Rogue Squadron’s Release Plan Is A Relief: Star Wars’ Future Needs It

The recent reports that Rogue Squadron is still slated for 2023 are comforting news for both the film and the Star Wars saga as a whole. Announced in 2020, Rogue Squadron was set to bring Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins to helm what would be the first Star Wars movie after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The production’s fate began to be uncertain when in 2021 reports emerged that Rogue Squadron had been put on hold. Disney’s calendar for its upcoming productions, however, reveals that the film is very much alive.

Many argue that Star Wars works better on television than it does in the movies, whether it be in animation such as Clone Wars and Rebels or live-action such as The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Even so, it can never be forgotten that Star Wars is one of the most important franchises in the history of cinema. Although at certain times the Star Wars brand has stayed away from movie-theaters, such as in the ten years between Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, both the financial potential and the cultural significance of Star Wars theatrical films remains high.

The fact that Rogue Squadron is still holding on to its December 2023 release date means that Lucasfilm is confident not only in the Patty Jenkins film but in the cinematic future of Star Wars. The underwhelming results of The Rise of Skywalker — at least when compared to the phenomenon that was The Force Awakens four years earlier — added to the success of the Disney+ Star Wars shows has placed a question mark over the cinematic future of Star Wars. Although other projects such as Taika Waititi’s or Kevin Feige’s films were also in development, Rogue Squadron was always the closest one to start filming. After being taken as canceled by many, it looks like Rogue Squadron will actually be the first post-Skywalker saga film to hit theaters. This commitment is good news for a franchise that, for all its success on the small screen, remains one of cinema’s most iconic and important series. Maintaining this status is vital, not just for Disney, but for Star Wars as a concept.

It’s very important to both Star Wars and the movie industry in general that Lucasfilm and Disney are moving forward with Rogue Squadron. The film will not only ensure that Star Wars continues to be a constant presence in movie theaters but will also offer a new look into the galaxy far, far away by dealing with themes outside Jedi or Sith business. After the end of the Skywalker Saga, a film that moves away from Force-related elements and offers a new dynamic to the franchise could be just what Star Wars needs to kick off a new era of stories and characters.

While things could still change, the fact that Disney is firm on a December 2023 release date for Rogue Squadron means that Star Wars‘ future is still bright. The success of Disney+ productions cannot cloud the fact that Star Wars also belongs to the big screen, and that theatrical releases will always be important to the saga. It remains to be seen whether the production of Rogue Squadron will continue to move forward and will be able to make it to its planned release date.

About The Author

Marcelo Leite
(190 Articles Published)

Marcelo Leite is a senior writer for Screen Rant with years of experience in creative and academic writing. Although his chosen field was structure engineering, there is nothing he likes better than writing about the things he loves.

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