Hasbro is back with another Star Wars Fanstream, and if you’re a collector, you already know what that means: A few minutes of excitement… followed by a lot of “okay but do I really need this?” budgeting. In the latest stream (posted to YouTube), Hasbro revealed a fresh lineup of upcoming releases for both The Black Series (6-inch) and The Vintage Collection (3.75-inch) — including some seriously collector-friendly picks like Scar Squadron returning in Black Series form. The big theme of this Fanstream: collector-focused packs This wasn’t just a “here’s another repaint” kind of show. Hasbro leaned into what collectors actually react to right now: Basically: you can feel the strategy. The Vintage Collection reveals (3.75-inch) The Vintage Collection segment delivered exactly what you’d expect from a Hasbro stream that wants to keep OT collectors happy. Highlights include: It’s a really solid mix:You get the “classic shelf” upgrade pieces (Veers,…
Author: Matt "ObiWaN" Hansen
Hayden Christensen Says Robert De Niro Visited the Revenge of the Sith Set During the Mustafar Duel
Some Star Wars behind-the-scenes stories sound like the kind of rumor that would normally live forever in the “no way that happened” category. And then Hayden Christensen casually drops one that’s so specific it becomes instantly believable. According to Fan Expo New Orleans (FANEXPONOLA), Christensen recently shared that Robert De Niro once visited the set of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith — and it happened during one of the most iconic filming moments in the entire prequel trilogy: Obi-Wan Kenobi vs Anakin Skywalker on Mustafar. “Is that Robert De Niro?” — Hayden remembers the moment clearly Hayden told the story like it was just another normal day on set… except it wasn’t. He says: The idea of De Niro watching lightsabers swing in front of lava is already wild. But then the story gets even better. The push-up moment that made Hayden’s day Hayden also shared…
Lucasfilm Games Relaunched 5 Years Ago Today — and It Quietly Changed Star Wars Gaming Forever
Five years ago today, Lucasfilm did something that didn’t look dramatic at the time… but ended up reshaping the entire Star Wars gaming landscape. They relaunched Lucasfilm Games as their dedicated licensing brand — a modern banner for Star Wars games (and other Lucasfilm properties) moving forward. And honestly? In hindsight, it was one of the smartest moves the company has made in the post-Disney era. Not because it guaranteed instant masterpieces — but because it signaled something fans had been begging for: more variety, more studios, and more freedom. Why this matters right now Star Wars games used to feel like they were on one highway. Same publisher. Same pipeline. Same release rhythm. Since Lucasfilm Games returned, Star Wars gaming has felt much more like a living ecosystem — with multiple teams, multiple genres, and multiple bets happening at once. Even when not every project hits, the direction has…
Farewell to Michael Henbury, the Ewok Who Helped Bring Return of the Jedi to Life
Some Star Wars roles are loud. Some are legendary. And some are the kind you only fully appreciate when you grow up — when you realize how much of the original trilogy’s magic was built by real people in costumes, on real sets, doing real physical work to make the galaxy feel alive. Today, Star Wars fans are saying goodbye to one of those people. Michael Henbury — best known to Star Wars fans as Ewok Taboo in Return of the Jedi — has passed away at the age of 67. Vis dette opslag på Instagram Et opslag delt af Star Booking Management (@starbookingmgmt) Why this matters right now It’s easy to focus on the “big names” when we talk about Star Wars history. But Star Wars has always been bigger than its headliners. The original trilogy wasn’t built only by stars, directors, or composers — it was built by…
Two New Key Operations Just Dropped for Star Wars: Shatterpoint — and They’re Not “Just More Objectives”
Atomic Mass Games just quietly made Star Wars: Shatterpoint a lot more interesting. Not with a new squad box.Not with a flashy trailer. But with two brand-new Key Operations — scenario-style missions that don’t just tweak scoring, but genuinely change how matches feel on the table. They’re called: And if you’ve ever thought Shatterpoint’s objective play can start to “solve itself” after enough games, this update is exactly the kind of shake-up the game needed. Why this matters right now Key Operations are where Shatterpoint becomes more than a skirmish game. They’re the part of the system that makes fights feel like scenes from Star Wars — chases, sabotage, hidden knowledge, last-second reversals, and objectives that aren’t just “stand here and score.” So when Atomic Mass Games drops two new operations at once, it’s not a minor rules PDF. It’s basically two new “game modes.” Quick context: what is a…
