Summary
The swashbuckling adventures ofStar Wars: Skeleton Crewhave come to an end, with Jon Watts and Christopher Ford’s eight-part series once again harking back to the Amblin Entertainment heyday of the 1980s. The ragtag crew of space kids were left in dire straits during the penultimate episode. But with the message of the series being about having a little hope, how didSkeleton Crewleave things with its action-packed finale?
Unlike previous shows likeObi-Wan KenobiandAhsokain Disney+’sStar Warscatalog, which have ties to the wider Skywalker Saga,Skeleton Crewcarved its own way as a standalone adventure. EvenThe Acolytehad a last-minute cameo from Yoda, butSkeleton Crewseemed to learn from the former’s mistakes. In its season finale, it rolled credits without setting up its own potential future that might never happen.
Skeleton Crew Avoids the Acolyte’s Post-Credit Conundrum
It all went down on At Attin.January 14’s “The Real Good Guys”featured the quartet of heroes taking on the villainous Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law), who made it clear he was only out for himself and planned to take over the At Attin mint with the help of his private crew lurking beyond the Barrier. After besting the Supervisor (Stephen Fry), Jod’s plans came crumbling down when the kids and their parents sacrificed their own planet’s safety for the greater good.
KB (Kyriana Kratter) managed to get a message out to Kh’ymm (Alia Shawkat), who called in the New Republic to bust some pirate skulls. Some typically bombasticStar Warsdogfights ensued, with the New Republic gaining the upper hand on the pirates and leaving them to their grim fates.Skeleton Crewended with the families facing an uncertain future. Apart from Jod’s next move without his crew, things were largely wrapped up in a neat bow. Most importantly,Skeleton Crewdidn’t leave audiences with a post-credits scene akin toThe Mandalorian,The Book of Boba Fett, or even the equally standaloneAndorfinale.
While Ford and Watts haven’t revealed whySkeleton Crewdidn’t get a post-credit scene, it could have to do with what happened toThe Acolyte. Despite plenty of hype that it was set in the lucrative High Republic period of the franchise that was yet to be explored on the small or silver screen, plans for a multi-season arc were cut short.The Acolytewas rumored for a second seasonbefore the first was even released, which sounds dangerously like Sam Raimi planningSpider-Man 4andSpider-Man 5beforeSpider-Man 3even released.
Other franchises like the MCU also like to plan far ahead, but audiences have complained that post-credit scenes fromShang-ChiandThor: Love and Thunderare taking years to pay off. Others, like theCouncil of Kangs, will likely never be revisited.Star Warsshould be wary about future-proofing itself as well. The aforementionedBook of Boba Fettwas especially guilty of this, teasing a second season that has no sign of materializing and its unanswered questions presumably being folded intoThe Mandalorian & Grogu.
The Future of Skeleton Crew
There are still plenty of dangling cliffhangers that could warrant a return forSkeleton Crewseason 2. Although not the most pressing, there are questions about what happens next to At Attin now that the galaxy knows it exists. Elsewhere, Jod had something of a thin backstory where his Jedi powers were never fully explained, as well as theories about who his mystery Jedi savior was. Even though the idea ofJod Na Nawood being an Order 66 refugeewas off the mark, it feels like the story of this Force-sensitive pirate has only just begun.Skeleton Crewalso went to great efforts to establish a younger cast of characters. The kids all feel like they could appear in otherStar Warsprojects, much like howThe Force Awakensadded some much-needed new blood to the galaxy far, far away.
Even ifSkeleton Crewdoesn’t have a post-credit scene, Ford and Watts have opened up about where things could go from here. Discussing what happens next withTechRadar, Watts admitted:
We wanted to make sure this season had a satisfying beginning, middle, and end. But, if people want to see more Skeleton Crew, we’d be happy to make more.
Ford added that the pair are ‘dreaming’ of a second season, adding:“We’ve come up with different possibilities, so never say never.“Unfortunately, those chances are looking increasingly slim.Skeleton Crew’s first two episodes seta new low forStar Warsshows on Disney+, and although ratings climbed from there, it’s not the kind of numbers that franchise overlords will be looking for in the wake ofThe Acolyte’s cancelation. In contrast,The Acolyteheld strong in the viewing figures, but might’ve been shown the door due to the immense fan backlash against it.
Whatever the future ofSkeleton Crewholds, there could be a bit of a wait. In a separate interview withEntertainment Weekly, Ford and Watts suggested that if these characters return, the show would address the real-life issue of their aging. As well as teasing that future ideas forSkeleton Crewwould explore Jod’s Jedi past, Watts explained:
“We wouldn’t pretend like the kids are only six months older if we made more. It is fun to think of them growing up and where they would fit into the galaxy and how their world would be changed by the events of what happened in the first season.”
Ford said there’s potential for how events outside ofSkeleton Crewhave affected At Attin, which sounds like a perfect segue into something likeThe Mandalorian & Grogu’s return of Grand Admiral Thrawn. There was also the interesting aside where he said the show had been ‘building’ viewers week-on-week, suggesting that sensationalist headlines aboutSkeleton Crew’s cancelation might be premature.
Even ifSkeleton Crewis destined to be a one-season experiment at a time whenStar Warscontinues to struggle, there are rumors that thesecharacters will appear inThe Mandalorian & Grogu. Disney is cashing in on the post-Return of the Jediera, with the so-called Mandoverse being where a lot of effort is being focused. UnlikeThe Acolyte,which sits in an awkward period of history without connections to the wider franchise,Skeleton Crewcould have a reprieve without needing to get another season. It’s clear that Disney is heading toward some sort ofAvengers: Endgame-inspired crossover between the various Mandoverse IPs. Even if many will be disappointed that theSkeleton Crewkids might not get another adventure on their own, at least the book isn’t closing on them just yet.
