In this edition of The Audette Set, Mike looks ahead to all that’s coming to Star Wars in 2016!
By Mike Audette // 2015 brought us so much new Star Wars. The Force Awakens was a culmination of a long awaited journey that many of us could not have imagined that was possible. The baton has been passed in universe and in our world as well. What is coming up in 2016 that will continue on what The Force Awakens and so many other stories have sown? Let’s take a look…
Right out of the gate in the new year we have the physical release of the The Force Awakens novelization and a brand new comic series from Marvel called Obi-Wan & Anakin. The novelization of the movie had a online release that coincided with the release of the film and a lot of people have already read it. I very much prefer the physical aspect of reading, so I’m very much looking forward to digging into it. The novelization fills in a lot of the gaps in the movie and gives us such a clear window into the minds of the characters to see what exactly they we’re thinking during the events of the film. Announced last fall at NYCC the new Obi-Wan & Anakin miniseries is a story set sometime after Episode I and features Obi-Wan and Anakin stranded on an alien planet. Written by Charles Soule coming off rave reviews of his Lando miniseries and with artwork done by Marco Checchetto from the outstanding Shattered Empire miniseries, the promise of this series is sure to entertain. You can be sure that RetroZap writer Dennis Keithly will reviewing this title as it progresses.
In other publishing and comic related happenings, this July we have the anticipated continuation of the Aftermath trilogy from the brilliant, Chuck Wendig. Aftermath II: Life Debt looks like it will heavily feature on Han Solo and Chewbacca based off of the Interlude in which Han and Chewie get a call about the Wookiee home planet Kashyyyk. No doubt we will see the return of the characters introduced in the first Aftermath which I’m definitely looking forward too. Love me some Mr. Bones. Also coming in May from DelRey is New Republic: Bloodline, a story set six years before the events of The Force Awakens, from Lost Stars author Claudia Gray. While not much is known about the plot of this new novel, it should give us a much clearer picture of the politics in the Galaxy heading into The Force Awakens. For more from Marvel on the comic front we have the end of the fan-favorite Kanan series and much more from the ongoing Star Wars and Darth Vader series. This leaves me wondering if we will be getting any new ongoing series this year, probably something with a focus on the Sequel Trilogy maybe? I guess we will have to wait until that announcement comes at some sort of event, or convention, or a Celebration(more on that later)?
This year will bring the end of Season Two of Rebels along with the beginning of Season Three. So far we’ve seen the return of Ahsoka and Rex, the truth about Ezra’s parents, and some more backstory into Hera and Sabine. The rest of season two promises more character backstory, specifically about Sabine and what happened to Mandalore following the conclusion of the Clone Wars. Knowing Dave Filoni and crew, we should have some bombshells dropped on us in the near future. And what about Ahsoka and Darth Vader? One has to wonder if that confrontation is on the looming horizon. There’s really not much we can gleam out of season three as of yet since the season two ending is still months away but I am still holding out hope that we see more of the greater Rebellion that we see in A New Hope. A man can dream, right?
Remember when I said there would be more on something later? Here we are! Star Wars Celebration is returning this year and it is happening across the Pond in jolly ole London-town in July. What sort of surprises do we have in store this time around? I bet we will get some new novels and comics announced, probably a Rebels Season Three trailer and maybe Episode screening, and a Rogue One trailer (if we haven’t gotten one already) and certainly new details about the film itself. Rogue One will most likely be in post-production at that point and Episode VIII will be filming so I’d put more money on getting any appearances from actors, they would be from Rogue One. What about getting the title reveal for Episode VIII? I would not rule that out as a possibility. And obviously we will be getting the announcement of the time and location of the next US-based Celebration coming in 2017, which I am very much looking forward too. Star Wars Celebration really is a magically wonderful event that I hope everyone gets to experience at some point in their lives.
Pretty much all that’s left now is Rogue One. What on earth is this going to be like? The first of our line of’ “a Star Wars stories” and it’s about the band of Rebels that steals the plans to the first Death Star. Featuring a diverse cast and impressive team behind the scenes and in the directors chair the sights are pretty much limitless. Will the marketing push be the same as it was for The Force Awakens? One can surmise that it wont be quite as big, but it will certainly still be big considering its still a Star Wars film. Will we see Tarkin and Vader as we’ve speculated on? Will there be a cameo from Princess Leia? It’s certainly going to be something that we’ve never seen the likes of before in Star Wars and I’m very excited to see what it will bring to the table!
2016 looks like another banner year for Star Wars. The future is extraordinarily bright. It’s time to put our shades on.