Star Wars is currently obsessed with looking backward, but I’m not talking about the usual nostalgia for X-wings or the original trilogy. Honestly, the franchise is about to go much further back than anyone expected. 25,000 years, to be exact. That is the era of Dawn of the Jedi, and if you’ve been following the news from Star Wars Celebration or the recent development updates from Lucasfilm, you know this isn't just another spin-off. It’s a complete fundamental reset of what we think we know about the Force.
James Mangold is the guy in the director’s chair for this one. You might know him from Logan or Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. He’s described the project as a "biblical epic," which sounds kinda heavy for a series usually known for laser swords and quippy droids. But when you’re dealing with the absolute origins of the Jedi Order, "heavy" is probably the only way to play it. We aren't looking at a polished Temple on Coruscant here. We’re looking at the discovery of a power that would eventually shape the entire galaxy.
What Dawn of the Jedi actually covers
Most fans hear the title and immediately think of the 2012 Dark Horse comic series by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema. While that comic is technically "Legends" now—meaning it isn't strictly canon—it’s the best roadmap we have for what Mangold and Lucasfilm are cooking up. In that version of history, it all starts on a planet called Tython.
It wasn't just about "good guys" back then. The early precursors to the Jedi were called the Je’daii. Notice that extra "i" in there. The philosophy wasn't about the Light Side exclusively; it was about balance. If you strayed too far into the dark, you were sent to one of Tython’s moons to meditate. If you strayed too far into the light? Same thing. It was a rigorous, almost brutal pursuit of the middle ground.
The upcoming movie seems to be stripping away the tech. Don't expect to see a lot of hyperdrives. Mangold has mentioned wanting to explore the "Ten Commandments of the Force." It’s about that first person—or group of people—who realized that this energy field wasn't just magic, but a responsibility.
🔗 Read more: Shamea Morton and the Real Housewives of Atlanta: What Really Happened to Her Peach
The Prime Jedi and the mural you missed
If you want a hint at what the Dawn of the Jedi era looks like in the current Disney canon, you have to look back at The Last Jedi. Remember that mosaic on the floor of the meditation chamber on Ahch-To? The one showing a figure in a state of perfect equilibrium, half-light and half-dark? That is the Prime Jedi.
That image is basically the mission statement for this new film.
There is a huge misconception that the Jedi were always these saintly monks in brown robes who refused to get angry. The reality of the "dawn" era is much more chaotic. These were people figuring out a terrifying power for the first time. Imagine being the first person to realize you could move a mountain with your mind, or accidentally crush a heart because you got frustrated. That's the vibe. It’s less A New Hope and more Quest for Fire with telekinesis.
Why this timeline matters for the future of the franchise
Lucasfilm is currently trying to build a "New Jedi Order" movie with Daisy Ridley returning as Rey. You might wonder why they are bothering with a movie set 25,000 years in the past at the same time.
💡 You might also like: Who is Really in the Enola Holmes 2 Cast? A Look at the Faces Behind the Mystery
It’s simple: Rey can't build something new if she doesn't understand the original foundation.
By defining the Dawn of the Jedi, Disney is finally filling in the blanks of the Star Wars timeline. We’ve spent forty years obsessing over a sixty-year window of history (the Skywalker era). This expansion into the deep past gives the writers room to breathe. No baggage. No Han Solo cameos. No worrying about whether a certain droid was in the right place at the right time.
It's a clean slate.
But that clean slate comes with risks. Star Wars fans are notoriously protective of the lore. If Mangold changes how the Force works, or makes the "first Jedi" someone who doesn't fit the established vibe, the backlash will be loud. But honestly? We need the risk. The franchise has felt a bit small lately, stuck on Tatooine for the millionth time. Going back 25,000 years is the only way to make the galaxy feel big again.
📖 Related: Priyanka Chopra Latest Movies: Why Her 2026 Slate Is Riskier Than You Think
The creative team behind the scenes
Beau Willimon is reportedly co-writing the script with Mangold. This is a massive deal. Willimon is the creator of House of Cards and, more importantly for Star Wars fans, he was the lead writer for the "One Way Out" arc in Andor. If you liked the gritty, high-stakes, deeply human feel of the Narkina 5 prison break, you should be very excited about his involvement here.
He doesn't do "kiddie" Star Wars. He does internal conflict and structural power dynamics. Pairing his grounded, political writing style with Mangold’s cinematic "epic" vision suggests that Dawn of the Jedi won't just be a CGI fest. It’s going to be a character study about the weight of discovery.
Actionable insights for the curious fan
If you want to get ahead of the curve before the first trailer eventually drops, here is what you should actually do:
- Watch the Ahch-To scenes in Episode VIII again. Pay attention to the art direction. The rocks, the Prime Jedi mural, and the ancient books. That is the visual language Lucasfilm is using for this era.
- Track down the "Dawn of the Jedi: Force Storm" trade paperback. Even though it’s Legends, it’s the spiritual predecessor. It explains the "Tho Yor"—those giant floating pyramids that brought the first Force-sensitives to Tython. It’s weird, psychedelic, and totally different from the movies.
- Keep an eye on the "Acolyte" series. While that show takes place only 100 years before the prequels, it’s the first time we’ve seen the Jedi at a different stage of their history on screen. It’s a "test run" for how audiences handle a Star Wars world without Skywalkers.
- Don't expect lightsabers. At least, not the ones you’re used to. In the early lore, "Forcesabers" required a connection to the Dark Side to function, and earlier versions had to be plugged into a power pack on the hip. Seeing how Mangold handles the "primitive" tech will be the first major reveal to look for.
The Dawn of the Jedi represents a pivot point. It’s the moment Star Wars stops being a family soap opera and starts being a mythology again. Whether it succeeds depends on if they can make us care about a world that has no familiar faces, no Empire, and no R2-D2. It's a tall order, but for a franchise that’s been running in place, it’s the only way forward.