Star Wars: Skeleton Crew was officially announced over the summer at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, and more details were revealed about the project at this month’s D23 Expo. Starring Jude Law, the series is said to be set in the Mandalorian timeline, thus being one of the titles that is in the mini-universe that Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have been building since 2019.
Little is known about Skeleton Crew bar the lead actor, although fan theories have already begun that Jude Law’s character might not be a friend to the group of kids that the show focuses on. While that’s fully plausible, there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of that just yet, once again highlighting how much of a mystery this show is. Here are some predictions for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.
The First Order Will Be Introduced
Fans know that it’s just a matter of time before the First Order is introduced in The Mandalorian or another series set at the same time. This is due to the fact that Jon Favreau stated as far back as 2019 that his series would explain the origins of the fascist regime that took over from the Empire and ruled during the sequel trilogy. The origins of the First Order are still largely a mystery, despite some books and novels giving little bits of information here and there. Since Moff Gideon and other Empire remnants remain in the galaxy, it seems possible that these different sects join together to form a new group, the First Order, at some point in the future. This would mirror the way in which the Rebel Alliance was formed as well, where Rebel cells joined together across the galaxy to form a united group (which was shown in Star Wars Rebels and will be explored further in Andor).
The only other key piece of information known about Skeleton Crew is that it features a group of kids getting lost in the Star Wars galaxy, an admittedly terrifying prospect for these heroes. Being lost and unsure of their surroundings could open them up to these dangerous situations, such as stumbling upon an early version of the First Order.
Snoke Appears
Supreme Leader Snoke is another huge element of the sequels that remains a mystery. The Rise of Kylo Ren, a comic book series from 2019, showed Snoke at his earliest appearance in canon, but little was explained. The Rise of Skywalker showed that he was created by Palpatine, but the specifics of that situation are unknown.
The Mandalorian’s cloning plotline regarding Grogu and Moff Gideon has long since been the subject of speculation that the remnants of the Empire want to experiment on the child in order to help Palpatine or, at the very least, create Supreme Leader Snoke. If Snoke were to appear in Skeleton Crew, it would certainly give audiences a reason to watch this new series. Star Wars shows that have Dave Diloni involved, Skeleton Crew being one of them, typically have a broader and more meaningful impact on canon than fans expect (such as the way in which The Clone Wars drastically alters and adds to the prequels). So while the appearance of Snoke feels out of the box, it also isn’t impossible.
Jude Law’s Character Is Evil
As stated, this is the most popular theory for the series among fans. Law has played plenty of villains in his career, and being in an evil role would give the kids a chance to shine and be in the spotlight. The image of Jude Law that was shown at D23 has him smiling and looking friendly, but looks can obviously be deceiving. He could easily be a member of one of the Empire remnants or a rising First Order.
The Kids Set Up A Key Twist In The Last Jedi
A group of young kids together in Star Wars is, if past storylines can be referenced, usually a sign of them being Force users. There are a few Legends stories demonstrating this, as well as episodes of The Clone Wars. Even Obi-Wan Kenobi, released earlier this year on Disney+, showed many young kids in hiding from the Empire because they had exceptional Force powers.
As fans will remember, Luke Skywalker and his Jedi temple have already been shown in this Mando mini-universe, with Grogu being his first (short-lived) apprentice. Luke had a whole class of padawans when his temple was destroyed years later, and it’s possible that Skeleton Crew sets up this twist from The Last Jedi with this group of kids. This group could include those that tragically later die when Luke briefly decides to kill his nephew, Ben Solo. If so, this would add even more emotional weight to The Last Jedi.
Han Solo Appears
After Luke’s surprise appearance in The Mandalorian season 2, nothing is off the table when it comes to cameos and returning characters in these new Star Wars shows. Many expected Han Solo to be in The Book of Boba Fett, but that never came to fruition. Skeleton Crew appears to be a little less natural of a series for Han to show up in, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
After all, if these children are young Jedi, Luke would surely want to protect them. Skywalker going to rescue them and perhaps bringing Han along would be a great fan service moment that would reunite two of the heroes from the original trilogy. Many fans were upset that they never met again in the sequels, and even Mark Hamill expressed his disapproval at this creative choice. Still, this could be a way to show them together once again.