Just when you thought you couldn’t get any more excited about Star Wars, a great, big bombshell landed at Disney’s Investors Day that changed everything. With Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins being announced as the director of an upcoming film centered around the Rogue Squadron, the ensuing weeks have seen tons of speculation. One of the biggest questions happens to be a natural fit in the current era of the franchise, as fans are wondering just when in the Star Wars timeline Ms. Jenkins’ movie could take place.
There are a lot of options, and even some minor background, as to when it looks like Star Wars: Rogue Squadron will take place already out in the world. With all of that floating around in the air, and the story for the film already pretty far along in the development process, we can begin to piece together what the scenarios in play might entail. So, let’s take a look at where this next chapter in the extended Star Wars universe might take us; starting with the information we have on just what’s going into this project.
What Do We Know About Star Wars: Rogue Squadron’s Story
During the Disney Investor’s Day presentation that put Star Wars: Rogue Squadron on the map, executive producer Kathleen Kennedy was on hand to explain the next steps in the landmark franchise’s game plan. Now more than ever, the future of Star Wars is in question, with The Mandalorian making some pretty huge connections to the main line franchise in its second season. In her initial pitch pertaining to Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, Kennedy talked the project up with the following details:
This story will introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots, as they earn their wings, and risk their lives in a boundary pushing, high speed thrill ride. The legend of Rogue Squadron has been long beloved by Star Wars fans, and will move us into a future era of the galaxy.
There are two specific conditions mentioned in Kathleen Kennedy’s outlining of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron that should be highlighted. With “a new generation” and “a future era” both being outlined clear as day, there seems to be a pretty defined path for where the adventures of Rogue Squadron could be heading. However, those terms are pretty malleable, and the perfect amount of vague to keep the public in the dark about this new adventure. Let’s discuss all of the possibilities on hand, starting with the earliest point on the Star Wars timeline that Rogue Squadron could take place.
Before A New Hope
After the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the legendary origin of the squadron’s iconic naming landed in the Star Wars history books rather effectively. With a couple of squadron members who would be showcased in A New Hope already present, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron could see itself further laying down the groundwork for the squad we’d come to know and love through various tie-in projects that told tales of their exploits. Of course, this is one of several possible scenarios that bank on that remark about a “future era” pertaining to the film franchise, and not the actual period in which Rogue Squadron takes place.
Between A New Hope And Return Of The Jedi
Another possibility that takes the past of Star Wars and uses is it as the future is that of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron becoming a new project that chronicles the squadron’s development throughout the original trilogy era. This particular option feels rather unlikely, as anyone who focused on this span of time would obviously want to chronicle the progression of Wedge Antilles’s career throughout those years. That counts out the “future era” claim, as well as the “new generation,” as we might just see a lot of other familiar faces popping up. Although, this time period could introduce us to some other pilots that we’ve never met yet, with Wedge as a central character that helps explore this new and adventurous Patty Jenkins story.
Between Return Of The Jedi And The Mandalorian
With the recent video game Star Wars: Squadrons, we’ve seen another story of fighter pilots waging war in the name of their respective causes make Star Wars history. That story’s post Return of the Jedi time frame could make for an interesting gap to pull inspiration from, and might even be able to tie into the events of The Mandalorian. With the Season 2 sighting of Trapper Wolf (Dave Filoni) and Captain Carson Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) reminding us that even the New Republic needs crack fighter pilots, the characters introduced in the Disney+ series form a great potential basis for the next stage in Rogue Squadron’s history.
Between The Mandalorian And The Force Awakens
Our new pilot friends from The Mandalorian might serve another purpose, though, as there’s a possibility that Star Wars: Rogue Squadron could be another new project that explores the gap between The Mandalorian and the eventual rise of the First Order. Telling the stories that happen between Mando’s quest with The Child and our introduction to Daisy Ridley’s Rey, the New Republic’s finest starfighters would combat the remaining Imperial forces that will eventually become Kylo Ren and General Hux’s first lines of defense. Which could lead to another era of Star Wars storytelling opening up.
Between The Force Awakens And The Rise Of Skywalker
As we saw Denis Lawson’s Wedge Antilles make a surprise return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, one of Rogue Squadron’s historic aces didn’t offer a lot of background to explain how or why he rejoined the fray of combat. While technically a future era of storytelling, particularly when you consider it’s the story of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron that’s advancing, the Patty Jenkins project could be a good place to reintroduce Wedge properly throughout the sequel trilogy’s events. The endgame of this particular scenario would see a new slate of post-war pilots carry the banner, giving the Rogue Squadron legacy its new beginning.
After The Rise Of Skywalker
Much as Star Wars: The Force Awakens used the tactic of reintroducing the franchise through some familiar story beats, the future of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron could be doing the same exact thing in its own story. It may finally give the world a post-war cleanup story, but without being saddled with a preset timeline to work within. This option is, most likely, the time period we’ll see Rogue Squadron working in. An open road of excitement would put the starfighters of the legendary flying force of the New Republic against those who remain after the Battle of Exegol that closed Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker; leaving our heroes to match wits with an ever desperate enemy that officially has nothing to lose.
This is, naturally, pure speculation, and in the coming run up to Star Wars: Rogue Squadron’s eventual production, we’ll see more of the particulars revealed in due time. But, for now, the multiple possibilities keep things interesting, as the uncertainty will inspire fans to have their say, which could, ultimately, influence the finished product. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron hits theaters on December 25, 2023, so be sure to stick around with us here at CinemaBlend to get breaking news as it develops.
