In the early 2010s , ABC was reportedly developing a live‑action Star Wars series titld Star Wars: Underworld, a concept that could have predated The Mandalorian by several years. the series would have centered on rival families on different levels of Coruscant, offering a gritty, city‑state drama that the newer Disney+ shows had not explored.

George Lucas’s Brainchild for Network TV

According to the source, the idea originated with George Lucas himself,who envisioned a story that blended the political intrigue of Coruscant with the mythic scope of the Star Wars universe. Lucas’s involvement would have given the project an authentic feel, and the soure notes that characters from the film trilogies could have been integrated organically.

Disney’s 2013 Acquisition Shifts the Landscape

The report says that Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm in late 2013 dramatically altered Lucas’s role in the franchise. With Disney’s new ownership, the network series likely no longer fit the brand strategy, leading ABC to abandon the project. The souce highlights that this timing prevented the series from moving forward.

What ABC Could Have Delivered That The Mandalorian Missed

According to the article, Star Wars: Underworld would have focused on the underbelly of Coruscant, a setting that The Mandalorian has not fully explored. The source points out that the show could have offered a deeper look at the city’s political factions, a narrative layer absent from the Disney+ series.

Who Is the Unnamed Buyer?

The source does not identify a specific buyer for the rights to the series after Disney’s acquisition. It remains unclear whether ABC or another network could have revived the project under different terms. this unanswered qusetion leaves fans wondering what might have been.

According to the source,the potential series was a product of a time when Star Wars had been dormant in live‑action form, making the idea of a network show seem plausible. The report also notes that ABC’s success with Marvel shows made a Star Wars series on network TV appear achievable.