:
Obi-Wan Kenobi has not been apprenticed long to Qui-Gon Jinn, and he is chafing at Qui-Gon’s training style: all meditation, no action. Obi-Wan yearns to prove himself on a mission, but when he and Qui-Gon are finally set to leave on an assignment, Qui-Gon is nowhere to be found. Angered by his master’s abandonment, Obi-Wan sets out on the mission alone, determined to prove himself. On a mysterious planet he encounters a pack of feral, Force-wielding teens who seem to be the planet’s only inhabitants. As he experiences wild freedom with them and wonders if this isn’t the life he was meant for, Obi-Wan can’t escape the nagging sense that something is wrong with the Force there. Growing attachments, startling revelations, and a looming threat to both the planet and his new friends will bring Obi-Wan face-to-face with his worst fear: that maybe he was never supposed to be a Jedi at all. Can he connect with the living Force in time to save himself and everyone around him?
The Princess And The Scoundrel By Beth Revis
The Princess and the Scoundrel is an adult novel penned by Beth Revis. It will be released on August 16th.
From the publisher:
The Death Star is destroyed. Darth Vader is dead. The Empire is desolated. But on the forest moon of Endor, amongst the chaos of a changing galaxy, time stands still for a princess and her scoundrel.
After being frozen in carbonite, then risking everything for the Rebellion, Han is eager to stop living his life for other people. He and Leia have earned their future together, a thousand times over. And when he proposes to Leia, it’s the first time in a long time he’s had a good feeling about this. For Leia, a lifetime of fighting doesn’t truly seem over. There is work still to do, penance to pay for the dark secret she now knows runs through her veins. Her brother, Luke, is offering her that chance—one that comes with family and the promise of the Force. But when Han asks her to marry him, Leia finds her answer immediately on her lips . . . Yes.
But happily ever after doesn’t come easily. As soon as Han and Leia depart their idyllic ceremony on Endor for their honeymoon, they find themselves on the grandest and most glamorous stage of all: the Halcyon, a luxury vessel on a very public journey to the most wondrous worlds in the galaxy. Their marriage, and the peace and prosperity it represents, is a lightning rod for everyone in the galaxy—including Imperial remnants still clinging to power.
Facing their most desperate hour, the soldiers of the Empire have dispersed across the galaxy, retrenching on isolated worlds vulnerable to their influence. As the Halcyon travels from world to world, one thing becomes abundantly clear: The war is not over. But as danger draws closer, Han and Leia find that they fight their best battles not alone but as husband and wife.
The High Republic: Convergence By Zoraida Cordova
The High Republic: Convergence is an adult novel written by Zoraida Cordova. It is the first adult novel in Phase II of the High Republic publishing initiative. Currently, it is scheduled to be published on October 4th. It doesn’t have a synopsis yet.
The High Republic: Path Of Deceit By Justina Ireland And Tessa Gratton
The High Republic: Path of Deceit is a young adult novel written by Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton. It will be released on November 1st. A full synopsis has not been released; however, the publisher’s page for the book reveals a couple of interesting details.
The #1 New York Times best-selling series continues…for life and light! A provocative and thrilling young adult adventure set in the world of the High Republic, 150 years before the storytelling of Phase I. Meet mysterious cult members, daring explorers, Jedi peacekeepers and more!
Galactic Starcruiser
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, an immersive Star Wars resort, will open in Disney World on March 1st.
Star Wars Celebration Anaheim
Star Wars Celebration will take place in Anaheim, CA at the Anaheim Convention Center from May 26th-29th. If you’re not attending the convention, keep an eye on social media for breaking Star Wars news such as new trailers and titles.
