The Future of the Star Wars Franchise. Where is it going from here

THE NEW ERA: FILONI AT THE HELM

In January 2026, Dave Filoni was promoted to President and Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm Rotten Tomatoes, alongside co-president Lynwen Brennan, officially taking over from Kathleen Kennedy. This marks a fundamental shift toward someone who was personally mentored by George Lucas and is viewed as the "torchbearer" for Lucas's original vision.

THE THEATRICAL ROADMAP (2026-2029)

2026:

• The Mandalorian & Grogu (May 22) - Your first theatrical Star Wars film since 2019, essentially serving as a big-budget continuation of Mando's story

2027:

• Star Wars: Starfighter (May 28) - Directed by Shawn Levy, starring Ryan Gosling, set post-Rise of Skywalker

Building Toward the Thrawn Saga: You're absolutely right that Filoni and Favreau are using the gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens to tell a canon adaptation of the famous Legends Thrawn trilogy Variety, creating an in-continuity "second sequel trilogy" that keeps the Disney sequel trilogy in canon while giving fans a version of those beloved stories.

However, there's no official confirmation of a three-movie "Thrawn Wars Trilogy" spanning 2027-2032. What IS confirmed:

• Dave Filoni is working on a MandoVerse crossover film featuring Grand Admiral Thrawn as the main antagonist StarWars.com, which would tie together The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Book of Boba Fett, and Skeleton Crew storylines
• According to insider DanielRPK, Filoni is gearing up to begin filming his Star Wars movie in 2026, potentially releasing in 2028 Wikipedia

So you'll likely get ONE major Thrawn crossover event film, not a trilogy—though that could change as Filoni's plans develop.

DISNEY+ SERIES

2026:

• Ahsoka Season 2 (late summer/early fall) - Continuing the Thrawn storyline
• Maul: Shadow Lord (animated) - Set around Clone Wars era before Maul's final confrontation with Obi-Wan

OTHER CONFIRMED FILMS IN DEVELOPMENT:

• Rey's New Jedi Order - Taking place 15 years after Rise of Skywalker
• Dawn of the Jedi - James Mangold's film set 25,000 years before the Skywalker Saga
• Lando - Feature film with Donald Glover
• Simon Kinberg Trilogy - A new saga (unclear if Episodes 10-12 or separate story)

VIDEO GAME LANDSCAPE (2026-2029)

Confirmed titles:

• Star Wars: Zero Company (2026) - Turn-based tactics game, Clone Wars setting
• Star Wars: Galactic Racer (2026) - New racing game
• Star Wars Jedi 3 (likely 2027) - Final chapter of Cal Kestis's story
• Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic - New RPG from KOTOR director Casey Hudson (NOT the KOTOR remake, but a spiritual successor)
• Knights of the Old Republic Remake - Still in development at Saber Interactive, timeline uncertain
• Star Wars: Eclipse - High Republic era game from Quantic Dream (possibly 2027-2030)

THE BOTTOM LINE

Filoni is building toward an interconnected "MandoVerse" that culminates in a major Thrawn event—essentially giving fans the Thrawn story they've wanted for decades while keeping everything in canon. The era you're describing (8-10 more years in the galaxy) is more accurately spread across multiple different projects at different timelines rather than one cohesive "Episodes 10-12" trilogy focused solely on Thrawn.

2026 is indeed shaping up to be a massive year for Star Wars with theatrical films returning, Ahsoka Season 2, animated content, and multiple game releases creating real momentum for the franchise under Filoni's leadership.