There is a reason the Mara Jade story blew up harder than a lot of bigger Star Wars headlines this week. On paper, it was simple: Claudia Gray said Lucasfilm had told her no when she asked about using Mara Jade in canon, and Timothy Zahn said he had asked too and gotten the same answer. That is not a trailer. It is not a casting leak. It is not even an official Lucasfilm statement. But the reaction online made one thing very clear: for a lot of fans, Mara Jade is no longer just a character they miss. She has become a symbol for the version of Star Wars they feel slipped away. That is why the Reddit discussion got interesting so fast. It did not stay focused on whether Mara Jade is “cool” or whether Lucasfilm should bring back more Legends characters. The argument turned almost immediately into…
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Mark Hamill Says Star Wars Is in Good Hands With Dave Filoni
As Star Wars edges closer to its 50th anniversary, Mark Hamill is doing what very few people connected to this franchise can do: looking backward and forward at the same time. In a new USA Today interview, Hamill reflected on the sheer weirdness of hitting the half-century mark since the original movie began filming in 1976, admitting the milestone makes him “feel old.” That part is pure nostalgia fuel. But the more interesting bit for where Star Wars is heading now is what he said about Dave Filoni. Hamill is clearly backing Filoni According to coverage of the interview, Hamill said he “can’t think of better hands” for Star Wars than Filoni’s, and pointed to one big reason why: Filoni learned directly from George Lucas. Hamill said Lucas was a mentor to Filoni, which in his view means Filoni understands George’s creative sensibility in a way that really matters for…
Sam Witwer Says He’d Return as Starkiller “In an Instant”
Sam Witwer just tossed a fresh log onto one of Star Wars fandom’s oldest fires. Speaking to Polygon, Witwer said that if Lucasfilm ever asked him to return as Starkiller, he would “shave my head in an instant” and do it happily. That is not a canon announcement, obviously. It is also not a casting rumor. But it is a very clear reminder that the man who helped make Starkiller iconic is still completely up for it. And honestly, that is enough to get people talking again. The door is not open — but it is definitely not locked from his side Witwer is already back in a big Star Wars spotlight thanks to Maul: Shadow Lord, where he has returned to one of his most closely associated roles in the franchise. So this was not some random convention nostalgia hit from a guy who has not touched Star Wars…
Filoni Had the Most Dave Filoni Answer Possible to Sam Witwer’s Starkiller Worry
Sometimes Star Wars lore is complicated. And sometimes Dave Filoni hears a problem, tilts his head for a second, and turns it into a very Star Wars answer. In a new StarWars.com interview tied to Maul: Shadow Lord, Sam Witwer recalled worrying that his performance as the Son of Mortis sounded too much like Starkiller. Filoni’s response was basically: that is fine, because Starkiller is deeply tied to the dark side, and the Son is the dark side. So if they sound alike, that actually tracks. It is one of those explanations that sounds slightly insane for three seconds and then starts making annoying amounts of sense. A very Star Wars problem with a very Star Wars solution Witwer told StarWars.com that when he first played the Son in The Clone Wars, he did not arrive with a strong take on the character and started to worry he was slipping…
Claudia Gray Wants a KOTOR Novel — and Honestly, Lucasfilm Should Let Her Cook
There are good Star Wars book ideas, and then there are the ones that feel so obvious it is almost rude they do not exist yet. Claudia Gray writing a Knights of the Old Republic novel is firmly in that second category. And now she has said it out loud. Speaking at MegaCon 2026, Gray said she wants to write KOTOR books and joked that if a Mission and Zaalbar backstory novel happens without her, “there will be blood.” That is the sort of quote that immediately lights up the ancient Jedi temple in the brains of old-school Star Wars readers. Not just because KOTOR still has a huge fan following, but because Gray is not some random person tossing out wishlist ideas from the cheap seats. On the official StarWars.com author page, she is listed as the writer of Bloodline, Lost Stars, Leia, Princess of Alderaan, and Master &…