ANA’s C-3PO Star Wars Plane Has Been Officially Retired — End of a Flying Fan Favorite
Some Star Wars memorabilia sits behind glass. Some gets sealed in plastic. And then there was ANA’s C-3PO jet — a full-sized passenger plane that spent years turning airports into accidental Star Wars photo ops. Now it’s officially over. The C-3PO themed ANA aircraft has been retired and will no longer be used in service, marking the end of one of the most recognizable real-world Star Wars collaborations ever put into the sky. Why this matters now The Star Wars franchise has collaborated with everything from sneakers to luxury brands. But very few partnerships have been as public — and as weirdly iconic — as ANA’s Star Wars jets. Because this wasn’t a limited-edition collectible. It was something you could actually see at the gate. And with the C-3PO aircraft now retired, the era of Star Wars-themed ANA jets is effectively closing in a way fans can actually feel. What…
Star Wars: Beggar’s Canyon Is the Luke Skywalker Story Fans Have Been Waiting For
Every now and then, a Star Wars fan film shows up on YouTube that doesn’t just look like Star Wars — it feels like Star Wars. STAR WARS: Beggar’s Canyon | A Luke Skywalker Fan Film (Between ESB & ROTJ) is one of those rare projects. It’s not trying to out-shout Lucasfilm. It’s not trying to be edgy for the sake of it. It’s doing something much harder: It aims straight at the emotional gap between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi — and asks, what happens to Luke after Bespin, before he becomes “Jedi Knight” Luke? And honestly? That’s exactly the kind of story this era begs for. A Fan Film Set in the Most Interesting Time Window This film is set between ESB and ROTJ, which is arguably the most dramatic transition in Luke Skywalker’s entire arc. On Bespin, Luke loses: He survives. But he…
Kathleen Kennedy Pushes Back on the Shawn Levy Narrative
For a franchise that lives under a microscope, who gets hired can matter almost as much as what ends up on screen. That’s why Kathleen Kennedy’s recent comments about Shawn Levy landed with more weight than they might first appear. Levy, now attached to direct an upcoming Star Wars film, has faced familiar criticism: that his background in family-friendly and crowd-pleasing movies somehow makes him a “lightweight” choice. Kennedy doesn’t buy that framing—at all. What Kennedy actually said Speaking to The New York Times, Kennedy addressed the criticism head-on. She noted that Levy’s work in family comedies has been routinely misinterpreted, saying it’s “completely unfair” to treat that genre as creatively shallow. Her reasoning was blunt and revealing: making films that work for broad audiences is hard. Not technically flashy hard, but emotionally precise hard—balancing tone, pacing, humor, and sincerity without losing the audience along the way. That skill, she…
The Las Vegas Sphere Is Becoming a LEGO Death Star — and You Can Fly the Trench Run
For years, Star Wars fans have joked about wanting to step inside the Death Star. Now, that idea is being taken seriously—at a scale that feels almost excessive in the best possible way. The Sphere is set to be transformed into a massive LEGO Death Star, as part of a new interactive experience developed by LEGO in collaboration with Lucasfilm. The concept allows visitors not just to look at the superweapon—but to climb inside it and take on the trench run themselves. And yes, that’s exactly as wild as it sounds. What’s actually happening The project reimagines the Sphere’s exterior and interior as a fully realized LEGO version of the Death Star, using the venue’s wraparound LED technology to create an interactive environment rather than a passive display. Inside, visitors will be able to move through sections of the station and participate in a trench run–style game experience. Instead of…
Tom Cruise Visited a Star Wars Set — and Helped Film a Lightsaber Duel
When Tom Cruise shows up on a film set, people assume he’s there to act. That’s not what happened on the set of Star Wars: Starfighter. Cruise visited the production and filmed one of the movie’s lightsaber duels. He did not appear on screen, did not portray a character, and was not acting in the scene. According to The New York Times, his involvement was behind the camera, not in front of it. That distinction matters—and it makes the story more interesting, not less. What actually happened Cruise was present on set during production and took part in filming a lightsaber duel sequence. The reporting is specific: he filmed the scene. There has been no indication of a cameo, a secret role, or any on-screen appearance. Lightsaber duels are among the most technically demanding sequences in a Star Wars production. Camera movement, timing, choreography, and spatial awareness are tightly synchronized….
