Disney+'s Rangers Of The New Republic - What We Know So Far
If there's one thing we learned from Disney's annual Investor Day, it's that Star Wars fans aren't going to be starved for content any time soon. During the four-hour presentation, a slew of new projects were announced, including 10 Star Wars projects set to be released over the next few years.
Fan-favorite characters like Ahsoka Tano and Lando Calrissian will receive their very own series, but it looks like Disney is also dedicated to exploring other sides of the galaxy that haven't gotten as much attention over the years. For fans of The Mandalorian, one of the most intriguing offerings that came to light during the presentation was the announcement of a new Disney+ series called Rangers of the New Republic.
Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, who serve as executive producers on The Mandalorian, will have the same roles for this new series. Considering the critical acclaim Favreau and Filoni have brought to the first Disney+ Star Wars original series, there's great reason to get excited about this new project.
What's the release date for Rangers of the New Republic?
An official release date for Rangers of the New Republic has not been set yet. However, Disney announced that the series, along with Star Wars: Ahsoka, will intersect with the events of The Mandalorian, all of which will culminate in a "climactic story event" (via The Verge). As such, it wouldn't be surprising if the series is one of the Star Wars stories we see sooner rather than later.
We know season 3 of The Mandalorian will debut on Disney+ on Christmas 2021 (via Collider). It's unlikely the streaming platform would want to have multiple Star Wars live-action series running simultaneously, so, more than likely, Rangers of the New Republic would air sometime after season 3. As such, an early 2022 release date seems the most likely. We'll have a better idea of when to expect the series when a filming date is announced, which should be available sometime within the next few months.
Who's in the cast for Rangers of the New Republic?
No cast details are available as of right now; however, there's a good bet Cara Dune (Gina Carano) from The Mandalorian will factor into the plot. On season 2, episode 6, "The Tragedy," Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) goes to enlist Cara's help to break a sharpshooter out of jail so that he can access the ship belonging to Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). During their conversation, Din learns that Cara now serves as a Marshall of the New Republic on Nevarro.
It's unclear if Cara will be the main character of the series or if we'll only see her sporadically, much in the same way she factors into The Mandalorian. Considering the show is titled after the "Rangers" as a whole, it could be an ensemble series in which we're introduced to a host of new characters bringing order to the galaxy. It also wouldn't be a surprise if there are appearances from other characters set during this time period, such as Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) and Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson).
What's the plot of Rangers of the New Republic?
Plot details for Rangers of the New Republic don't exist as of yet; however, Collider offers a suggestion for what we may be able to expect from the series. It's possible the show will center around the Sector Rangers, who are essentially an intergalactic law enforcement agency that tracks down criminals who are deemed too dangerous to be handled by officers localized to a single planet. This agency first rose to prominence prior to the Clone Wars and was later re-established in the aftermath of the Empire's fall. As such, the series could easily follow the format of a police procedural, with space-cops tracking down the most dangerous, villainous scum the galaxy has to offer.
We also know from Disney that the series will cross over with The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Ahsoka at some point for a "climactic story event." For all these forces to come together and work as one, there'd have to be a pretty major threat lurking somewhere in the galaxy. We'll just have to wait until more details emerge before guessing what that threat could be.