Summary
Star Wars: Skeleton Crewis the franchise’s next entry with broad appeal and the show’s director reveals another potential point of appeal to older fans of the franchise: the return of one of the more easily forgotten critters from olderStar Warsmedia.
WhileStar Warshas always appealed massively to kids, the franchise has seen a fairly transparent attempt to make more mature live-action projects since the Disney+ era ofStar Warscontent began. While young boys and girls can certainly enjoy shows likeThe Mandalorian, Ahsoka,or (without permission)The Acolyte,none of the new projects from the franchise seemed tailored to any audience younger than the adults that enjoyed the animated shows leading up toStar Wars: Rebels.This would change with the announcement ofSkeleton Crew, a decidedly lower-aimed show with Jude Law starring in a singular adult lead role amidst multiple child actors. From the very beginning of its marketing, it was clear thatSkeleton Crewmight be the most visually distinctiveStar Warsshowand would skew younger as well.
In addition to its unique visuals,Skeleton Crewalso continues a solidStar Warstraditionof taking things from the past to inspire new projects, and one of those callbacks is one that older fans might have never expected to see again. In a recent interview withEmpire, series director David Lowery confirmed that the Teek, the silly, lightning fast rat-like creatures from Endor, would be making a return to the franchise inSkeleton Crew.Furthermore, Lowery clarified that the critters would be done up with practical effects, a development that he seemed quite pleased with and implies will extend to more than just the Teek in his directoruial work on the show.“I was most excited about having hand puppets on set,” Lowery admits during the event. “It’s the most ancient technology being used with the most cutting-edge technology, simultaneously. That combination was absolutely magical. There’s a character in my episode that’s […] the Teek, from Battle For Endor. And it’s just a little hand puppet! It’s just (wiggles hand). I was like, ‘Is he gonna get digitally touched up, or replaced?’ No, in the final episode it’s just a hand puppet in the middle of this crazy Volume set. The cognitive dissonance of seeing those two things together, live in front of you, is absolutely incredible.”
Notably, this addition to the series will mark the first appearance of the creatures in decades and the very first canon appearance ever, potentially bringing them into mainstreamStar Warsfor all time. The Teek were introduced and seen in two Star Wars films, 1984’sCaravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventureand 1985’sEwoks: The Battle for Endor, neither of which has ever been considered canon by the community. With the creation ofStar Wars’Legends continuity, any potential case to be made for the creatures existing in canon fell by the wayside until now. Unlike some of the more popular creatures within the franchise, there’s little appeal to the Teek beyond looking a bit strange. Taking on this sort of silly bit of fracnchise history is a prime example ofStar Wars: Skeleton Crewtaking a very different approach from the successfulAndor,a choice that the production has been very clear on in the leadup to its release.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crewcould be the andor for a younger audience, despite the perplexing decision to stray from that show’s formula. While the idea of piling on the homages to old Star Wars in a show clearly meant for a younger audience seems counterintuitive, the reality is many a show for younger audiences is enjoyed just as much by older viewers if it’s good enough. Similar to adult humor in kid’s cartoons,Skeleton Crewseems hopeful that some older eyes will find fun in the upcoming series when it drops on Disney+ and that optimism shouldn’t be discounted.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crewis set to premiere on Disney+ on Jul 30, 2025.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise originally created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, tv shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
