After The Mandalorian season 3 brought Din Djarin’s battle with Moff Gideon over Grogu to a close, many wondered where Star Wars would take the series next. While there were scripts for The Mandalorian season 4 in the works, Lucasfilm recently announced that the next Mandalorian project will be a movie. Titled The Mandalorian & Grogu and directed by Jon Favreau, this film will likely be taking the place of The Mandalorian season 4. Production on the film is expected to start later this year, with Pedro Pascal returning to voice Din Djarin alongside his recently adopted son, Din Grogu.
Rumors about Star Wars’ latest movie projects had been swirling for some time, and given the sheer success of The Mandalorian tv series, its no wonder Disney chose to bring them back for a feature film. While there has been no word on a release date for The Mandalorian & Grogu as of yet, it’s likely it won’t hit theaters until late 2025 or 2026. Meanwhile, three additional Star Wars films announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023 are also still in the works, including a film about Rey directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and an untitled film about the New Republic helmed by Dave Filoni.
How To Watch Star Wars Movies In Order
Here is how to watch all Star Wars movies and TV shows chronologically and in order of release, and how each fits into the Star Wars timeline.
It’s Time For Star Wars To Return To Theaters
After over four years
It may seem hard to believe, but Star Wars hasn’t had a theatrical release since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, over four years ago. Similarly, The Mandalorian also began in the same year, releasing a mere month before The Rise of Skywalker. As expected, the final installment of the Skywalker Saga generated enormous controversy; the mixed reviews for the film caused Disney to shift its Star Wars efforts almost exclusively to shows for its streaming service. Nevertheless, even though The Mandalorian may initially have taken the franchise away from the theater, its almost poetic for the series to bring Star Wars back to the big screen.
One of the most common complaints against The Rise of Skywalker and other Disney Star Wars films at the time was the lack of planning and tumultuous production. While Colin Trevorrow was initially slated as the director for The Rise of Skywalker, he ended up exiting the production due to creative differences, leaving the role to J.J. Abrams. Needless to say, now that Disney has had some time off from Star Wars movies to reconvene and gather their wits, it’s high time for Star Wars to return to the theater with an invigorated game plan.
The Mandalorian & Grogu Are Two Massive Star Wars Brands
They’ve become icons for Star Wars
Without a doubt, allowing Din Djarin and Grogu to reintroduce the franchise to the big screen is a wise move on Disney’s part. Din’s silver beskar helmet and the adorably huggable Grogu have become synonymous with the franchise. Out of everything Disney has done after buying George Lucas’ franchise in 2012, Din and Grogu have easily had the largest impact. Not only are the two extremely merchandisable, but they also won the audience over with a heartfelt and compelling story.
Despite The Mandalorian season 2 finale seemingly splitting up Din Djarin and Grogu for good, the two were quickly reunited in The Book of Boba Fett. Din Djarin’s expressionless helmet just doesn’t work on its own as a character without Grogu’s cute facial expressions and actions there to translate. Grogu is the only one who can effortlessly show the audience what goes on underneath Din’s beskar shell. And bringing Din and Grogu’s dynamic to the theater will almost surely be a recipe for success.
The Mandalorian Season 3 Struggled To Use Its Runtime Well
With multiple filler episodes and unnecessary cameos
While The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2 were met with thunderous applause, The Mandalorian season 3 caused a fair amount of controversy with some of its episodes. For example, The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3 focused almost entirely on Omid Abtahi’s Doctor Pershing finding amnesty on Coruscant. Though he was ultimately betrayed by Katy M. O’Brian’s character, Elia Kane. And while this episode ultimately led to Moff Gideon’s return reveal, there were many who labeled it as filler for distracting from Din and Grogu.
Additionally, The Mandalorian season 3 also came under scrutiny for its incessant cameos, most notably in episode 6. While the episode did focus on Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze, it ended up feeling cluttered with the presence of Jack Black, Lizzo, and Christopher Lloyd. In any case, The Mandalorian & Grogu will do away with the familiar tv show runtime The Mandalorian is known for, instead opting for a full feature film. And while this doesn’t mean it’s going to be perfect, it does promise to take away most of the pitfalls The Mandalorian season 3 fell into.
The Mandalorian Season 3 Set Up An Exciting Future For Din Djarin
Will Thrawn be the main villain?
Both The Mandalorian season 3 and Ahsoka have set up an intriguing and familiar plot for Din Djarin and Grogu. Just as The Mandalorian began with Din bounty hunting to make a living, his movie will also continue this trend. Instead of hunting the scum and villainy of the galaxy, Din has turned his skills to more noble goals by becoming a freelancer in the New Republic. Now, Din and Grogu will be traveling the galaxy in search of resurgent Imperials, as well as other irksome groups who attempt to tarnish the New Republic’s peace.
One Unexplained Mandalorian Line Could Be The Key To Ahsoka’s Extragalactic Rescue
One small detail from The Mandalorian season 2 could the be thing needed to rescue Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren from Peridea in Ahsoka season 2.
Furthermore, in lieu of Moff Gideon’s demise in season 3, The Mandalorian & Grogu may broaden its scope even further to include the recently returned Grand Admiral Thrawn as the Mandalorians main villain. Should Thrawn return in the film, Din and Grogu may be forced to team-up with other galactic heroes such as Ezra Bridger, Hera Syndulla, and Boba Fett in order to meet the resurgent Empire head-on. This could essentially become the Avengers group of the Star Wars galaxy during the New Republic Era.
Jon Favreau Is A Gifted Fiilmmaker, & He’s Perfect For Bringing This Story To Life
He’s already directed classics like Elf and Iron Man
Having written 20 episodes of The Mandalorian as well as the entirety of The Book of Boba Fett, Jon Favreau has proven himself a fantastic writer. What’s more, he’s also a fantastic film director, seeing as he directed classics like Elf and Iron Man. Now, he finally has the opportunity to bring his beloved characters to the big screen. And while The Mandalorian season 4 may still be on the table, The Mandalorian & Grogu promises to reinvigorate Star Wars’ theatrical releases.
