Jordan Iacobucci has been an avid reader and movie fan since childhood. Jordan is known among his friends as the Marvel and Star Wars nerd, and even wrote a thirty-page college dissertation about Spider-Man! He has been a staff writer at both Screen Rant and CBR, where he enjoys sharing his love for pop culture with the world.
The biggest stars in the Star Wars galaxy are returning for an all-new story set in the franchise's most underrated time period. Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and more are all confirmed to appear in a brand-new Star Wars comic that kicks off a brand-new era for the beloved sci-fi universe.
Lucasfilm recently announced a brand-new comic series, set to debut this April. Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge — Echoes of the Empire will follow fledgling Jedi Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, and Chewbacca as they embark on a mission to Batuu in search of a lost Jedi Holocron. The five-issue miniseries is written by Ethan Sacks and features art by Jethor Morales and Roi Mercado. Echoes of the Empire is set between the events of Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Fans can check out a sneak peek of Phil Noto's cover art for issue #1 here:
Image via LucasflimThis announcement coincides with Lucasfilm's announcement that the popular theme park, Galaxy's Edge, will officially be entering a new era beginning April 29. The theme park, which features lore and characters canon to the Star Wars universe, is typically set in the Sequel Era, but will step back in time to the Original Trilogy Era to feature fan-favorite characters like Darth Vader. Echoes of the Empire is intended to help clear up some of the mysteries behind this timeline shift.
Ethan Sacks is the man responsible for inventing much of the lore behind Galaxy's Edge when the park first opened in 2019, penning the original comic book tie-in series. Now, he returns to usher in a new era for the theme park with this new miniseries. As it stands, it is unclear whether the new timeline of Galaxy's Edge is a temporary change or not. Nevertheless, with fresh lore drops and a brand-new miniseries on the way, it seems as though Galaxy's Edge could find itself rooted in the Original Trilogy Era for a long time to come.
It's been a busy week in Star Wars news, with Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy confirming rumors that she is stepping down from her position after over a decade. She is replaced by Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Ahsoka creator Dan Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. It is unclear if the change at Galaxy's Edge is a part of the new creative team's plan for the future of the franchise, but given the timeline of events in Star Wars news this week, it wouldn't be surprising if Filoni and Brennan had a role in the shift ahead of their promotion.
Star Wars Needs to Fill in More of the Original Trilogy Timeline
Image via Marvel ComicsThe shift at Galaxy's Edge should be exciting for Star Wars fans. The Original Trilogy remains one of the most criminally underused eras of the franchise. Despite the continued popularity of George Lucas's original three films, there is very little additional Star Wars content to flesh out their events. Outside the comics, many of the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo between the events of each film are remarkably unexplored.
Galaxy's Edge is a great step in the right direction for fans hoping to see more of what took place between installments of the Original Trilogy. With a new leadership team in place at Lucasfilm, this could be an indication of the studio's dedication to fleshing this era out in greater depth in upcoming projects. This will become clearer in the upcoming months, when Filoni and Brennan announce what their official plans are for the future of Star Wars.
What fans really want to see more of, however, is what took place in the greater Star Wars galaxy immediately after the events of Return of the Jedi. This is a massive part of the expanded universe that was delegated as "Legends" after Disney acquired Lucasfilm. This leaves a major hole in the stories of Luke, Leia, and all the heroes of the Rebellion between the Original and Sequel Trilogies. Thirty years are mostly unaccounted for, leaving plenty of room for stories of their battle against the Imperial Remnant and the rise of the First Order.
The shift at Galaxy's Edge could be an indication of more stories in this time period in the near future, as Star Wars takes a dramatic shift in its storytelling. With a new creative team in place at Lucasfilm, Star Wars may take a step back from the Sequel Era to focus on a far more popular time period in the franchise's history.
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge — Echoes of the Empire #1 will be released in April.
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