Star Wars Writers Say Lucasfilm Keeps Blocking the Return of Mara Jade

Lucasfilm continues to artifact the instrumentality of fashionable Star Wars extended beingness quality Mara Jade — contempt attempts by assorted writers to bring her into the saga's Disney-sanctioned canon.

Introduced successful Timothy Zahn's beloved Star Wars caller Heir to the Empire, acceptable years aft Return of the Jedi, Mara Jade is initially depicted arsenic a Force-sensitive assassin allied to Emperor Palpatine. But implicit the people of Zahn's consequent novels, Mara Jade evolves into a quality who respects Luke Skywalker — and yet marries him.

Jade went connected to look successful galore aboriginal books, graphic novels, and video games, and became a cardinal quality successful Star Wars' ongoing bequest storyline. She received officially-licensed enactment figures and different merchandise, including replicas of her iconic purple lightsaber. But each of her appearances are present deemed non-canon by Disney, which of people established its ain mentation of what happened post-Return of the Jedi with the Star Wars sequel movies. And now, portion galore different elements from the Legends stories person been successfully re-introduced, Lucasfilm reportedly remains resistant to Jade returning successful particular.

A Mara Jade cosplayer. Image credit: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images.

Speaking astatine MegaCon 2026 (via Popverse), Star Wars: Bloodline writer Claudia Gray said she had asked Lucasfilm astir utilizing Mara Jade successful her canon story, lone to beryllium fixed a swift "nope."

"A mates of times I was like, 'Really? Really, nary Mara Jade?' And they were like, '[Stern voice] Nope,'" Gray said.

Talking arsenic portion of the aforesaid panel, Zahn said helium had besides asked astir bringing backmost the quality helium created. "I asked them too," Zahn added, confirming helium had besides been told no.

This isn't the archetypal clip that Zahn has commented connected Lucasfilm's reluctance to bring backmost Mara Jade. "I support nudging Lucasfilm, asking them if I could constitute a book," Zahn said during a akin sheet backmost successful 2024. "The answers travel backmost fundamentally immoderate spot betwixt 'no' and 'heck no.'"

It's a frustrating effect for fans of the character, and peculiarly astonishing since Zahn remains a prolific writer for the franchise, adjacent successful its Disney canon era. Indeed, Zahn's caller canon Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy centers connected his other hugely-popular quality introduced successful Heir to the Empire — Grand Admiral Thrawn — who has been afloat integrated into Disney canon and appears successful assorted Star Wars TV series, specified arsenic Rebels and Ahsoka.

So, what is the contented with Mara Jade? It's existent that George Lucas antecedently expressed dissatisfaction with the quality — and erstwhile said that, successful his mind, Luke Skywalker ne'er married. But with Lucas nary longer progressive successful Star Wars' story, this seems improbable to beryllium the reason.

Some fans person suggested that Mara Jade is tied truthful intrinsically to Star Wars' old, sidelined "Legends" canon that simply mentioning her successful immoderate capableness would lone punctual fans of what they erstwhile had. Others, meanwhile, person stated that it would present beryllium near-impossible to retroactively adhd her communicative into the bits of Luke Skywalker's post-Return of the Jedi beingness we've already seen successful Disney canon, with the thought of a concealed narration (and perchance a matrimony and child) apt present being seen arsenic a large crippled retcon. Indeed, the extremity of Episode 9, erstwhile Rey assumes the Skywalker surname and sets disconnected to restablish the Jedi, seems specifically designed to negate the request for Luke's bloodline to continue.

"I genuinely don’t spot however they could without heavy changing her," Star Wars instrumentality Sladepool64 wrote connected societal media successful effect to Gray and Zahn's comments. "She cannot beryllium immoderate close manus of the Emperor erstwhile the Inquisitors beryllium and she was not 1 of them. If she is portrayed arsenic having a narration with Luke it cannot extremity with them unneurotic either."

"I'm honestly good with them ne'er touching her," agreed different fan, Sladepool64. "Bringing into canon would alteration her quality truthful overmuch she would fundamentally beryllium a caller character. We already person plentifulness of books and comics astir her. Disney should absorption connected making their ain characters astatine this point."

But others inactive clasp retired hope, and person suggested that Lucasfilm inactive has a expansive program for Mara Jade it's conscionable not yet acceptable to acceptable successful motion. "I'm assuming it's due to the fact that they privation to usage her successful a show/movie sooner oregon aboriginal and utilizing her successful a book/comic present would bounds their quality to bash the former," wrote CaptUnbalanced.

Certainly, it is simply a clip of alteration wrong Lucasfilm, with thing yet announced for the franchise's large surface oregon TV releases beyond a 2nd play of Ahsoka, and the 2 Star Wars movies that person already been filmed. (The Mandalorian And Grogu is owed retired adjacent period connected May 22, portion Ryan Gosling's Star Wars: Starfighter arrives connected May 28, 2027.)

Could the reign of caller Lucasfilm co-CEO Dave Filoni alteration the company's effect to Mara Jade? It seems unlikely. Filoni has agelong been profoundly progressive successful the communicative absorption of the franchise, and determination are nary signs of immoderate large originative pivot present helium has the apical job. Indeed, the presumption of his New Republic team-up movie that was announced years agone remains uncertain. And contempt a alteration astatine the apical of Disney, too, there's nary consciousness that the previously-abandoned Hunt for Ben Solo movie volition beryllium revived.

Image source: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social