Star Wars: Visions producer Kanako Shirasaki and executive producer James Waugh have confirmed that the animated anthology series is definitely not canon—at least not yet.
Shirasaki and Waugh weighed in on the highly debated topic during an interview with CNET, in which they were asked about Visions place in the Star Wars timeline, particularly whether certain elements of the series could work their way into the canon. Shirasaki initially dismissed the idea, saying, "Not immediately, but it might influence the next generation of creators."
Waugh also supported that notion, recognizing the potential for Visions to impact and evolve into other Star Wars projects, even though the current stories are not connected to the rest of the franchise. He acknowledged that some parts of the show could serve as touchpoints for future storytellers and influence things that are yet to come.
"Every piece of Star Wars influences future Star Wars storytellers in some form or the other," Waugh said. "So are there plans to integrate Visions into the timeline saga storytelling? Not currently, but I have no doubt that we will see things that were in Visions become part of the fabric of Star Wars over the next decades."
When Waugh spoke to IGN's Jesse Gill (video above), he explained how his approach to Visions had been less timeline orientated and more about finding a framework that actually freed them from it, so they could tell original tales set against the backdrop of Star Wars. However, despite standing on their own, these stories are already inspiring other works.
"Right now you can continue the storytelling," Waugh told CNET. "There's a novel [Star Wars: Visions: Ronin] coming out by Emma Mieko Candon, who's a really talented author. Like everything Star Wars, we'll want to build an ecosystem of storytelling around Visions and these characters. We'll have to see what people fall in love with."
The collection of tales in the new Disney+ anthology series showcase everything from Samurai-esque Jedi and Sith battling it out in The Duel, to an electric rock opera featuring Jabba the Hutt for Tatooine Rhapsody, and The Ninth Jedi, which tells the first new Star Wars story set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, even though it isn't canon.
Star Wars: Visions is now available to stream in its entirety on Disney Plus. IGN praised the animated series for delivering "an action-packed jaunt through the Star Wars universe that puts a new spin on the well-worn franchise," complete with "breathtaking animation in a wide variety of visual styles," which should please "both avid anime watchers and casual fans."
Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.