Could it be … some positive ‘Star Wars’ news?

“Woke Disney” this, The Acolyte that … it’s about damn time we heard something good coming from the folks at Lucasfilm—and we might’ve just received exactly that, as it sounds like season 2 of Dave Filoni’s Star Wars spinoff show Ahsoka could be arriving on Disney+ sooner than expected.

After receiving mostly positive reviews (thanks largely to Hayden Christensen’s return as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader), Filoni announced in January that a second season of Ahsoka was in the works at Lucasfilm. This was always something of a given, considering the finale left us on a massive cliffhanger regarding the fate of Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), both stranded on space no man’s land, a.k.a. Peridia. Lucky for us, it seems we won’t have to wait much longer, as new episodes are on the—hopefully—not-so-distant horizon.

New report offers exciting update on Ahsoka season 2

Per The Hollywood Reporter, sources at Lucasfilm have confirmed that the next season of Ahsoka will go into production next year. Although story details, returning cast members, or an exact release window have yet to be revealed, this means we can probably expect Ahsoka season 2 to premiere sometime in 2026, which is already shaping up to be a jam-packed year for Star Wars media.

As for what lies ahead, Ahsoka’s creators first and foremost have to address the elephant in the room: the tragic passing of Baylan Skoll actor Ray Stevenson. Baylan and his not-quite-a-dark-sider apprentice, Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno), played a significant role in season 1, with the former Jedi Knight having some connection to the Mortis gods first introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I think it’s safe to assume season 2 will continue this arc with a recasted Baylan, while also detailing Ahsoka and Sabine’s escape from Peridia and Thrawn’s rather unfortunate return to the main Star Wars galaxy—quite the tall order.

There’s also the matter of Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian & Grogu, which will cap off the “Mandoverse”—or so we think. Given that Ahsoka and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) have worked together in the past, I’m 99% confident we’ll see them joining forces onscreen again. The movie, slated to arrive in 2026, will likely air before Ahsoka season 2, but we could see it setting up plot points for the series to explore down the line. In any case, the Mandoverse is all connected, and cameos surely await.

Ahsoka season 2 may be just what the doctor ordered

Ahsoka might not’ve been as culturally unifying as J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens or The Mandalorian, but still, it’s a treat for fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and those of us who suffered through those (very rocky) early seasons of Star Wars Rebels. And honestly? Ahsoka season 2 might just be the perfect thing to bring the Star Wars fandom back together. After all, Ahsoka is a widely-loved character who helps bridge the gap between older and newer fans, so hey, if anyone could do it, it’s probably her.

I wouldn’t say that 2023’s Ahsoka is my favorite in the ever-expanding lineup of live-action Star Wars spinoffs, but despite its narrative flaws—and some egregious fan service, IMO—I think it ultimately succeeds in laying the groundwork for the next chapter in Ahsoka’s story. Historically, rebooting legacy characters has proven tricky for Lucasfilm, with outings like Solo: A Star Wars Story and The Book of Boba Fett being largely hit-or-miss with audiences. For the most part, Ahsoka manages to pull it off with a surprising amount of heart.

It’s nice to receive a hopeful update from the galaxy far, far away, as it seems like this past year has been the Star Wars equivalent of Marvel’s Phase 4. But with highly-anticipated releases like Andor season 2, Skeleton Crew, Ahsoka season 2, and a bevy of new movies in the pipeline, things might finally be looking up for a post-Acolyte Lucasfilm—let’s just hope Filoni & Co. can deliver.