'The Mandalorian' On Disney+ Will Reveal The Origins of 'Star Wars' First Order

When Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arrives in December of 2019, it will mark the end of a 40+ year three trilogy cycle story covering generations of the Skywalker clan. The next film won't be for another two years, in December of 2022. But fans of the franchise won't be left in the lurch. Lucasfilm has several live-action Star Wars TV series in the works as part of the new Disney+ streaming service. The first one out of the gate, The Mandalorian on Disney+ promises to fill in parts of the story the movies skipped over.

The Mandalorian is not the only series that will be set between the gaps between each set of movies. For instance, the forthcoming Obi-Wan series starring Ewan McGregor will be set during the period between the prequels' Age of Republic and the original trilogy's Age of Rebellion. The untitled Cassian Andor series will also be set during that transition period, but closer to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

But The Mandalorian is different. Unlike the other Star Wars live-action series it will be set after the Age of Rebellion, at the beginning of the long gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. In doing so, it will explore how the galaxy went from overthrowing the Empire to eventually being dominated by the First Order.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Mandalorian director Dave Filoni said that the show would explore the origins of Snoke, and how the First Order slowly came to power during a turbulent time.

This doesn’t turn into a good guy universe because you blew up two Death Stars. You get that the Rebels won and they’re trying to establish a Republic, but there’s no way that could have set in for everybody all at once. You have in a Western where you’re out on the frontier and there might be Washington and they might have some marshals, but sometimes good luck finding one.

Showrunner Jon Favreau added that clearly, those in charge were not very good at managing things in the post-Jedi political landscape.

[W]hat could happen in the 30 years between celebrating the defeat of the Empire and then the First Order? You come in on Episode VII, [the First Order are] not just starting out. They’re pretty far along. So somehow, things weren’t necessarily managed as well as they could have been if [the galaxy] ended up in hot water again like that.

As fans of the Star Wars Expanded Universe know, a few of the novels that tie into the films have hinted at how the First Order rose up during the 30 years between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. According to Entertainment Weekly's report, the show plans to use some of that material, along with the movies and the Clone Wars TV series, to inform events.

The Mandalorian features Pedro Pascal in the title role, alongside Gina Carano, Giancarlo Esposito, Carl Weathers, Taika Waititi, and Ming-Na Wen. The ten-episode series premieres the same day Disney+ launches, on Nov. 12, 2019, and will follow a one-episode-a-week release schedule.