Marvel’s Star Wars comic series has officially arrived at the post-Return of the Jedi point on the franchise’s timeline, a moment over a decade in the making, and if the publisher wants this new era to be successful, it has to harken back to the things that made the original Expanded Universe such an unforgettable success.

Star Wars #1, written by Alex Segura, with art by Phil Noto, is without a doubt one of the most highly anticipated comic book launches of the year, as it opens the door to countless new storytelling opportunities in the beloved galaxy far, far away, while also presenting some unique challenges to the creators tasked with charting the post-ROTJ trajectory of the Star Wars galaxy.

After all, while this is uncharted territory for the Disney-era Star Wars canon, it has in fact been well-tread before, in tales that remain among the most revered in franchise history.

The Sequel Era Is Here, As Marvel's Star Wars Comics Sur "Return Of The Jedi"

Star Wars #1: Written By Alex Segura; Art By Phil Noto; Main Cover By Phil Noto

For the Star Wars franchise, the post-Return of the Jedi setting is hallowed ground. The original Expanded Universe, now rebranded as "Legends," was largely devoted to chronicling, in great detail, the further exploits of Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo, and eventually their children and grandchildren, as well as the franchise's hundreds of ing characters, as the New Republic they founded in the wake of the Battle of Endor sought to preserve itself, and prove itself a better alternative to the totalitarian Empire.

These stories were equally epic and intimate, and for many fans, represent the high watermark of Star Wars as much as, if not more than, the films. The fact that the rebooted Disney continuity has, with limited exceptions, refrained from telling stories set in this Star Wars epoch has nagged at fans as one of the biggest gaps in the past decade of Star Wars EU material. Now, Marvel is finally ready to explore the post-ROTJ years, starting with its Battle of Jakku maxi-series, and leading up to the relaunch of the franchise's flagship comic series with Star Wars #1.

Marvel's "Original Trilogy"-Era Comics Justified The Franchise Reboot; The "Sequels" Must Follow That Blueprint

Star Wars #1: Variant Covers By Gabriele Dell'Otto; Ken Lashley; Annie Wu, And More

Since Disney acquired Star Wars and rebooted its canon in 2014, the stand-out work in the loss of the "Legends" canon more palatable. If the post-ROTJ comics are going to be similarly well-received, Marvel must treat them as a follow-up to these stories, as much as the films.

Marvel's Star Wars comics have been about the franchise's protagonists...becoming the heroes they needed to be to take down the Empire...now, Marvel has the daunting task of charting their development into the tragic figures of the Sequel Trilogy.

That is to say, Marvel has developed a solid formula for what contemporary Star Wars stories can be, and how they can contribute to the overall mythology of the franchise. The new "Sequel Era" comics need to lean into the lessons learned over the past ten years. In a sense, Marvel's Star Wars comics have been about the franchise's protagonists, particularly Luke Skywalker, becoming the heroes they needed to be to take down the Empire at Endor; now, Marvel has the daunting task of charting their development into the tragic figures of the Sequel Trilogy films.

Marvel Is In It For The Long Haul When It Comes To The Star Wars "Sequel" Comics

Star Wars #1: Available May 7, 2025 From Marvel Comics

There is a thirty-year gap between the events of Return of the Jedi and the start of the Sequel Trilogy with The Force Awakens. That means getting from one point on the Star Wars timeline to the other is far from a straightforward "A to B" path; it is one that will require every bit of deliberate care and patience, and then some, that Marvel gave to the decade's worth of stories that enriched the Original Trilogy era. That is to say, there should be no rush whatsoever when it comes to the post-ROTJ era.

Not every post-ROTJ story will need to be about "earning" or arriving at the start of The Force Awakens, but rather can provide the franchise's heroes with many more triumphs before their unavoidable fall from grace.

The Original Trilogy comics served as a reminder that a great Star Wars Expanded Universe story is all about the journey, even when the destination is known; that will be even more true of the "Sequel" comics, in which the road ahead is even more expansive and wide-open. At the same time, not every post-ROTJ story will need to be about "earning" or arriving at the start of The Force Awakens, but rather can provide the franchise's heroes with many more triumphs before their unavoidable fall from grace.

The eventual fates of these characters, particularly Luke, Leia, and Han, will loom over the tales of their next adventures, as they work to keep the fledgling New Republic in power, and protect the people of the galaxy from the instability arising from the Empire's fall. In itself, that is an imposing thing for creators like Alex Segura and Phil Noto, who are inaugurating this era, to contend with, but it should not completely overshadow their attempts to tell new, unexpected kinds of Star Wars stories with a newfound sense of creative liberty.

Marvel Needs To Embrace "Expanding" The Star Wars Universe Beyond Its Core Characters

Star Wars #1: The Dawn Of A New Era

If there is one other critical move Marvel's post-Return of the Jedi comics can make, in due time, it will be widening the scope of the franchise's lore beyond its focus on the main protagonists of the films. The project of charting Luke and the Rebellion's path toward ultimate victory with the Original Trilogy-era comics made sense, but now that there are three decades of largely undeveloped narrative expanse that can be covered, it would be restrictive to exclusively follow the "big name" figures in franchise lore.

The Star Wars Expanded Universe developed its reputation by being willing to take readers on a thrilling tour of the sprawling fictional world spawned by the original 1977 film...the Disney Star Wars canon's "Sequel" era is the heir to this vaunted legacy.

Moreover, this was one of the true strengths of the "Legends" Expanded Universe, the fact that it was a literal expansion of Star Wars beyond just the familiar film characters; it had the ability to immerse readers in a previously unexplored corner of the Star Wars galaxy, away from the "main action" of the series, in ways that left a lasting impact upon the fandom. As much as another classic Luke Skywalker adventure, this is what fans want from the "Sequel" era.

From the iconic X-Wing novels, to tales of the galaxy's most fearsome bounty hunters, the Star Wars Expanded Universe developed its reputation by being willing to take readers on a thrilling tour of the sprawling fictional world spawned by the original 1977 film. More than just a second chance at doing the same, the Disney Star Wars canon's "Sequel" era is the heir to this vaunted legacy, and it will have to balance honoring that past while forging its own future in order to be successful.

Star Wars #1 will be available May 7, 2025 from Marvel Comics.