Could Disney and Lucasfilm really release a secret Star Wars series next year? According to a new rumor, the show is already in production. Disney+ is off to a great start, thanks to the success of The Mandalorian. Star Wars fans were happy to see a show that brings back some of the best elements of the franchise's past, while making something brand-new that fits in well with everything else. Now, it appears there is another show in development and it's reportedly coming soon.

According to sources, the new Star Wars series is going to be based on Doctor Aphra, who was first introduced in the 2015 Darth Vader comic book miniseries. It's believed that Lucasfilm and Marvel are working together on the rumored top secret project, though it is unclear if Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige is involved or not. This could be another huge show for Disney+ and Lucasfilm, which would be led by a female character, who has been confirmed to be a Lesbian by creator and writer Kieron Gillen.

Doctor Aphra is a criminal archaeologist who worked for Darth Vader. Her stories mostly take place within the timeline of the original Star Wars trilogy and she has run into both Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. She later defects from Vader to do her own thing. Since The Mandalorian takes place in the years after Return of the Jedi, there is room for a potential crossover with Doctor Aphra, should the show really come into fruition. If it does, it will hit the streaming service sometime next year. For now, this is an unconfirmed rumor.

Doctor Aphra is a pretty obscure character in the Star Wars universe, though that is something that will work in the possible show's favor down the line. Disney+ already has two other shows in development that will feature characters from the franchise. The Obi-Wan Kenobi series is set to begin production soon and it will see the return of Ewan McGregor in the iconic role. That show, in particular, is one fans have been waiting a long time to see, even back when it was supposed to be a big screen project. The other series is the Rogue One Prequel, which brings back Diego Luna's Cassian Andor.

The Rise of Skywalker opens in theaters next week and it marks the end of the Skywalker Saga. Lucasfilm and Disney are looking for other stories to tell and they are taking a bit of a break on the big screen after this. For now, the focus has shifted to the small screen and it seems like a wise choice. The Mandalorian looks like it could be on the big screen, thanks to the innovative way it has been shot, but it fits so well as an episodic TV series and bodes well for the small screen future. If Doctor Aphra ends up becoming a reality, we could see a new wave of excitement for Star Wars content after a fear of overload. Inverse was the first to reveal the secret series rumors.