Shawn Levy Recalls How a Stranger Things Scene Led to His First Contact With Lucasfilm
Careers don’t always intersect with major franchises through formal pitches or long-planned meetings. Sometimes, they cross paths because of a single creative question that needs an answer. For Shawn Levy, that moment came during the making of Season 1 of Stranger Things, years before he became attached to a new Star Wars project. The scene that raised a problem While developing the first season of Stranger Things, the creative team planned a scene in which Eleven uses her telekinetic powers to levitate the Millennium Falcon. It was meant as a brief but recognizable pop-culture reference. That idea immediately ran into a legal and rights issue. Levy explained that Netflix informed the production they would need permission to reference the Millennium Falcon. The response came back quickly—and decisively. The answer was no. The show would need to replace the object with something else. Reaching out directly At that point, Levy had…
Marvel Is Releasing Star Wars Legends: The Newspaper Strips Omnibus — A 1,096-Page Time Capsule From the Early Years
Marvel Comics is digging deep into Star Wars history this summer with the release of Star Wars Legends: The Newspaper Strips Omnibus, a massive 1,096-page hardcover collecting classic Star Wars newspaper strips and related comic material originally published between 1979 and 1984. For longtime fans, this isn’t just another reprint. It’s a preservation project—one that captures a formative era when Star Wars storytelling expanded week by week in newspaper comic sections long before the franchise became a multimedia juggernaut. A Forgotten Corner of Star Wars History In the years following A New Hope, Star Wars storytelling didn’t live only in theaters or paperback novels. It also appeared in daily and Sunday newspaper strips, reaching readers who might never have picked up a comic book. These strips explored new planets, side missions, and character moments featuring Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, and others—often filling in the gaps…
How a PS5 Jailbreak Rumor Turned Star Wars: Racer Revenge Into a $400 Rare
2026 has barely begun, and already one of the most unexpected gaming stories of the year has emerged — not because of a new game announcement, but because of an obscure Star Wars title suddenly becoming one of the most expensive discs on the second-hand market. For years, Star Wars Racer Revenge — a high-speed podracing sequel originally released in 2002 on PlayStation 2 and re-released for PS4 in 2019 — was a relatively quiet part of the Star Wars legacy. Its PS4 port from Limited Run Games was always rare, but until recently it was a budget title that popped up on eBay for about $20–$50. That has all changed in the last week. A Bug Becomes a Bidding War The trigger wasn’t nostalgia or a sudden surge in fan interest. It was a rumor from the PS5 homebrew and hacking scene about a way to use the PS4…
Was the Battle of Naboo Actually a Defeat for Palpatine?
