Celebrate May the Fourth By Streaming the New Series - Star Wars: The Bad Batch

May the Fourth be with you! If you are suffering from Star Wars withdrawal since The Mandalorian wrapped up on December 18th, 2020, you’re in luck! Executive Producer Dave Filoni’s newest instalment to Star Wars canon is coming on May 4th - Star Wars: The Bad Batch.

What is The Bad Batch?

To answer this we need to go back to The Clone Wars. The Bad Batch, more formally known as Clone Force 99 (named after Clone 99), is a small group of defective clones that are brought together because of their unique abilities. The Bad Batch does not fit in with the regular clone army but their skills make them a valuable asset. Tech, Wrecker, Crosshair are led by Hunter, comprising this elite special forces group.

Viewers are first introduced to the Bad Batch in season seven of The Clone Wars. The team is called in for a high-stakes mission alongside Anakin Skywalker and Commander CC-2224 (Cody). These episodes also re-introduce us to Echo, who ultimately becomes the newest recruit of the Bad Batch.

Where Does The Bad Batch Fit in the Star Wars Timeline?

The Bad Batch takes place after the events of Revenge of the Sith, certainly after Order 66 was enacted and most likely after the Emperor made his proclamation that creates the Empire out of the ashes of the Republic.

In the trailer, Grand Moff Tarkin evaluates the Bad Batch and later decrees that they are “to be found and wiped out.” The Bad Batch is loose in the galaxy, on the run from the Empire and trying to find their place in it as mercenaries.

Dee Bradley Baker - The Voice Behind the Clones

The adult clones and Jango Fett in the Star Wars prequels and Boba Fett in The Mandalorian, are all played by Temuera Morrison. In the animated Star Wars series, The Clone Wars, Rebels and now, The Bad Batch, the clones are all brought to life by one extraordinary voice actor: Dee Bradley Baker.

In an interview with EW discussing the final season of The Clone Wars, Dave Filoni praises Dee Bradley Baker:

“He has a unique skill where he's able to lend his voice to the individual nature of these characters. You forget it's one guy doing it.”

Dee Bradley Baker is credited in countless shows over the years, everything from Disney Junior productions to the Phantasm in the Scooby-Doo / Supernatural crossover episode. His talents are sure to stand out in this latest series where he plays five main characters!

Ming-Na Wen as Fennec Shand

Fans are thrilled to see Fennec Shand make an appearance in The Bad Batch trailer, and voiced by the legendary Ming-Na Wen. Wen first played Fennec Shand in The Mandalorian. She was introduced in a single episode in Season One and brought back for a much larger role in the second season. We'll see Fennec again shortly, she is expected to be a force to be reckoned with in The Book of Boba Fett (coming December 2021).

The Mandalorian brought characters previously seen only in animation to life - most prominently Ahsoka Tano (animated Ashley Eckstein, live-action Rosario Dawson) and Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff, both live and animated). Saw Gerrera was featured in both Rebels and The Clone Wars and made real by Forest Whitaker in Rogue One. In this iteration, expect to see Fennec Shand’s back story presented in an animated format.

Star Wars canon weaves animated and live-action stories together. The Mandalorian is set after the Empire is defeated by the Alliance, there is a significant amount of time between The Bad Batch and The Mandalorian allowing for interesting character development. In an interview with StarWars.com, Ming-Na Wen hints that Fennec will not be as controlled as we’re used to seeing her.

“She’s cutting her teeth as a bounty hunter in The Bad Batch…She’s still a loner, a drifter…. There’s just a sense of more recklessness about her, just bravado. You know, a young punk.”

The Bad Batch and Omega

The trailer briefly introduces Omega, a child who appears to be a Clone Force 99 superfan. In the end, Hunter invites Omega to join them as they escape Kamino, the clones' home planet. As a new character, it’s not clear what role Omega will play or what her significance to the Empire (or even Emperor Palpatine himself!) will be.

May the Fourth

May 4th has become the unofficial Star Wars Day and is (not-so-coincidentally) the release date for The Bad Batch. The first episode is a full 70 minutes long! To prepare for The Bad Batch, StarWars.com has curated a list of the episodes you should watch to get up-to-date, you can find it here. Subsequent episodes will be released on Fridays, meaning that the second one will be available on May 7th. It’s an exciting week for Star Wars fans!

How are you celebrating May the Fourth? Work up an appetite by having a lightsaber battle in the backyard, get your blue milk ready to go, make some Imperial S'mores and plan a watch party for The Bad Batch!

May the force be with you!

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is streaming on Disney+ on May 4th, 2021. Watch the trailer below.

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