Once upon a time, the on-screen Star Wars franchise was comprised of one trilogy. Then, it grew to the original trilogy and a prequel trilogy. Now, 40 years after A New Hope hit theaters, the Star Wars franchise is the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy, a new sequel, an anthology film, two expansive TV shows, and a web series. Of course, movies like The Force Awakens and Rogue One are going to cause more buzz, but Star Wars Forces of Destiny writer Jennifer Muro explained in a chat with CinemaBlend why the TV series are important as well, saying this:
It's such a huge world. There's so many stories to tell and you can tell them in so many different ways and in different mediums, so I think there's a market for it. I think fans want it. The movies are so big and so huge and take so long to make and they're so few and far between. It would be a shame to only have Star Wars every couple of years when we have so much other things to tell in between. So it's super important.
As much fun as the Star Wars movies are, there are huge gaps in time between releases, even now that we're getting anthology films like Rogue One and the Han Solo standalone. Thanks to projects like The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and now Forces of Destiny, we get some blanks left by the movies filled in on a more regular basis. Sure, there are limits in exploring certain eras due to the events of the Original Trilogy, but that hasn't stopped any of the shows so far from expanding on what little we actually knew of that galaxy far, far away. Now, Jennifer Muro is able to give us glimpses at many different eras in one web series with Forces of Destiny.
Star Wars: Forces of Destiny will be a series of animated shorts that provide closer looks at many of the greatest heroines of Star Wars franchise history. We'll see movie characters like Rey and Leia as well as TV characters like Ahsoka Tano and Hera Syndulla. While we won't get to see any grand lightsaber battles that change the course of the larger Star Wars universe, the shorts will be canon, and they've already revealed some important details about characters. For one thing, a short featuring Hera will confirm her fate as a character, even before Star Wars Rebels comes to an end. For another thing, the very first Forces of Destiny short answered a lingering question about Rey and BB-8 from The Force Awakens.
The second short was released today, and it once again stars Rey and BB-8 on a Jakku adventure during the timeline of The Force Awakens. Take a look!
"BB-8 Bandits" reveals that Rey and BB-8 weren't completely out of danger in the Jakku desert even after they escaped the nightwatcher worm. Luckily, that worm turned out to be useful this time around, as Rey was able to use its hunger for junk to chow down on Teedo's bike and stop him from chasing them. Who knew that we had a nightwatcher worm to thank for Rey and BB-8 making it to Niima Outpost together?
The Forces of Destiny fun has only just begun. There are still plenty of other characters who will turn up, and Daisy Ridley won't be the only actor reprising her role for the animated series. We'll be getting a brand new short starring Star Wars heroines every day this week on the Disney YouTube channel, leading up to a special on Disney Channel on July 9. Be sure to check back to catch the latest Star Wars action. Swing by our picks for Star Wars TV shows that should definitely rise up once Rebels has come to an end after Season 4. Our summer TV premiere schedule can guide you to your other viewing options in the coming weeks as well.