At first glance, the Battle of Naboo looks like a clean Sith loss. The Trade Federation is humiliated.The Gungans and the Naboo unite.The Jedi Order get a very public win.And Darth Maul, the Sith’s attack dog, is cut down in front of witnesses. If you stop there, it’s tempting to argue that Palpatine—still playing the role of Senator from Naboo—lost control of events at the climax of The Phantom Menace. Especially if you’ve read Star Wars: Darth Plagueis and view Naboo as the long-term laboratory of Sith manipulation rather than a disposable pawn. But the deeper you dig, the more uncomfortable the question becomes: Did Palpatine actually lose… or did he simply win differently than planned? The Darth Plagueis Problem: Canon vs. Intent Before going further, it’s worth acknowledging the elephant in the room. Darth Plagueis is officially Legends, not canon. That matters—but only to a point. Many of its…
The Complete Chronological Watching Order of Every Canon Star Wars Movie and TV Show in 2026
If you’ve ever tried to watch Star Wars “in order,” you already know the problem: release dates lie, flashbacks complicate things, and Disney-era shows now weave between films like hyperspace lanes. That’s where a true chronological watching order comes in — one that follows the timeline inside the galaxy, not the year something hit theaters. Below is a complete, canon-only chronological order of every Star Wars movie and TV series, from the High Republic era to the fall of the First Order, with a short explanation of what each entry adds to the saga. This guide includes films, live-action series, and animated shows currently considered canon. The High Republic Era Young Jedi Adventures Set centuries before the Skywalker saga, this animated series introduces the High Republic at its most peaceful. It’s aimed at younger viewers but establishes the Jedi Order at its height — confident, numerous, and unchallenged. The Acolyte…
Bryce Dallas Howard Says Directing Ahsoka Season 2 Was “The Most Fun” of Her Adult Life
When Bryce Dallas Howard describes a job as “fun, fun and more fun,” Hollywood usually listens politely and moves on. When she adds that directing episodes of Ahsoka Season 2 was “the most fun that I have had in my adult life”—and calls the experience “magical”—that’s a different signal entirely. This isn’t hype. It’s a seasoned filmmaker talking about a creative high point inside one of the most closely watched productions on Disney+. And for Star Wars fans, it offers a revealing look at why Ahsoka continues to feel both confident and playful as it expands its corner of the galaxy. A Director Who Knows This Galaxy Howard isn’t a guest passing through Star Wars. By now, she’s one of the franchise’s most reliable behind-the-camera voices. Her work on The Mandalorian—including fan-favorite episodes like “Sanctuary” and “The Heiress”—earned her a reputation for balancing emotional character beats with clean, readable action….
Finn Wolfhard Calls The Last Jedi “Underrated” in Recent Interview
Every few years, Star Wars: The Last Jedi finds a new defender. This time, it’s coming from someone who knows a thing or two about pop-culture pressure. Finn Wolfhard, best known for Stranger Things, recently spoke about his love for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, calling it “so good and underrated.” His praise wasn’t vague or polite, either. He singled out the film’s willingness to take risks. “I loved that movie,” Wolfhard said. “I think that movie is so good and underrated. At least there was a thing like let’s take a swing and try some new ideas.” The comments come via Vanity Fair, and they land in a familiar fault line of modern Star Wars conversation. Why this still matters Nearly a decade after its release, The Last Jedi remains one of the most divisive films in the franchise. Some viewers see it as a bold, character-driven shake-up. Others…
A Small Droid, a Quiet Tribute — and a Thoughtful Nod to Carl Weathers
Sometimes Star Wars honors its legacy in loud ways. Other times, it does so with restraint. This one falls firmly in the second category. Lucasfilm has confirmed that the copper assistant droid seen alongside Greef Karga in The Mandalorian carries the designation CW-24 — a deliberate tribute to the late Carl Weathers, who portrayed Karga across the series’ run. It’s subtle. Easy to miss. And exactly the kind of gesture that fits both the character and the man behind him. What Lucasfilm Has Done — and Why It Matters Now The naming choice comes as Star Wars continues to reflect on Weathers’ impact following his passing in early 2024. Beyond his on-screen presence, Weathers also directed several standout episodes of The Mandalorian, shaping the show’s visual language in its formative seasons. Rather than a title card or a public dedication, Lucasfilm opted for something woven directly into the universe. CW-24…
The Star Wars Games That Quietly Shaped Canon
