The latest entry in the Star Wars saga finds itself placed at an interesting point in the franchise’s timeline.
Fans are already excited about the setting for the new series and what it could mean. The eight-episode show finally begins streaming on Disney+ from December 3.
While the two-episode premiere was brought forward, fans will still have a short wait to binge the whole thing. This is because the rest of the series will be released weekly across Christmas and into the New Year.
However, the showrunners have already shared some insight into what fans can expect. So where does Skeleton Crew sit on the Star Wars timeline? What does this mean for the state of the universe and possible characters that could feature? Here’s what you need to know.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew follows four kids as they make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, only to end up lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. To find their way home, they’ll have to cross paths with new allies and enemies on a greater adventure than they could have imagined.
The show takes place a few years after the last entry of the original trilogy, Return of the Jedi, in what is dubbed as the New Republic era. That means that the galaxy is in disarray after the Empire’s defeat by the rebels but it is quite some time before the latest sequels.
It also means that the show is happening around the same time frame as three other Star Wars shows. These are The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka.
The amended timeline of Star Wars films and series in chronological order, looks something like this.
- The Acolyte (live-action series)
- Episode I: The Phantom Menace
- Episode II: Attack of the Clones
- Clone Wars (movie)
- Clone Wars (animated series)
- Tales of the Jedi (animated shorts)
- Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
- Tales of the Empire (animated shorts)
- The Bad Batch (animated series)
- Solo
- Obi-Wan Kenobi (live -action series)
- Andor (live-action series)
- Rebels (animated series)
- Rogue One
- Episode IV: A New Hope
- Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
- Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
- The Mandalorian (live-action series)
- The Book of Boba Fett (live-action series)
- Ahsoka (live-action series)
- Skeleton Crew (live-action series)
- Resistance (animated series)
- Episode VII: The Force Awakens
- Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
- Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Co-show runner Jon Watts, who is also known for directing the most recent Spider-Man movies for Marvel, has revealed why they have chosen the time after the original trilogy for the show. However, along with fellow writer Christopher Ford, they have revealed that the exact dates are yet to be confirmed.
Speaking to TechRadar, Watts said: “First of all, we picked that era because it’s the best time for kids to get lost in the galaxy because it’s also the worst time for kids to get lost in the galaxy. There’s not anyone in place who can swoop in and help them.
“But we kept it a little bit flexible because we’re tied to the kids’ ages. So, as we look towards the future, we’re still figuring out where it fits on the exact timeline.”
Ford added: “Yeah, it’s like we’ve thrown a dart but it’s not quite landed on the board yet. So yeah, there’ll be an answer one day and it’ll be an exact date.”
Being set during this time means all our heroes from the ending of Return of the Jedi are still around. This includes Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.
Pedro Pascal’s Mandalorian along with Grogu could also be around at the same time as the Skeleton Crew’s adventures. Fans will have to wait and see if a similar crossover as featured in the Boba Fett series is possible.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is streaming on Disney+ from December 3.