Summary

• Star Wars disappointed fans at D23 with minimal new announcements, leaving many hungry for more exclusive updates.
• Despite two trailers and some minor details, most information shared was already known, leading to a sense of anticipation without reward.
• Lucasfilm likely held back major reveals for Star Wars Celebration 2025, aiming for a more secure and impactful presentation.

With Star Wars projects. At the last D23 in 2022, Star Wars publicly released three new trailers, confirmed three TV show release dates, and provided updates on two brand-new live-action TV shows. This year's D23 did not match that past energy.

Two trailers were released publicly this year, one of which was for a show that had already previously released a trailer (LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy) and another that had certainly been a long time in the making (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew), and only one new release date was revealed. Everything was exclusive to the present audience aside from the two trailers, including sizzle reels for The Mandalorian & Grogu movie. While Star Wars doesn't really owe us anything, especially with Star Wars Celebration 2025 coming up, I'm still disappointed by this, and here's why.

Star Wars Had Me On Edge All Weekend For D23

I Was Highly Anticipating New Announcements Every Day

There's a delicate balance that has to be struck in a line of work like this, where you're actively standing by for exciting news to report on and also trying to digest it as a massive fan of the content or brand. This is how I was all weekend, at the ready for any kind of news Star Wars would drop. I was utterly consumed by those two feelings of focused preparedness and barely-contained excitement during Star Wars' biggest s. These included the Disney Entertainment Showcase on Friday, The Acolyte on Saturday, and the Lucasfilm Animation on Sunday.

At the Disney Entertainment Showcase, however, I was shocked by how little they actually discussed. Only Skeleton Crew, Andor season 2, and The Mandalorian & Grogu got either a trailer or a sizzle reel, along with release date/year confirmations. The weekend ended with no news about The Acolyte being renewed for season 2 or canceled, no new details about Ahsoka season 2 or other movie projects currently in development, and no announcements of any brand-new animated or live-action TV shows. I kept myself on edge all weekend waiting for news, and nothing came.

... But They Didn't Announce Anything We Didn't Already Know

Even the "New" Things Weren't That New

Oddly, the things Star Wars covered were things we already knew, even if a few new minor details were confirmed. The Skeleton Crew trailer had been a long time in the making, so it shocked no one when it finally dropped, though it was at least an absolutely excellent first look at the series. Hearing about the cast for LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy was thrilling, especially Mark Hamill's return as Luke, but it's already had a trailer released. Even the return of both Director Krennic and K-2SO in Andor season 2 had already been previously confirmed or expected.

I was exhausted by the end of the weekend by how much I anticipated, with little reward to show for it.

The biggest surprises of the weekend came from the sizzle reel of The Mandalorian & Grogu, which revealed that the Star Wars Rebels' Zeb Orrelios. Even these surprises, however, weren't released to the public, as the sizzle reel remained exclusive to those who physically attended the showcase. After Friday night, there was little to no news at all, despite there being two prime opportunities for both The Acolyte and Lucasfilm Animation news. I was exhausted by the end of the weekend by how much I anticipated, with little reward to show for it.

Why Is Star Wars Holding On To Their Secrets So Tightly?

They Must be Waiting for Star Wars Celebration 2025

I think there are a few very real reasons why Lucasfilm decided to withhold these secrets during D23 this past weekend. For starters, they have another Star Wars Celebration coming up in 2025, which is where they prefer to make most of their big announcements. This will likely be when we get to hear about the newest animated projects and, hopefully, perhaps even a brand-new live-action TV show. Given Star Wars' more troubling history with unfinished projects, however, there is an even more likely reason why little was announced at D23.

Star Wars has been known to announce projects that never end up seeing the light of day, particularly when it comes to movies. That has made Lucasfilm a little more reserved in what they choose to share, which is totally understandable - and, honestly, it's the right move. The downside is that it keeps fans waiting longer to have the kind of security they want in knowing what the future holds for their favorite franchise. Either way, I'm still disappointed that Star Wars had a small presence at D23, though I have faith they will pull through later on.