Is ‘Bad Batch’ Season 2 Releasing Later Than Expected?
Following the end of The Clone Wars Season 7, which beautifully wrapped up the legendary animated television series in 2020, fans were delighted to know that animated Star Wars is far from over as The Bad Batch took its place. First released on Star Wars Day May 4 for streaming on Disney+, the show followed the journey of an elite group of clone commandos with “desirable genetic mutations” as they navigate their lives after the events of Order 66 in the new Imperial era. With sixteen episodes in its first season, The Bad Batch was well received and ended with a bang, culminating in the announcement of a second season to be released in 2022. However, the season may be released later than what was initially expected.
Not long after the announcement, Star Wars Insider, the official Star Wars magazine published by Titan Magazines, forecasted that The Bad Batch Season 2 will air in Spring 2022. However, in its recent Issue #209, it appears that the release window had been changed to “coming soon” with no specific release date.
RELATED: First Behind The Scenes Image From ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2
While this is surely a disappointment for Clone Wars and Bad Batch fans alike, one could see a business rationale behind the revocation of the “Spring 2022” tag. The much anticipated Obi-Wan Kenobi show is set to air on May 25, 2022. While it would be an absolute delight to enjoy two shows side by side, this would not make much commercial sense for Disney given the enormous profitability of Disney+, the exclusive streaming platform for recent Star Wars content. It would be more sensible for them to ride on the hype of the Kenobi show to haul in new subscribers and capitalize on its likely success to retain subscribers with a subsequent release of The Bad Batch. Such a plan is highly probable with the Rebel Alliance-focused Andor series (starring Diego Luna) scheduled to be released in the fourth quarter of 2022. The gap between the two highly anticipated shows would be perfect for The Bad Batch to fit in.
From a Star Wars content viewing standpoint, having Season 2 of The Bad Batch be released after Obi-Wan Kenobi could also be beneficial given that the two shows are set in the same timeline. The Bad Batch should follow through the formative years of the Empire while Obi-Wan Kenobi will similarly have its narration set in the time shortly after Revenge of the Sith. Having the two shows from the same era be released simultaneously may cause some confusion. There may even be a (remote) possibility for a character crossover between the two shows, but only time would tell whether such a rumor would materialize.
Taking into account such considerations, it would be ideal to see Season 2 of The Bad Batch air during the summer holidays in July or August 2022, creating a seamless chain of Star Wars content for the rest of 2022. While the information coming from the reputable source of the Star Wars Insider magazine is likely credible, there has yet to be official confirmation and announcement on the exact release date that Disney has in mind.
Season 1 of The Bad Batch is now streaming on Disney+
READ NEXT: Jaw Dropping 'LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga' Video Shows Off Gorgeous Looking Coruscant
Source(s): The Direct