Star Wars Bits: Funko Pop! Retro, VR Pinball, War Of The Bounty Hunters, The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary, And More!
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In this edition of Star Wars Bits:
Star Wars Pop! Retro Series by Funko
Based on classic ‘70sStar Warscomic art, a newStar WarsRetro Series bringsLuke Skywalker,Darth Vader, aStormtrooper, andC-3POback to Funko’s Pop! line in a dazzling, vibrant way. Available exclusively atTarget.
Star Wars Pinball VR by Zen Studios
Star Wars Pinball VRis available for Oculus Quest 2, Oculus Quest, Steam VR, and PlayStation VR, and comes with nine tables, including the newly-added Han Solo table. The game also features a fully customizable “fan cave,” which houses your pinball table as well as manyStar Warshelmets, blasters, lightsabers, and other items earned through play. A great gift for Father’s Day,Star Wars Pinball VRis available fromZen Studios.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary Special
From Titan Magazines,Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary Specialgives readers an in-depth look at howGeorge Lucasexpanded the saga with new environments such as Hoth and Cloud City, and new characters like Lando Calrissian, Boba Fett, and Yoda. It also includes comments from the cast and crew involved in the making of the film, includingMark Hamill,Harrison Ford, andCarrie Fisher.StarWars.comhas an exclusive excerpt from the 144-page special publication. Here’s a snippet:
As he did forA New Hope, George Lucas made a list of planets in his notes when he started imagining the sequel. Among them, he named: the Wookiee planet—on which production illustratorRalph McQuarriestarted working since he signed his contract in October 1977, but that would not appear in the film; a gas planet called Hoth—which would later become Bespin where Lando’s Cloud City floats; and a generic “Ice Planet”. It was only in the second draft of the script in 1978 that the name was assigned to the actual ice planet where the rebels would set up their new outpost. From the Ice Kingdom of Mongo featured inAlex Raymond’sFlash Gordoncomics series (August 05, 2025 to June 30, 2025) to Howard Hawks’sThe Thing from Another World(1951), several influences shaped Hoth’s concept and development. This is how Lucas himself described the planet in 1977: “We could start on the Ice Planet, which would be striking. We’ve never been there before, an underground installation in a giant snow bank. Very hostile, with wind blowing around and the cold.”
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Adds Production Designer Aline Bonetto
According toThe Ronin, French production designerAline Bonetto(Amélie,Wonder Woman,andWonder Woman 1984) will be reuniting with directorPatty JenkinsforStar Wars: Rogue Squadron.Scheduled for theatrical release on August 25, 2025, the film"will introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill-ride."
The Ronin further speculates thatWonder WomancinematographerMatthew Jensencould potentially joinRogue Squadronafter lensing several episodes of season 2 ofThe Mandalorian,including"The Believer," “The Siege,” and “The Heiress.”
Jenkins has statedRogue Squadronwill be an original story that draws on elements from variousstories fromStar Wars Legends(formerly known as the Expanded Universe), with Lucasfilm indicating the movie will be set in a “future era” after the events of the Sequel Trilogy.
The Bad Batch: “Rampage” Declassified
In “Rampage,” the Bad Batch travels to Ord Mantell and connects with Cid, a Trandoshan informant who can identify the bounty hunter hot on their trail. In exchange for the intel, the Bad Batch agrees to rescue a captive from a slave trader. Of course, Cid forgot to mention that the captive is a juvenile Rancor – like Jabba’s pet beast seen in 1983’sStar Wars: Return of the Jedi. Here are five highlights from the episode, courtesy ofStarWars.com.
Chewbacca Appears in Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #13
Marvel’sWar of the Bounty Hunterscenters around Boba Fett’s journey to bring Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt following the events ofStar Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.InStarWars.com’s exclusive preview ofWar of the Bounty Hunters#13, C-3PO and Chewbacca follow the trail to the smuggler’s moon Nar Shaddaa. The issue, from writerEthan Sacksand artistPaolo Villanelli, with a cover byGiuseppe Camuncoli, arrives June 9.
A Major Character Returns in War of the Bounty Hunters
Speaking of Marvel’s comic crossover event, another major character from 2018’sSolo: A Star Wars Storyjust made an appearance inWar of the Bounty Hunters. Check out the video below fromStar Wars Explainedfor all the details.
A Look Back at Solo: A Star Wars Story
Let’s keep theSololove going withLive Action Star Wars, a new podcast fromJames HewlettandRalph Apel.In their very first episode, James and Ralph go in-depth onRon Howard’sSolo: A Star Wars Story, discussing their favorite aspects of the film, the music, the locations, and their mutual love for this underratedStar Warsfilm!
Star Wars Fan Builds Razor Crest Replica
A RussianStar Warsfan built a life-size replica of the Razor Crest, the gunship piloted by Din Djarin onThe Mandalorian. Construction took over a year to complete, due to financial and logistical difficulties – the builder’s friend even sold his car to help with fund the project. The finished replica is approximately 46 feet long, 33 feet wide, 13 feet tall, and weighs over a ton. Check out a time-lapse video of the build below!
WATCH: A fan of the “Star Wars” TV series “The Mandalorian” built a replica of the Razor Crest gunship in Russia.pic.twitter.com/tdGtlPl9rq
— CBS News (@CBSNews)July 13, 2025
And that’s it for this edition ofStar WarsBits! If you have something cool from theStar Warsuniverse that should be included in this column,reach out on Twitter!
