Disney+ Orders 'Star Wars: The Bad Batch', An Animated Series Spin-Off Of 'The Clone Wars'

Disney+ let the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars complete one final season to properly send off the show that expanded the prequel period of the sci-fi saga in much more satisfying way than the actual film trilogy. Now the prequel era of Star Wars will expand even more with Disney+ ordering Star Wars: The Bad Batch, an animated spin-off series that will focus on the titular group of elite and experimental clones as they navigate the Star Wars universe after the end of the Clone Wars.

Lucasfilm and Disney+ sent out a press release announcing Star Wars: Bad Batch with this official logo:

Here's the official description for the series, which briefly explains the origins of The Bad Batch:

"The series follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in "The Clone Wars") as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch – a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army — each possess a singular exceptional skill which makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew. In the post-Clone War era, they will take on daring mercenary missions as they struggle to stay afloat and find new purpose."

The idea of them exploring a world in which they no longer serve the purpose for which they were created is an intriguing one. What is their place in the Star Wars universe now? Will they become more than mercenaries? Will we get a series of them acting almost as Seven Samurai and helping various people across the galaxy? There's a lot of potential here.

The Bad Batch had a big role the final season of Clone Wars, and despite having a smaller part in the larger Star Wars universe, they've become fan favorite characters, not unlike other relatively new aspects of the Star Wars universe that have been created by The Clone Wars executive producer Dave Filoni.

Speaking of which, Filoni will be executive producing Star Wars: The Bad Batch along with Athena Portillo, Brad Rau, Jennifer Corbett, and Carrie Beck, all of which have had Star Wars experience on either The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance, or The Mandalorian. Josh Rimes (Star Wars Resistance) will also act as a producer on the series, with Rau serving as supervising director and Corbett acting as head writer.

Agnes Chu, senior vice president, Content, Disney+, offered up this in an official statement:

"While the Clone Wars may have come to its conclusion, our partnership with the groundbreaking storytellers and artists at Lucasfilm Animation is only beginning.  We are thrilled to bring Dave Filoni's vision to life through the next adventures of the Bad Batch."

With The Bad Batch getting their own series, this will really beef up their presence in the Star Wars universe. Is there a chance we could see these characters crossover into the live-action Star Wars arena at some point? The Jedi known as Ahsoka Tano began her Star Wars legacy as an animated character and will soon be part of the live-action Star Wars universe in the second season of The Mandalorian, so there's a chance these unique Clone Troopers could follow the same path. For now, we can't wait to see these soldiers back in action, but we really hope Star Wars starts expanding their stories outside of characters and time periods that we're already familiar with. There's a whole galaxy out there waiting to be explored.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is slated to hit Disney+ sometime in 2021.