The launch of Disney+ was like Christmas morning for Star Wars fans, with 4K remasters of the beloved films along with a slew of other franchise titles from The Clone Wars to The Mandalorian all becoming available to stream.
Disney+ has since won over many fans, transporting audiences to a galaxy far, far, away through its extensive catalog of Star Wars content. However, there are a few key pieces from the franchise that have yet to make its way onto the streaming service. Here are the Star Wars movies and shows that are STILL not on Disney+.
Star Wars Holiday Special
This show aired only once on CBS in 1978 and was never seen again, at least not legally. The Holiday Special featured the Star Wars cast on a mission to bring Chewbacca back home for "Life Day," with a series of bizarre, unconnected variety shows squeezed into its runtime. This will likely never leave the Lucasfilm vault, as George Lucas considers this to be the black sheep of the Star Wars franchise; he reportedly released only one copy, to Carrie Fisher, who used the film to entertain her friends. Lucas also once said that, “If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of [The Star Wars Holiday Special] and smash it," so it seems unlikely that we would ever be able to legally see this film anywhere.
Star Wars: Droids
This 1985 animated series from ABC featured the adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO, with Anthony Daniels reprising his role as the golden droid. Taking place 15 years before the events of A New Hope, the show followed the famed droid duo as they made their way through the galaxy, meeting new enemies and allies along the way. Droids introduced many elements that would later show up in other parts of the universe, including several spacecraft designs, General Grevious' wheel bike, and the Boonta speeder race (the name of the podrace on Tatooine in The Phantom Menace). The show also brought back some other characters in the franchise including Boba Fett and the droid bounty hunter IG-88. The show was produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Fox, meaning that it's not too out of the realm of possibility to see Droids land on Disney+ eventually.
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure
The first in a line of three Ewok-based properties, this 1984 TV film follows the Towani family, who became stranded on Endor when their starship was wrecked. The Ewoks discover the family and bring them to their home, where they would soon discover that their parents were captured by the monstrous creature, Gorax. Forming a caravan, the Ewoks embark on a journey together with the children to save their parents. There is a possibility that we could one day see both Caravan of Courage and its sequel, Battle For Endor and on the Disney+ platform, as the films were made by Lucasfilm with original distribution rights being attributed to 20th Century Fox, both of which are now under the Disney umbrella.
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
The direct sequel to Caravan arrived the following year and focuses on the human girl from the first film, who now lives among the Ewoks and joins them in their battle for freedom against the devastating Marauders. While both Ewok films had moments that were quite dark, the heavy family themes, as well as the kid-friendly appeal of these furry critters, makes these films fit right in with the rest of the Disney+ catalog.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Similar to what happened with The Last Jedi before its Disney+ debut, the distribution rights for the Han Solo prequel are tied with Netflix before it arrives on the Disney platform on July 9. If you would like to watch Solo, the film is expected to still be available on Netflix up until the day before its Disney+ debut.
Ewoks
These furry little creatures just can't seem to break onto the streaming platform. This 80's animated series was actually produced as a sister series to Droids as part of ABC's The Ewoks and Droids Adventure Hour. The show, which takes place before A New Hope, sees the return of fan-favorite Ewok, Wicket, as he and his fellow Ewok friends embark on adventures on Endor. Unlike the Ewok films, the characters here speak English, otherwise known as Basic in the Star Wars universe. Like with Droids, there is a possibility for this show to be made available on Disney+ as there should not be any significant rights complications that would prevent this from happening.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Aside from Solo, the only other major film in the Star Wars franchise to be absent on Disney+ is the latest film, The Rise of Skywalker. While there is currently no information on its release, most films take approximately six to seven months after its cinematic release date before they are dropped onto Disney+, making it likely for us to be able to stream the film by summer 2020. It is also possible that it will be dropped on the platform sooner, as was the case with Frozen 2, which came out 3 months earlier than planned. Currently, the only way to watch the final film in the "Skywalker Saga" is on 4K, Blu-Ray, DVD as well as a digital release.