26 Years Later, Star Wars Is Finally Using the Story George Lucas' Axed TV Series Pitched

Warning: Spoilers for Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories - The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents #1A new Star Wars comic may hint at the revival of a concept George Lucas pitched over 26 years ago. Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories - The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents #1 takes Clone Force 99 deep into the Coruscant underworld, chasing a rogue Separatist agent carrying stolen Republic intel. Beyond the immediate mission, the setting stands out, as it's eerily similar to a scrapped Star Wars TV show created by Lucas himself.

The leakedtest footage for Underworld, a scrapped series pitched by Lucas, showcased a different side of the familiar planet. The neon-lit streets of back-alley dealers and bounty hunters maneuvering through the city’s lower levels showed how the planet isn't entirely a bright, shining metropolis - an aesthetic echoed in The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents #1 by Michael Moreci and Reese Hannigan.

The clones’ interactions with smugglers, their tense navigation of criminal hotspots, and even how the city is framed in the issue's artwork all feel like direct callbacks to Lucas’ original vision for the Underworld series.

This Star Wars Comic Directly References Underworld’s Leaked Footage

Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories - The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents #1 by Michael Moreci, Reese Hannigan, Elisabetta D'Amico, Michael Atiyeh, Tyler Smith, and Bobby Bradford

Lucas’ Star Wars: Underworld was meant to explore the gritty lower levels of Coruscant, chronicling the exploits of bounty hunters, crime families, and smugglers in the aftermath of Revenge of the Sith. The series was in development alongside the animated Clone Wars series, but at the time, Lucas was the most hated figure involved in Star Wars storytelling due to the prequel backlash. Despite years of development, Underworld never saw the light of day, leaving only leaked test footage behind. Now, with the Bad Batch diving into similar territory, Lucas’ vision may finally be getting the revival it deserves.

The issue doesn’t just reference Lucas' Underworld - it borrows from its DNA, incorporating Lucas’ original ideas into the Bad Batch’s ongoing story.

One of the most interesting moments in the issue features a character warning Clone Force 99 that they have no idea what kind of “world” they’ve just stepped into. This small moment seems to be a clever way of acknowledging Underworld's intended role in fleshing out this side of the galaxy. The issue doesn’t just reference Lucas' Underworld - it borrows from its DNA, incorporating Lucas’ original ideas into the Bad Batch’s ongoing story.

The Bad Batch Could Finally Bring Lucas’ Vision of Underworld to Life

It's About Time Something Did

While elements of Underworldhave reportedly been repurposed for projects like The Mandalorian,Andor, and even The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch feels like one of the most direct spiritual successors to Lucas’ concept. The Bad Batch already leans into the morally gray struggles of Troop 99. They're the ideal crew to explore Coruscant’s criminal underworld with the level of nuance it deserves.

The idea of bounty hunters and rogue clones navigating the galaxy’s criminal underworld is exactly the kind of story that Underworld was meant to tell. If The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents continues down this path - especially with its expanding connections to the Empire, smugglers, and corrupt politicians - it could finally bring Lucas’ long-lost vision to life in an organic way. Ideally, the comic series will continue to expand on these concepts, especially after the Star Wars comics have gained so much positive praise from the fans.

Given The Bad Batch's willingness to explore grittier, underworld-centric narratives, there’s a real possibility that Lucas' unmade series could live on through this corner of the franchise. Lucas’ influence on Star Wars is undeniable, and as the franchise continues to evolve, revisiting his abandoned concepts could be a way to bring fans something both familiar and fresh. This new comic series proves that the best Star Wars stories may still come from the mind of Lucas, even decades after they were first imagined.

Star Wars: Hyperscape Stories - The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents #1 is available now from Dark Horse Comics.