Sam Witwer Says Maul: Shadow Lord Was Built for Newcomers — and Compares Maul to Jack Torrance
Sam Witwer has now said the quiet part out loud: Maul: Shadow Lord is not just a reward for longtime Clone Wars diehards. In a new YouTube interview, Witwer said the series was shaped so even people with little or no Star Wars background can jump in and understand it, which is a pretty revealing statement about what Lucasfilm seems to want this show to do. That matters because Maul has never exactly been a beginner-friendly character. His timeline is messy, his rage is old, and half his best material is spread across movies, animation, and a surprise live-action cameo. But Witwer said Shadow Lord was constructed “with an eye toward” new viewers, with the story designed to explain itself rather than demand homework first. That lines up with the official setup for the series, which places Maul on Janix in the early Imperial era as he tries to rebuild…
What Carrie Fisher Revealed About Her Affair With Harrison Ford in The Princess Diarist
Few behind-the-scenes Star Wars stories have lingered quite like the Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford affair. Part of that is obvious: it involves two of the most iconic faces in the franchise, and it stayed out of public view for decades. But the reason people still search terms like “Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford affair” or “did Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford have an affair” is not just gossip. It is because Fisher eventually told the story herself, in her 2016 memoir The Princess Diarist, using journals she kept during the making of the first Star Wars. The book was published by Blue Rider Press in November 2016 and is explicitly framed around her younger self’s diaries from that period. Yes, Carrie Fisher said the affair happened The short version is yes: Carrie Fisher said she and Harrison Ford had a three-month affair during the filming of the original Star…
Timothy Zahn Thinks Thrawn Would’ve Won Star Wars at Yavin in About 30 Seconds
A single TIE fighter, one better question, and the Rebel victory might never have happened Timothy Zahn has a brutally simple answer to one of Star Wars’ oldest “what if” debates: if Grand Admiral Thrawn had been in charge of the Death Star at Yavin, the Empire probably would have won. Speaking during a MegaCon 2026 panel, Zahn said the key difference is not just that Thrawn is smart. It is that he listens. According to Zahn, where Tarkin dismissed the threat during the Rebel trench run, Thrawn would have asked for specifics — and then acted on them. His example was almost hilariously efficient: park a TIE fighter on the exhaust port, and that famous last-minute shot never happens. Why Zahn’s quote works so well What makes the quote land is how little it needs to rewrite. This is not one of those fan theories that requires ten alternate…
Jeremy Allen White Says Finding Rotta the Hutt’s Voice Was Freer Than Playing Bruce Springsteen
Jeremy Allen White has now given one of the better descriptions yet of what makes The Mandalorian and Grogu such a strange swing. Speaking in Empire-backed coverage surfaced this month, White said playing Rotta the Hutt gave him “a bit more freedom” than playing Bruce Springsteen, because Springsteen’s voice is so instantly recognizable. Rotta, by contrast, gave him more room to experiment — including, in his words, the fact that “my speaking voice changes [as Rotta].” That is a weird comparison on paper, but it actually tells you a lot about what kind of performance this is. Rotta Is Clearly Not Being Played as a Joke That matters because White is not just voicing some throwaway CGI creature. Lucasfilm has already confirmed that he plays Rotta the Hutt in The Mandalorian and Grogu, the upcoming theatrical Star Wars film opening May 22, 2026. Official material has also made it clear…
Phil Lord’s New Solo Comment Suggests Han Was Meant to Be More Than a One-Off
