Credit: LucasfilmWith the announcement of The Mandalorian and Grogu, there’s some doubt around the future of The Mandalorian on Disney+.
After months of rumors, Lucasfilm officially announced the first cinematic outing for Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu last week. While production is expected to start later this year, The Mandalorian and Grogu has no scheduled release date as of yet.
Related: Pedro Pascal Not Confirmed for ‘The Mandalorian’ Movie, Actor’s Schedule Jam-Packed
Neither, however, does a fourth season of the show that started it all – and there’s a chance it never will. According to The Hollywood Reporter, another installment of The Mandalorian is “definitely not a given.”
The outlet’s latest newsletter, Heat Vision, reports that there are questions around whether to continue Mando’s stories on Disney+ or not. Lucasfilm (and, by default, Disney) allegedly want to wait and see how The Mandalorian and Grogu fares in theaters before committing – or canceling – the show for good.
“Here’s what we know,” Heat Vision reads. “Pre-strikes, Lucasfilm was intent on making season four of Mandalorian. The scripts had all been written. During the Great Hollywood Break however, things got re-evaluated, with plans shifting to the movie as the priority. What happens to season four now is unclear.”
Instead, “if the movie is a success, it could lead to next phase of Mando storytelling becoming movie sequels. Box office and fan reaction would determine that.”
Season three of The Mandalorian hit Disney+ earlier this year to a much more lackluster response than its predecessors. Its final audience score on Rotten Tomatoes sits at just 51% – considerably lower than season one (92%) and season two (91%).
There’s been lots of talk about Lucasfilm investing more in its “Mandoverse,” AKA the projects that have acted as spinoffs to The Mandalorian. This lineup currently includes The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka, and is expected to continue with a film directed by Dave Filoni that ties the universe together.
If The Mandalorian really is approaching the end of its televised era, that leaves just one confirmed project set within the Mandoverse on Disney+. On the same day it announced The Mandalorian and Grogu, Lucasfilm revealed plans for a second season of Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka. Even if we get a fourth season of The Mandalorian, its debut is almost certainly years in the future – which essentially makes Ahsoka the Mandoverse’s new flagship show.
Set after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), the first season of Ahsoka followed the former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson), as she seeks to prevent the return of prevent the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen). For now, there’s no knowing what path season two of Ahsoka would take – but it’s safe to assume that we can expect Ahsoka to play an even bigger role in the Mandoverse moving forward.
What’s your favorite project in the Mandoverse? Let us know in the comments!