Merchandise leak gives us first look at Skeleton Crew's main characters

Ahhh, the time honored tradition of Star Wars getting spoiled by merchandise continues.

This is not a new concept for a galaxy far, far away. One of the most famous examples is Qui-Gon Jinn's death being spoiled when The Phantom Menace's soundtrack dropped days before the movie was released with one song title all about the fallen Jedi's funeral. This has been rare in the Disney era as the Big Mouse is very good about keeping a tight grip on leaks. However, one major leak slipped through, and we got our first look at the main cast of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

The website Fanattik (via IGN) was the one who revealed this first look through an Official Ingot. Though, to be transparent, the image has since been taken down and replaced with an embargo image instead for a November release. The internet is fast, though, and the damage has already been done.

To address the elephant in the room (oh yes, I did go there), I'm personally excited to see an alien as one of the main characters. This character appears to be an Ortolan like Max Rebo from Return of the Jedi. However, the Emmy Award-winning preschool series Young Jedi Adventures recently introduced an elephant-like species that has yet to be named. They're native to the world of Andraven. While Ortolans are the more likely species, we can't rule out other possibilities.

Outside of humanoid aliens like Ahsoka Tano, these characters have been relatively absent in live action Star Wars. Seeing these effects on screen for an alien main character for multiple episodes will require some excellent technological skill and makeup. Star Wars has always been at the forefront of these kind of work, and Skeleton Crew looks to be the next step forward.

I have been lowkey eager to get more information about Skeleton Crew. Out of all the Mandoverse series, this is the one that seems to be pushing the boundaries and doing the unexpected. Completely unconnected to the rest of the Mandoverse, the unknown of this show is what makes it so enticing. It's been promoted as an Amblin-style TV series. As someone who grew up with these films, this premise makes me incredibly excited to see this kind of story in this franchise.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is set to release sometime during the Christmas season. It stars Jude Law, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Robert Timothy Smith, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Kyriana Kratter, Tunde Adebimpe, Kerry Condon, and Jaleel White.