A throwaway line from Phil Lord may have just reopened one of the strangest “what if” questions in modern Star Wars. During a recent Happy Sad Confused interview with Josh Horowitz, Lord said one benefit of not being “on the hook for making like three Han Solo sequels” was that he and Chris Miller could go make original franchise material instead. It was not framed like a big reveal, but it landed like one. Because if you take that line at face value, Lucasfilm’s plan for Solo may once have stretched well beyond a single movie. That Is a Bigger Han Solo Plan Than Fans Ever Officially Heard About The key detail here is the wording. Lord did not say “maybe there could have been more.” He said “three Han Solo sequels,” which strongly suggests there was at least some version of a longer-term roadmap in the air when he…
Maul: Shadow Lord Is Taking Inspiration From Heat — and That Might Be the Best News Yet
If Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord needed one more reason to look dangerous in the best possible way, here it is: writer and co-developer Matt Michnovetz says Heat was a key influence on the series.In a new interview, Michnovetz called the Michael Mann crime classic “a good touchstone for Maul,” framing the show around a noir-ish underworld atmosphere instead of a cleaner, more traditional Jedi-vs-Sith setup. If you want the broader picture around the series, release rollout, and earlier reveals, check out our Maul: Shadow Lord complete guide. This Is Exactly the Kind of Comparison Maul Should Be Getting Honestly, this makes a ton of sense. If you are building a show around Maul in the early Empire era, the obvious temptation would be to go full revenge opera and just let him glare at people in dark corridors for 10 episodes. That might still be fun, but it…
BB-8 Puppeteer Says Sequel Backlash Is Repeating Prequel History
Brian Herring, the puppeteer and performer behind BB-8 in the sequel trilogy, thinks Star Wars fans have seen this cycle before. In a new interview with Gamereactor, Herring argued that the sequel trilogy is “no more polarising” than the prequels were when they first landed, suggesting today’s online backlash says as much about generational turnover as it does about the films themselves. Herring has long been closely tied to modern Star Wars on screen, with StarWars.com previously spotlighting his work bringing BB-8 to life. The Internet Changed the Volume, Not the Pattern Herring’s basic argument is pretty sharp: people angry about the sequels are often too young to remember how intensely fans pushed back against the prequels when those films arrived. His point is not that everyone has to like Episodes VII-IX. It is that the reaction pattern feels familiar, only louder now because every debate gets amplified online. In…
Ryan Gosling Says One Star Wars: Starfighter Scene Was “One of the Most Fun” He’s Ever Done
Star Wars: Starfighter is still keeping most of its secrets locked down, but Ryan Gosling just gave away a very telling little detail about the movie’s creature work. Speaking in a recent interview, Gosling said he visited the creature shop early during production so he could see what was being built and figure out ways to interact with those creations in the film. According to him, he ended up spotting one “very special” creature that had originally been meant as a background character, asked if he could have a scene with it, and that moment turned into “one of the most fun scenes” he has ever done. He also said the team later gave him a model of the creature as his wrap gift, and that it is now sitting in his house. A Small Quote That Says a Lot That is not a plot reveal, but it is exactly…
John Boyega Says He’s Had Talks With Dave Filoni About Returning as Finn
John Boyega has just given Star Wars fans a small but very real reason to start paying attention to Finn again. During an appearance at MegaCon Orlando, an audience member reportedly shouted, “Get Dave on the phone,” referring to new Lucasfilm President and Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni. Boyega’s answer was simple: “I actually have, actually.” Multiple entertainment outlets have since picked up the moment as confirmation that he has at least spoken with Filoni about a possible Star Wars return. A Small Quote With Big Finn Energy This is not a casting announcement. It is not Lucasfilm confirming a new movie, series, or Finn-led project. But it is still notable. Boyega has had a complicated relationship with Star Wars in the years since the sequel trilogy, openly discussing disappointment with how Finn’s arc was handled. That is why this quote lands harder than a throwaway convention soundbite normally would….
