Disney has announced a new Star Wars movie in the making (and it's the last thing we expected)

Disney has just announced a new movie. No, it's not a movie about unseen characters or fan favorites that exist in the animated world only - it's a movie called The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Just what the galaxy ordered, right? Because, clearly, there aren't enough untold stories in the vast, unexplored Star Wars universe. No, let's just stick to the familiar faces, the ones we've already seen zipping around the galaxy plenty of times. I mean, who needs fresh narratives or underrepresented characters when you can have more of the same helmet and adorable, tiny green sidekick?

Listen, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni are great, no doubt about that. They've done wonders with The Mandalorian, and I'm sure they'll cook up something visually spectacular. But come on, we're talking about a universe that's practically bursting with potential stories. There are planets we've never seen, species that have barely had a moment on screen, and legends tucked away in the lore that are just waiting for their moment to shine.

And sure, Kathleen Kennedy is excited about bringing these characters to the big screen. I get it, it's a safe bet, a guaranteed box office hit - she's probably seeing all the dollar signs. But isn't it time to take a bit of a risk? To venture into the unknown? They've also mentioned that Ahsoka season 2 is being worked on as well. It's great, as long as the plot actually moves forward and things start making sense. But a movie about two characters we've seen beat their villain and settle in a new house? There's been no announcements about season 4 of The Mandalorian yet which, in my opinion, doesn't need to exist, and having a movie about them is pretty redundant.

My point is, let's not forget about the wealth of other characters and stories from the Star Wars Extended Universe. What about a movie about the High Republic? Or maybe something entirely new, set in a different timeline, completely away from the overdone Skywalker arc?

In the end, "This is the Way" seems to mean "sticking to the well-trodden path".

But hey, who knows? Maybe my grumpiness is in vain and they surprise us, bringing in some of those never-seen or ignored characters into the mix. One can only hope, right?