Seth Green Opens Up About Shelved STAR WARS: DETOURS and Why It's Still Locked in the Vault
We’re living in a time where Star Wars has been dominating streaming. Between The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Acolyte, The Bad Batch, the upcoming Maul - Shadow Lord, and more, Disney+ is packed with lightsabers, bounty hunters, and Force-fueled drama.
But, while fans are debating canon and speculating about crossovers, there’s one Star Wars project that’s been sitting in a vault for over a decade.
That would be Star Wars: Detours, the animated comedy series co-created by Seth Green that never made it to air.
Back before Disney acquired Lucasfilm, Green and company were developing something wildly different for the galaxy far, far away. Speaking to ComicBook, Green explained the original pitch from George Lucas:
"George [Lucas] wanted to make something that was The Simpsons in the Star Wars universe, and so that's what we set out to do.”
This was supposed to be an irreverent, fast-paced, Robot Chicken-style comedy set between the prequels and the original trilogy. A total of 39 episodes were produced. Fully made. Ready to go.
Then Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, and everything shifted.
When Kathleen Kennedy stepped in to lead the studio, the strategy changed. Instead of smaller side projects, the focus turned toward the sequel trilogy and building long-term franchise momentum. Green recalled:
"She said it's more valuable for us to point everything towards the [sequel] movie."
There were also concerns about tone. A broad parody featuring younger versions of iconic characters might blur how a new generation viewed them. So despite having nearly 40 finished episodes, Detours was shelved.
And now? Don’t expect it to quietly drop onto Disney+ anytime soon. Green was candid about what it would take to actually release the show in today’s streaming landscape:
"Detours itself would have to be edited, upgraded – they'd have to do new work on it to make it possible to put it on streaming. I just don't think they're willing to commit the spend to update and release this when they can't see a clear benefit."
That’s the hard reality. Even completed animation from over a decade ago would need technical updates and post-production work to meet current streaming standards. And if the numbers don’t justify it, it’s tough to imagine Disney cutting the check.
The series featured legacy Star Wars actors like Anthony Daniels, Ahmed Best, and Billy Dee Williams, alongside some off-the-wall choices. It also featured Seth MacFarlane voicing Emperor Palpatine.
Now, with Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan stepping into leadership roles at Lucasfilm following Kennedy’s departure, there’s a sliver of hope that the studio could revisit some buried projects. Filoni especially has shown a deep respect for all corners of Star Wars storytelling.
Still, for now, Star Wars: Detours remains locked away. A fully produced animated comedy, complete with Vader celebrating Life Day and who knows what other chaos, locked away in the archives.
In an era where nearly every corner of the galaxy is being explored on streaming, it’s wild to think there’s an entire Star Wars series sitting unseen. But unless Disney decides there’s real value in reviving it, Detours may stay exactly where it’s been for the last decade.