Not all Star Wars canon was forged on the big screen. Some of the most important ideas, characters, and concepts in the galaxy far, far away didn’t arrive with a theatrical release or a Disney+ premiere. They slipped in quietly—through controller prompts, dialogue trees, and mission briefings—often unnoticed outside gaming circles. Over the years, Star Wars games have acted as a kind of narrative testing ground. A place where new ideas could be explored without the pressure of box office expectations. And in more than a few cases, those ideas didn’t stay in games—they reshaped canon itself. Games as a Narrative Sandbox For decades, Star Wars games occupied a strange middle ground. They weren’t movies.They weren’t novels.And for a long time, they weren’t treated as “important” canon either. That freedom turned out to be their greatest strength. Developers could explore moral ambiguity, alternative Force philosophies, and unexplored eras of the…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Xbox Was an Experiment That Still Feels Bold
When Star Wars: The Clone Wars debuted on the original Xbox in 2003, it wasn’t just another licensed tie-in. It was one of the first attempts to translate the sprawling, chaotic energy of large-scale Clone Wars battles into an interactive experience — and it did so in a way that still resonates with fans who grew up with the console. A Different Kind of Star Wars Combat Unlike lightsaber duels or ground-level infantry skirmishes, Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Xbox put you in the driver’s seat of the machines of war itself. This was a game about vehicles and battlefield roles: Rather than a traditional infantry-focused shooter, the game blended arcade action with objective-driven missions that required tactical thinking and situational awareness. In an era where Star Wars games often focused on cinematic set pieces or character quests, this title leaned into scale and strategy — letting players feel…
You’ve Played Knights of the Old Republic for Years — and Still Missed This
Even longtime Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic players have moments where the game surprises them. The kind of realization that hits hard because you’ve sunk dozens—maybe hundreds—of hours into it and somehow never noticed something obvious in hindsight. One such moment comes late in the game, right before the final confrontation with Darth Malak. Most players remember this stretch clearly: a tense buildup, repeated enemy encounters, and a sense that the game is deliberately testing your endurance before the finale. But here’s the thing: one of those encounters isn’t mandatory at all. The Detail Many Players Overlook In the area leading up to the final elevator sequence, the game pushes you into a combat-heavy scenario that feels completely scripted. Droids keep spawning, the pacing slows, and most players assume this is simply part of the intended challenge. What often goes unnoticed is that the elevator itself can be…
Ewan McGregor Wants One More Star Wars Wish Fulfilled — Obi-Wan in Clone Wars Armor
In a franchise that rarely looks backward without a plan, Ewan McGregor just made a surprisingly grounded request: he wants to wear Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Clone Wars armor in live action—and he wants to do it alongside Hayden Christensen. “I want to get that [Clone Wars] armor on,” McGregor said at Fan Expo Chicago. “That armor stuff. Come on now… Hopefully, Hayden and I get to do more.” It’s a simple wish. And that’s exactly why it matters. Why This Matters Now Star Wars is in a moment of recalibration. After years of rapid expansion, Lucasfilm has slowed its pace, choosing projects more carefully and letting nostalgia breathe instead of flooding the market with it. Against that backdrop, McGregor’s comment doesn’t feel like fan-service bait. It feels like a reminder of an era that still hasn’t been fully explored in live action—despite being one of the most beloved periods in Star…
Mark Hamill on AI, Luke Skywalker & the Future of Star Wars
When the topic of AI-generated characters comes up in Hollywood, few voices resonate like that of Mark Hamill — the maIn an interview with Variety, Mark Hamill was asked a question that sits right at the intersection of fandom, technology, and legacy: would he want AI to be used to depict Luke Skywalker in future Star Wars projects? His answer wasn’t a yes. It wasn’t a no. It was something more thoughtful—and far more revealing. “It’s hard to predict the future, but I may have to ask my family if they want me in a Star Wars movie 30 years from now after I’m gone.” That single sentence captures the uncertainty Hollywood is now wrestling with as AI-generated performances move from novelty to inevitability. Why Mark Hamill’s Opinion Matters Hamill isn’t just another actor — he is Luke Skywalker. That role has spanned nearly five decades, from the original 1977…
ILM’s 2025 Holiday Card Is a Subtle Nod to 50 Years of Visual Storytelling
When Industrial Light & Magic released its official 2025 holiday card, it didn’t feel like marketing—or even a celebration in the usual sense. It felt deliberate. Quiet. Confident. At first glance, the card shows a glowing Christmas ornament hanging on a tree. Inside the glass: a bright red “50”, an X-wing silhouette, and tiny sci-fi details embedded in the glow. It’s festive, sure—but it’s also doing something more interesting than just wishing people happy holidays. Why People Are Searching for This Card Most searches around the ILM holiday card come down to a few clear questions: The short answer: this card isn’t about hype. It’s about legacy. What the Design Is Actually Communicating ILM was founded in 1975, making 2025 its 50th year. Instead of spelling that out, the card lets the number speak for itself. The choice of a glass ornament matters. Ornaments are handled carefully, brought out once…