Hayden Christensen Says His Daughter Still Hasn’t Watched His Star Wars Movies
Hayden Christensen says his daughter still has not really watched his Star Wars movies, and the reason is honestly kind of perfect. Speaking at GalaxyCon, Christensen said she knows he plays “a significant character,” but has still not properly seen the films. According to him, the issue seems to be pretty simple: she knows he becomes Darth Vader, she knows Darth Vader is a bad guy, and she does not want to watch her dad as the villain. A Very Star Wars Parenting Problem It is one of those stories that only really works in Star Wars. For most actors, telling your kid you played an important movie character probably sounds pretty straightforward. For Hayden Christensen, it apparently comes with the added complication that the character eventually becomes one of the most famous villains in film history. That makes this less about franchise legacy and more about a kid understandably…
Kelly Marie Tran Reflects on The Last Jedi Backlash Nearly 10 Years Later
Nearly a decade after Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Kelly Marie Tran is reflecting on the backlash she faced after joining the sequel trilogy — and the biggest change now is how she sees it. Speaking recently about that period, Tran said the hardest part at the time was believing the abuse meant she did not belong. Looking back now, she says the thing she did not understand then was simple: it was not her fault. She also said that after ten years of therapy, support groups, and personal work, she believes she would experience it very differently now. A Star Wars Wound That Never Really Left the Conversation Tran joined The Last Jedi in 2017 as Rose Tico, becoming the first Asian American woman in a leading role in a Star Wars film. In the aftermath, she became the target of racist and sexist harassment online, a response that…
Ryan Gosling Says Star Wars: Starfighter Will Use Practical Puppets
Ryan Gosling has confirmed that Star Wars: Starfighter will feature practical puppets, dropping one of the most reassuringly Star Wars details fans could have hoped to hear this early in the film’s rollout. The comment came during press for Project Hail Mary, when Gosling was asked whether the upcoming Lucasfilm movie would include practical puppets. His answer was brief, slightly cautious, and very on-brand: “Yes… I think I can say that.” That may sound like a tiny production note, but in Star Wars terms, it is not. Puppets, animatronics, suits, and tactile creature work are part of the series’ visual DNA, from the Mos Eisley cantina to Yoda, Jabba, the porgs, Neel in Skeleton Crew, and just about every weird little alien that makes the galaxy feel lived-in. Star Wars has a long history of blending practical creature effects with digital work, and Lucasfilm has continued highlighting that mix in…
Star Wars: Dark Forces Trilogy Author William C. Dietz Has Died
William C. Dietz, the science fiction author best known in Star Wars circles for writing the Dark Forces novella trilogy, has died at the age of 80. A memorial published this week states that Dietz passed away on March 15, 2026. For a lot of Star Wars readers, Dietz was not just another tie-in writer. He was the author who helped give Kyle Katarn a life on the page through Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire, Dark Forces: Rebel Agent, and Dark Forces: Jedi Knight—three books that adapted and expanded the story of one of the most beloved Legends-era characters. Wookieepedia’s record of his Star Wars bibliography lists those three Dark Forces books as his core contributions to the franchise. A Name Star Wars Readers Remember Dietz built a much bigger career beyond Star Wars. His official biography says he published more than sixty novels, with work translated into multiple…
Mark Hamill Is Heading to FAN EXPO Anaheim for a Rare Live Appearance
Mark Hamill is officially heading to FAN EXPO Anaheim: Special Edition, giving Star Wars fans a rare chance to see Luke Skywalker himself at one of the summer’s biggest convention events. FAN EXPO’s official site confirms Hamill as a featured guest for the June 26–28 show at the Anaheim Convention Center. This Is Being Framed as a Rare Appearance That word matters here. FAN EXPO is explicitly calling this a rare appearance, and Official Pix has also promoted it that way in its announcement. For longtime Star Wars fans, that immediately makes this more than just another convention guest update. Mark Hamill Live Is Part of the Event There is also a dedicated Mark Hamill Live special event scheduled for Friday, June 26. FAN EXPO’s official event page lists multiple ticket tiers for that session, including Gold Ticket ($99.99), Silver Ticket ($29.99), and General Admission (free), while noting that general…
