Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will stream on Disney+ very soon

Star Wars fans will have a very good Star Wars Day indeed. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, the final film in the Skywalker Saga, will begin streaming on Disney+ on May 4. That's particularly good news since, based on Disney's own pattern with previous Star Wars movies, we weren't expecting Rise of Skywalker to be streaming until June.

Disney confirmed the news in a tweet on April 27 after fans found a placeholder page for The Rise of Skywalker on the U.S mobile site revealed the May 4 streaming release date. That's the unofficial/official Star Wars Day, and something we happened to guess just a few weeks ago. It is unknown whether the movie will also stream for all regions outside the U.S.

With The Rise of Skywalker streaming on Disney+ on May 4, the entire Skywalker Saga finally becomes available on the popular Disney streaming platform. (The film was already available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD.) The movie joins the finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the premiere of the making-of documentary series Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, making Disney+ perhaps the only go-to destination for Star Wars Day in 2020.

With the coronavirus pandemic forcing a ban on all public gatherings, including the massive Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme parks in Disney World and Disneyland, it appears that Star Wars fans have only one option to celebrate their May the Fourth.

Starting as an affectionate joke (a pun on "May the force be with you"), May 4 is the fan-made "Star Wars Day" that has been officially embraced by Lucasfilm and Disney. While past years have featured discounts on Star Wars merchandise and cross-promotional stunts, like minor league baseball teams dressing for the occasion and special screenings aboard the International Space Station (happened in 2015), this year will see Lucasfilm take the festivities online with all the Disney+ content streaming on the platform. It kind of makes up for the fact that Star Wars fans can't actually be together, either at conventions or drinking blue milk at Galaxy's Edge.

In a press release announcing Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, Disney acknowledged the importance of May 4, stating: "What started as a fan-generated grassroots holiday, Star Wars Day has become a full-fledged celebration of the Star Wars saga embraced by the entire galaxy."

Whatever your thoughts are on The Rise of Skywalker, it is nice to have the fabled Skywalker Saga all on in one place, besides your Blu-ray shelf.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be streaming on Disney+ on May 4.