While Disney originally didn’t care much about the Star Wars Expanded Universe and its numerous overarching narratives, Lucasfilm has recently shown an inclination to canonize some of the lore now that the Skywalker Saga has come to a close.
To that end, J.J. Abrams incorporated several references to a couple of the legendary Sith Lords from the days of the Old Republic in The Rise of Skywalker, including the fan favorite Darth Revan. Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni then took this further in The Mandalorian and Star Wars Rebels, respectively, by writing in Admiral Thrawn from the Heir to the Empire trilogy of novels. This narrative is generally held in high regard by fans and many of them believe, in fact, that it’s some of the best Star Wars out there.
Now, according to a new report by Mikey Sutton of Geekosity, future projects will draw on elements from Timothy Zahn’s aforementioned books, including Luke Skywalker’s wife-to-be. Indeed, Disney apparently plans to introduce audiences to Mara Jade, the Emperor’s Hand who tried to kill Luke for his crimes against the Empire, and Doctor Who and MCU star Karen Gillan is reportedly being eyed for the role.
As fans will know, Mara Jade is a significant character in the Star Wars Legends continuity. A wife and student to Luke, not to mention the mother of his child, Ben Skywalker, she plays a pivotal role in the formation of the New Republic. Considering the Sequel Trilogy’s narrative, though, it’s safe to say that her story will have undergone some change when she debuts.
As for Karen Gillan, it’s difficult to imagine Amy Pond, Nebula, or even something in between taking on the role of Mara Jade, though she has shown incredible range in her acting chops before now. And if she indeed makes her debut in live-action, then we can probably expect to see more of Luke Skywalker as well, likely with another actor taking up the mantle as opposed to what we saw in the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian.