J.J. Abrams Says He Wishes General Hux Had a Bigger Role in the Sequel Trilogy
General Hux may be one of the sequel trilogy’s clearest missed opportunities. That conversation is back after J.J. Abrams praised Domhnall Gleeson at the Oscar Wilde Awards and said, “I wish he had a larger role in what we did.” Abrams presented Gleeson at the 20th Oscar Wilde Awards in Hollywood this week. A Quote Star Wars Fans Will Immediately Understand It is a small quote, but it says a lot. Hux was introduced in The Force Awakens as a major First Order figure, with clear tension opposite Kylo Ren and enough presence to feel like a long-term villain. But by the time The Rise of Skywalker arrived, the character’s arc had narrowed sharply. Why Hux Still Gets Talked About Part of the reason fans still bring up Hux is simple: the setup was stronger than the payoff. Back in 2020, Domhnall Gleeson said he wished General Hux had “stuck…
Mercedes Varnado Says Koska Reeves Wasn’t Originally in The Mandalorian Script
Some Star Wars characters arrive with years of canon behind them. Koska Reeves did not. According to a recently resurfaced behind-the-scenes comment from Mercedes Varnado, her The Mandalorian character was not originally in the script. She said Jon Favreau did not initially have a role for her, but later found a way to create one. Koska Reeves Was Created for the Series That detail makes Koska Reeves more interesting than ever, because she was not pulled from older Star Wars canon. When she debuted in Chapter 11, “The Heiress,” she was introduced as a brand-new Mandalorian character made for The Mandalorian, not an existing figure from The Clone Wars or Rebels. Why the Character Worked So Well What makes this reveal stand out is how natural Koska felt on screen. She showed up as part of Bo-Katan’s crew and immediately looked like she belonged in that world. There was no…
Matthew Willig Says He’s in The Mandalorian and Grogu, and That Is a Fun Little Casting Update for Mando Fans
Sometimes a Star Wars casting update does not arrive with a glossy Lucasfilm press release or a dramatic trade headline. Sometimes it just shows up because the actor is understandably excited and decides to say, more or less, “yeah, I’m in the movie.” That is basically what happened with Matthew Willig, who posted that he will be making an appearance in The Mandalorian and Grogu and thanked Lucasfilm for helping him fulfill “a kid’s dream.” This Looks Like More Than a Rumor at This Point The reason this one feels solid is that it is not just floating around as recycled fan chatter. Willig said it himself on social media, and Jedi News followed that up with a report tied to his upcoming Rebel Scum Con III appearance, stating that he is playing an as-yet unnamed Iktotchi character in the film. That takes this from “internet speculation” to something a…
The Clone Wars Cast Is Heading to MCM London 2026, and Honestly, That Is a Pretty Great Excuse to Be There
MCM London Comic Con has landed a genuinely strong Star Wars animation lineup for its May 2026 show, with a full group of The Clone Wars voice actors now confirmed for the weekend. The event will run from Friday, May 22 through Sunday, May 24 at ExCeL London, and all three days will feature Matt Lanter, James Arnold Taylor, Nika Futterman, Catherine Taber, Dee Bradley Baker, and Ashley Eckstein. That is not just one nice guest announcement. That is basically MCM looking at Clone Wars fans and saying, “Yeah, this one’s for you.” This Is a Proper Clone Wars Reunion, Not Just a Random Guest Add-On That lineup covers a lot of the core emotional wiring of The Clone Wars. You have Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker, James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano, Dee Bradley Baker as the clone army and Captain Rex, Nika Futterman…
Ryan Gosling Says Star Wars: Starfighter Has Its Own Great Story — and That Is Exactly What Fans Need to Hear
There is a very specific kind of Star Wars quote that instantly makes people nervous. It usually sounds like someone involved in a new project saying, “Trust us, it’s special,” which is Hollywood code for “we are not telling you anything useful yet.” Ryan Gosling’s new comments about Star Wars: Starfighter land a little better than that, mostly because they hit the exact concern a lot of fans already have. Speaking to Collider, Gosling said the film has “such a great story on its own,” that the characters are amazing, and that Shawn Levy has the tone locked in. That may not be a plot reveal, but it is a smart reassurance for a movie that really does need to prove it can stand on its own two feet. The “On Its Own” Part Is the Real Headline That is the phrase that matters most here. Not just that Gosling…