Rebel Force Radio: Star Wars Podcast

One week until The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters! We share our hopes and expectations for this new Star Wars adventure and wonder if the popularity of Baby Yoda will translate into box office success. Hot off his stunning appearance in Maul: Shadow Lord, Darth Vader is in the news spotlight this week as Dave Filoni recently discussed the lore of Vader. And speaking of Darth, The Dark Lord himself debuted at Disneyland's Galaxy's Edge and we have highlights. Ever wonder what caused the death of Leia in The Rise of Skywalker? Swank has a great breakdown. Plus, the Ahsoka season two debut window has been revealed, RFR invades Ohio next week, and Listener Feedback presents us with the question "Is Disney bad at killing characters"?

The Mandalorian and Grogu debuted early footage on May the Fourth as fans were treated to the first 25 minutes of the film in IMAX, and RFR was there. We break down all the action and look forward to the film getting wide-release in a couple of weeks. We're basking in the wake of the kickass Maul: Shadow Lord season finale and the surprise appearance of a certain "Dark Lord". We go into the RFR Sound Lab to deconstruct some audio from Maul, like Sam Witwer's anguished screams getting incorporated into the sound of the lightsaber, the lightsaber itself "talking", a sound effect known as "Bone Leather" and more. And, Nielsen has revealed the numbers behind Star Wars viewership on Disney+, exposing which shows and movies are the most viewed on the platform. Find out what your fellow Star Wars fans are watching the most. 

It all comes down to this - The MAUL: SHADOW LORD Season One FINALE After Show, breaking down Episodes 9 and 10—"Chapter 9: Strange Allies" and "Chapter 10: The Dark Lord." Alliances are tested, secrets are revealed, and Maul's long game comes sharply into focus as the season reaches its explosive conclusion. We'll unpack the biggest moments, lingering questions, and what this finale means for Maul's future in Star Wars canon.

The calendar has flipped to a new month, but it's not just any month. After six-and-a-half years, this month will finally see the return of Star Wars to movie theaters with The Mandalorian and Grogu. We're bracing ourselves for all the action by fueling up with fast food tie-ins, soaking up poster art, and breaking down Jon Favreau interviews.  We say farewell to the legendary Star Wars Insider Magazine as its final issue is now appearing in subscribers' mailboxes, we compare Ezra Bridger's and Devon Izara's similarities and differences, and wonder if the current creators of Star Wars are leaning on George Lucas's influences too much.  Plus, will Gina Carano return to Star Wars? And, somehow…Oscar Isaac has returned.  

We go inside Maul's head and breakdown Season 1, Episodes 7 and 8—"Chapter 7: Call to the Oblivion" and "Chapter 8: The Creeping Fear" and dig into the biggest turns, the pressure points, and what these chapters set up next—plus your theories, opinions, and "Blake's Take"

With the film opening a mere month away, the hype for The Mandalorian and Grogu has finally arrived. Tickets are now on sale, fan events are ramping up, and the cast and crew are kicking off media tours to promote the movie. We look at the final theatrical trailer and break down all the visuals shot-by-shot and we make more predictions about what will go down. Jon Favreau is talking to members of the media and we have highlights of the director discussing everything from Hutts to the Razor Crest to Martin Scorsese's cameo. Plus, we hear from Sigourney Weaver who talks about her character Col. Ward, and we look at the upcoming Mandalorian menu hitting Burger King on May the Fourth along with a history of Burger King promoting Star Wars going all the way back to 1977.

We're breaking down the most intense chapters yet of the hit Disney+ Star Wars animated series, Maul: Shadow Lord. We go deep into Season One's latest episodes, Chapter 5: "Inquisition" and Chapter 6: "Night of the Hunted," as the Empire tightens its grip and the stakes rise for Brander Lawson, Devon and Daki on the planet Janix. Plus listener phone calls, Superchats and more!

We're diving deep into Season One, "Chapter 3: Whispers in the Unknown" and "Chapter 4: Pride and Vengeance." We break down Maul's shifting power plays, his psychological games, and the growing tensions that are reshaping the criminal underworld of Janix. Plus, your phone calls!

Graham Hancock is the editor of Blocks Magazine, a killer mag dedicated to adult fans of all-things LEGO. Graham joins us In The Cantina to talk about the history of LEGO Star Wars and provide insight to the new LEGO "Smart Play" technology. Listener feedback leads us to ask the question - Was Obi-Wan capable of Force Healing? Hear what we think! Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were famously fired from Solo: A Star Wars Story. Recently, the pair discussed the potential of returning to the franchise to give it another try and we have the highlights. Plus, we can't stop talking about the Maul: Shadow Lord premiere, The Mandalorian and Grogu and more.

RFR LIVE returns for our first MAUL: SHADOW LORD After Show, where we break down the premiere of this dark new chapter in the Star Wars saga. We're diving deep into the first two episodes, "The Dark Revenge" and "Sinister Schemes", to analyze every twist, power play, and glimpse into Maul's ruthless quest for revenge.

