On May 22, “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” will be the first new “Star Wars” film in theaters since 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.” But for fans of the blockbuster franchise, May actually kicks off with the annual celebration of “Star Wars” Day.
Why is May the 4th Star Wars Day?
It’s the pun, of course. “May the 4th be with you” is a play on the iconic “Star Wars” term “May the Force be with you.” But the month has always been an important one for fans of the franchise, as the first six SW films all debuted in May. But “The Mandalorian and Grogu” is only the second film — after 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story” — to have a May release since Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012.
While always popular among fans online, the term gained greater prominence among the general public when Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012 and announced they’d be making the sequel trilogy. As the first major “Star Wars” event in the age of social media, the term took off with the general public.
What is the Force anyway?
In “Star Wars,” the force is a mystical energy field created by life that binds the galaxy together. Here’s the iconic explanation from Yoda (Frank Oz) in 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back:”
“May the Force be with you” is a phrase used to wish one good luck or fortune.
When did the term originate?
The earliest recorded use was a 1978 London Evening News advertisement congratulating Margaret Thatcher on her victory as the first woman elected as Britain’s prime minister. “May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations!” the full-page ad read. It was also used internally at Lucasfilm and eventually even appeared in a 2005 ad for a July 4th ticket special for “Revenge of the Sith,” according to StarWars.com.
In recent years, it has become a day to debut TV shows and trailers. This year, the two final episodes of the animated series “Maul: Shadow Lord” will drop on Monday.
But the main force of the celebration has always been from Star Wars fans themselves.
How you can celebrate ‘Star Wars’ Day in Detroit?
Detroit’s own fan-run Space Dive has returned for the 11th year. It’s being held on Monday, May 4, as well as Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9 at Tangent Gallery. Costumes are mandatory.
Also Monday, Burger King is launching several new menu items based on “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” including a BBQ Bounty Whopper and Grogu’s Blue Cookie Shake.
As with everything “Star Wars,” the day is always big for merchandise. LEGO, the Disney Store, Target and more are all offering deals, exclusive merchandise and discounts.
And if you don’t feel up to leaving the house, there are 11 movies and more than a dozen TV shows available on Disney+.
What order do I watch ‘Star Wars’ in again?
It’s very much open to interpretation, but one place to start is with the first film, 1977’s “A New Hope,” aka Episode IV. (It was originally released as just “Star Wars” but gained both the episode number and secondary title in a 1981 rerelease.) Follow that up with Episode V and VI, 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back” and 1983’s “Return of the Jedi.”
From there, you can jump back (forward?) to the prequel trilogy (Episodes I-III) with 1999’s “The Phantom Menace,” 2002’s “Attack of the Clones” and 2005’s “Revenge of the Sith.”
Or there’s the latest set of films (Episodes VII-IX), which are set about 30 years after the original trilogy. They are 2015’s “The Force Awakens,” 2017’s “The Last Jedi” and 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.”
The two other (live-action) feature films are 2016’s “Rogue One,” which ends just before “A New Hope” begins and “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” which is set about 13 years before that, so just about right in between the original and prequel trilogies.
The upcoming “The Mandalorian and Grogu” film is set just a few years after “Return of the Jedi.” You can binge “”The Mandalorian” TV series to prepare, or don’t. Director Jon Favreau told AP that they kept the wider audience in mind because “if a Star Wars fan brings somebody who’s not, they’ve got to have as good of a time as the fans do.” (If you do decide to watch the show, though, in the grandest “Star Wars” tradition, I would recommend heading to another show, “The Book of Boba Fett,” between seasons 2 and 3.)
Other important Star Wars dates in May
Watch ‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu’ trailer
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: May the 4th be with you. Why we celebrate ‘Star Wars’ Day
Reporting by Tracy Duncan, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
