‘Star Wars’: Will Luke Skywalker Ever Get His Own Disney+ Show?
Luke Skywalker’s appearance on The Mandalorian was a big hit with Star Wars fans. But as happy as they were with the result, many have questioned whether it will lead to something more.
With Disney expanding the amount of Star Wars material it produces, anything is certainly possible. So will Luke Skywalker ever get his own Disney+ show?
Luke Skywalker’s arc in the Star Wars films
Luke is the hero of the original Star Wars trilogy. In A New Hope, Obi Wan Kenobi trains him to become a Jedi and takes him off the desert wasteland of Tatooine to rescue Princess Leia alongside Han Solo. He eventually learns that the evil Darth Vader is actually his father, Anakin Skywalker.
In Return of the Jedi, he redeems his father, proving there was still good in him. While this is happening, his friends are able to destroy the second Death Star, defeating the Empire once and for all.
In the sequel trilogy, Luke plays the role of a failed mentor. When Rey finds him on the distant planet Ahch-To, he has shut himself off from the Force. In a moment of weakness, he nearly struck down his nephew, Ben Solo. Ben saw this and it hastened his turn to the dark side, where he became Kylo Ren. Luke trains Rey and ends up confronting Kylo.
He sends a Force projection of himself to Crait to give the Resistance fighters enough time to escape the First Order.
Luke’s path is one of heroism and redemption. Though many fans took issue with The Last Jedi, it’s clear that Luke had a clearly defined and well-executed narrative arc throughout both trilogies.
Luke Skywalker’s role on ‘The Mandalorian’
The Mandalorian takes place five years after the events of Return of the Jedi. It follows Mandalorian Din Djarin as he escorts a young Jedi named Grogu across the galaxy. In season two, he attempts to find a Jedi to train Grogu. He first comes across Ahsoka Tano, who tells him to take him to a Jedi temple to attempt to connect with a Jedi. Grogu is then kidnapped by Imperial forces led by Moff Gideon.
When Din and his team stage a rescue mission, they’re trapped against an army of Dark Troopers ready to destroy them. As they prepare to face down this army, a lone X-Wing fighter shows up. The pilot of the X-Wing is none other than Luke, who mows down the Dark Troopers, rescuing Grogu.
Will Luke Skywalker ever get his own Disney+ show?
Star Wars fans took to Reddit to discuss Luke potentially receiving his own Disney+ series. The discussion was mostly speculation, as no series starring Luke is currently rumored to be in development. One fan said it would take away from Luke’s established arc:
“I think getting too deep into Skywalker’s journey between ROTJ and TFA would only serve to weaken his and the ST/saga’s story tbh. By the events of TFA, he’s seen as a legend, god-like even. Then the rug is pulled out from under us. The impact of that reveal will be completely diminished if we see that fall played out in slow motion.”
What else needs to be said about Luke that hasn’t already been established in the movies? If there are other stories to be told, media like comic books and novels exist. Having a TV show centered on Luke would involve either much more CGI than was required for one episode of The Mandalorian or recasting. Over the course of a series, either of those would likely draw criticism at some point.
More than likely, Luke’s appearance on The Mandalorian will remain a pleasant, momentary surprise without additional follow-up. At most, you may see him pop up for another cameo in season three.