The Potty-Mouthed Prophet returns! Filmmaker F.J. DeSanto returns to RFR with his takes on Star Wars hot topics, like how well will the Sequel Trilogy age? What will be the impact of generative A.I. videos on audience expectations for future Star Wars films? And of course, F.J. brings us his "Prophet or Loser" predictions about Maul: Shadow Lord. Ryan Gosling has been on the interview circuit lately to promote Project Hail Mary, and of course the topic of Star Wars: Starfighter keeps popping up. We have the highlights. Plus, updates on RFR Live in Cleveland with The Mandalorian and Grogu After Show,  guest announcements for the Forest Moon Festival 2026, and more

Sam Witwer. Dave Filoni. Ray Park. Some of the key creatives behind the creation of Darth Maul have appeared on RFR over the years to share insight and information about the evil Zabrak warrior. Celebrating the upcoming release of Maul: Shadow Lord, we bust open the archives to highlight top Maul moments from RFR history. How did Maul get spider legs? And why did he take over The Mandalorians? Get answers to these questions and more as we go mad for Maul!

We look at the all-new second trailer released for Maul: Shadow Lord for a shot-by-shot breakdown of every blast bolt, lightsaber stab, and Jedi backflip. Plus, we investigate clues that Maul will play a Batman-like vigilante role in Shadow Lord and more. And, Grogu at The Oscars, an ashtray found onboard the Millennium Falcon, and more buff Hutts.

A few Star Wars heavyweights were honored at recent award ceremonies for their achievements in filmmaking. We share highlights from speeches by George Lucas, Harrison Ford, and Kathleen Kennedy as they accept trophies and we read between-the-lines of some of their comments. Marketing for The Mandalorian and Grogu is starting to emerge. We review a new TV spot and make comparisons between Rotta the Hutt and another buff Hutt from the pages of Star Wars comic books. We also listen to recent comments from Sam Witwer talking about the upcoming Maul: Shadow Lord and, bad news for fans of The Book of Boba Fett. Find out what Temeura Morrison recently said about the series and his future as Boba.

With the newest Star Wars animated series, Maul: Shadow Lord debuting a month from now, it's a great time to get caught up with all-things Maul. We check out interview clips featuring the voice of Maul, Sam Witwer talking about where Maul's head is at during the series. We review the first issue of Marvel Comics "Shadow of Maul" prequel series and learn a little about the supporting cast of the upcoming show and the planet Janix, along with merch for Maul: Shadow Lord emerging from NY ToyFair. Ducks are canon in Star Wars? We look at examples of "duck" references throughout the years. "Tauntaun Talk" returns with Tauntaun v. Hamburgler, and a hilarious Tauntaun moment from South Park.

We broke down the new trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu last week, so this week, we hear what YOU think. The RFR Voicemail inbox was overstuffed with your opinions, observations, speculations and hot takes. We look at news reports that suggest The Mandalorian and Grogu Super Bowl commercial failed to make the desired impact, according to insiders. How many times will you see the Mando movie in the theaters? We share our thoughts and discuss the reasons why people are avoiding going to theaters like they once did. Plus, nostalgia for Star Wars prequel bootlegs, and "Tauntaun Talk" with The Top Three Greatest Tauntaun Moments of All Time, the shortcomings of digital Hutts and more.

We're diving deep into the newly released, official Mandalorian and Grogu trailer with a complete breakdown and in-depth analysis. From major reveals to blink-and-you'll-miss-it details, we're examining every frame the way only RFR can. And after we wrapped up our breakdown, we turned it over to you — the phone lines were on fire with your reactions, observations, and theories. Plus, Jake's Take! Experience the trailer shot-by-shot with the RFR community!

Tauntauns! We review The Mandalorian and Grogu Super Bowl ad and our switchboard is overflowing with your opinions and comments. The RFR audience has a lot to say about the "Big Game" commercial for the upcoming film. Maul: Shadow Lord is coming soon and will it feature the long-desired showdown between Darth Maul and Darth Vader? Is there a Star Wars/Avengers Marvel Comics crossover on the horizon? Plus, we review the all-new Marvel Comics Jar Jar book co-written by Ahmed Best and more.

Another corporate leadership shakeup that will impact Star Wars has happened as Bob Iger's successor (s) were named this week with Bob stepping down in March. We look at the new bosses and speculate how they will impact Star Wars and Lucasfilm.  We have new updates from our Bothan spies about the Star Wars Original Trilogy 4k remaster upgrade coming to theaters next year. Hear fresh details about the visuals, the audio mix and work being done on deleted scenes.  Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige was once attached to a Star Wars film project but the deal went belly up. What was Feige's Star Wars pitch all about? We'll tell you what we recently heard and the surprising connection his script had with some old Expanded Universe villains.  Plus, discussion about Maul: Shadow Lord, new updates about Taika Waititi's Star Wars film project, currently in developmental hell, and Save The Date for the RFR Mandalorian and Grogu After Show Live happening in Cleveland this May. Listen for details and we'll see you there!  

We walk you through a shot-by-shot breakdown of the new teaser trailer for Maul: Shadow Lord and we review all-new information about the plot and characters. As always, we look for clues about the story and predict what will happen in the upcoming animated series. Plus, more about the upcoming Original Trilogy changes to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, and does Dave Filoni really hate Andor, as rumored? Plus, listener feedback and more!