Dawn Of The Jedi: What The New Star Wars Movie's Working Title Might Mean
In a move surprising no one, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that "Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi" is indeed the working title of Lucasfilm's upcoming movie directed by James Mangold. The project has been described by Mangold as a "biblical epic" akin to classical films like "The Ten Commandments." Aside from it taking place tens of thousands of years before the Skywalker Saga and telling the story of the first Jedi, not much has been revealed as of yet.
"Star Wars" fans did rejoice, though, when Disney recently revealed that Beau Willimon will be co-writing film's script alongside Mangold. The writer, who cut his teeth as showrunner on "House of Cards," earned the universal adoration of the "Star Wars" community after penning the critically acclaimed Narkina 5 prison arc in "Andor" Season 1 — a trilogy of episodes that culminates in a pair of now-oft-quoted monologues.
The "Dawn of the Jedi" point in the timeline has been officially named for a while, but it looks like it could end up being the final name for the film as well. With that in mind, it's worth noting that this isn't the first "Star Wars" release to carry the title. From 2012 to 2014, a series of Dark Horse comics was released under the same moniker, but it ended prematurely due to Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm. Like the upcoming film, the comics addressed the early days of the Jedi Knights. The two projects may have no direct connection, but it's worth revisiting these forgotten "Star Wars" stories for clues.
What happens in the Dawn of the Jedi comics?
The last couple years of pre-Disney "Star Wars" are often neglected in the minds of fans. They didn't have time to attract major attention or develop long-term storylines, and some of them were canceled before reaching natural conclusions. "Dawn of the Jedi" begins more than 36,000 years before the events of the main "Star Wars" films, but the main action takes place closer to 25,000 BBY — the same general era in which the new film will be set.
In the old Expanded Universe, aka the "Star Wars" Legends timeline, the Jedi began as an even more spiritual order called the Je'Daii. "Dawn of the Jedi" explores how the earliest members of this order were drawn to the planet Tython to study the Force. The main conflict comes in the form of the Rakatan Infinite Empire, a faction of ancient conquerors most notable for their role in the "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" video games. The comics also deal with the Kwa, another ancient species responsible for erecting massive interstellar travel devices.
Given Disney's history with adapting Expanded Universe stories, it's likely that some but not all of these details could be featured in the "Dawn of the Jedi" movie. The Rakata have technically been reintroduced to canon via a throwaway reference Easter egg in "Andor" Season 1. And since the Kwa were connected to the planet Dathomir, they could play into the current "Star Wars" storylines as well.
How Dawn of the Jedi could pull from Star Wars Legends
Several elements from the "Dawn of the Jedi" comics could be included in the upcoming film. The Rakata are due for a big return, which could also set up new, canon stories set in the Old Republic era. And while the Kwa may not make an appearance in the original form, they could be adapted. Dathomir — the home planet of the Kwa in Legends — has become central in a different way in the current canon. It may play a huge role in "Ahsoka" Season 2, which is currently on the way, because it's where Thrawn winds up at the end of "Ahsoka" Season 1. That show also deals heavily with the idea of intergalactic travel using ancient technology — a big part of the Kwa and Rakata story.
Tython has also been reinstituted in canon, appearing in the popular "Doctor Aphra" comics and "The Mandalorian" Season 2, where Din Djarin and Grogu visit the ancient Jedi world to use a "seeing stone." It could play a role in the movie, but it could also be supplanted by the canon-only planet Ahch-To, which may appear in "Star Wars: The Acolyte" as well. Ahch-To is the site of the original Jedi Temple in canon.
The more exciting part for longtime fans may be the potential for "Dawn of the Jedi" to set up new Old Republic stories. As cool as some of the earliest Legends tales are, they don't hold quite the same sway in the fandom as characters like Nomi Sunrider, Exar Kun, or Darth Revan.