Credit: LucasfilmOnce positioned as a creative reset for Star Wars during a turbulent era, The Mandalorian franchise may now be approaching the end of its run as Disney and Lucasfilm quietly recalibrate their long-term plans.
This May, Star Wars heads back to theaters with The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026), marking the franchise’s first big-screen outing tied directly to Disney+ storytelling. Jon Favreau directs the feature, expanding the universe he launched in 2019 with the debut of The Mandalorian, which has since aired three seasons on streaming. The film is set after the polarizing third season and functions as the next chapter for its central duo.
Based on official materials and Favreau’s own comments, the story centers on Din Djarin, portrayed by Pedro Pascal, and his Force-sensitive companion Din Grogu, formerly known as The Child or “Baby Yoda,” as they confront remnants of the Imperial forces left scattered after the Empire’s collapse.
Set roughly five years after Star Wars: Episode VI–Return of the Jedi (1983), the broader Mandalorian timeline has allowed Lucasfilm to explore the uneasy transition into the New Republic era. It’s a period defined less by victory laps and more by the hard work of rebuilding a fractured galaxy.
Favreau has previously explained that Din Djarin’s arc reflects that shift. Introduced as a lone bounty hunter motivated by credits and survival, the character has gradually evolved into someone aligned with the New Republic’s mission. That transformation marks a significant departure from the stoic mercenary audiences first met nearly a decade ago.
The Mandalorian and Grogu will also expand the cast with a mix of familiar and new faces. Sigourney Weaver joins the galaxy far, far away as Admiral Ward, while Jeremy Allen White voices Rotta the Hutt. Early indications suggest Rotta may play a surprisingly central role and could even travel alongside Din Djarin for part of the film, potentially giving Grogu a reduced presence. Weaver’s role is reportedly limited in screen time, though her character appears to carry narrative weight.
But where new people step in, others are left behind.
As The Mandalorian and Grogu prepares to make the jump from Disney+ to the big screen in 2026, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: this movie isn’t interested in carrying the full weight of the TV series with it. Instead, Lucasfilm appears to be trimming the narrative fat, leaving several familiar faces firmly in the past as Din Djarin and Grogu step into a more streamlined, cinematic chapter.
That shift means some major players from the show are almost certainly sitting this one out. Moff Gideon, for starters, feels like a closed book. Giancarlo Esposito’s villain defined the series’ early conflict, but his apparent death in Season 3 wrapped up his story in decisive fashion. With the film rumored to introduce new threats rather than resurrect old ones, Gideon’s shadow no longer looms as large.
Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) is another fan favorite whose absence kind of makes narrative sense. After reclaiming Mandalore and uniting its people, her arc reached a natural stopping point, even as she seemed to become the primary Mandalorian of The Mandalorian in the third season. The same goes for The Armorer (Emily Swallow), whose mythic presence was essential to the show’s spiritual backbone but may be less necessary in a film focused squarely on Din’s personal journey.
Boba Fett and Fennec Shand also appear to be staying on the sidelines. Temuera Morrison has openly expressed uncertainty about Boba’s future in the franchise, and without him, Ming-Na Wen’s Fennec has little reason to reappear. Their chapter played out largely in The Book of Boba Fett, and the movie seems uninterested in reopening that door.
Finally, there’s Cara Dune. Gina Carano was fired from Lucasfilm in 2021 following a series of controversial social media posts, and the character was quietly written out of the franchise. In 2024, Carano filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Disney and Lucasfilm, backed financially by Elon Musk, alleging discrimination and retaliation. The case generated headlines, and it was settled last year with Lucasfilm saying it was looking forward to “identifying opportunities to work together.”
Regardless of legal maneuvering, Cara Dune’s future in Star Wars is still unknown but it is very unlikely she will show up in the forthcoming movie.
Taken together, these absences paint a clear picture. The Mandalorian and Grogu isn’t about revisiting every corner of the Disney+ era–it’s about moving forward, even if that means leaving some beloved characters behind.
The Cast of The Mandalorian and Grogu
Pedro Pascal stars as Din Djarin, also known as the Mandalorian, a seasoned Mandalorian bounty hunter operating in the farthest reaches of the galaxy. By his side is Grogu, his young ward and an infant of the same mysterious species as Yoda, brought to life through a combination of animatronics, puppetry, and enhanced visual effects.
Sigourney Weaver joins the cast as Ward, a colonel and the leader of the New Republic’s Adelphi Rangers, who previously served as a pilot for the Rebel Alliance. Jeremy Allen White appears as Rotta the Hutt, the son of the late crime lord Jabba the Hutt, while Jonny Coyne portrays an Imperial Warlord who commands a faction of the remaining Galactic Empire forces.
The film also features co-writer Dave Filoni reprising his role as New Republic X-wing pilot Trapper Wolf, alongside appearances by Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios from Star Wars Rebels and members of the Anzellan species previously seen in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker.
What Is Happening With the Mando-Verse?
With Favreau’s film nearing release, Ahsoka Season 2 expected in late 2026 or 2027, talk of a possible fourth season of The Mandalorian, and Dave Filoni’s long-discussed crossover event, the so-called Mando-Verse once seemed poised to anchor Star Wars for years to come.
Now, that may not be the case.
New reports suggest Lucasfilm is preparing to step back from that corner of the timeline. “According to insider Daniel Richtman, Lucasfilm is considering potentially moving away from the MandoVerse for future Star Wars projects,” The Direct explains.
“The known scooper shared the news in a new post on Patreon, writing that, as it stands, nothing within that particular section of the Star Wars timeline is planned beyond the upcoming Ahsoka Season 2, and Lucasfilm is waiting to see how the Rosario Dawson-led streaming series performs before committing to anything else,” the outlet added.
The claims raise eyebrows, though they aren’t entirely without precedent. Earlier reporting suggested that Ahsoka Season 2 was designed to bring that storyline to a natural stopping point if viewership didn’t justify continuation. Those reports gained traction in the wake of The Acolyte’s abrupt cancellation, which left its narrative threads largely unresolved.
Complicating matters further is a significant leadership shift at Lucasfilm. Current President of the studio Kathleen Kennedy will officially be usurped by Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan.
Filoni’s ascent comes after a period of increased scrutiny. Once widely viewed as George Lucas’s heir apparent, the filmmaker faced mixed reactions during Ahsoka’s live-action run as well as in regards to his frequent use of legacy characters. Still, his overall standing within the fanbase remains strong, bolstered by his work on The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and The Bad Batch.
Rumors of Kathleen Kennedy’s retirement surfaced last year and were publicly denied at the time, but the latest developments confirm a formal transition is now underway. Filoni and Brennan stepping in together mirrors other recent studio leadership models, including Warner Bros.’ decision to appoint James Gunn and Peter Safran as co-heads of DC Studios.
That leadership transition also casts doubt on Filoni’s previously announced Mandalorian-era feature film, unveiled at Star Wars Celebration 2023. With Filoni assuming broader creative oversight of the franchise, the likelihood of him directing a large-scale movie in the near term appears slim, reinforcing speculation that the Mando-Verse is being gradually wound down. Since the announcement of his new role, more reports have thrown doubt on the development of a Mando-Verse movie, instead, a limited series is now being floated.
At present, Disney and Lucasfilm have confirmed just two theatrical Star Wars projects: Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu and Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter (2027). The former effectively fills the slot once expected to house The Mandalorian Season 4, while the latter ventures beyond the sequel trilogy in what has been described as a standalone story. Starfighter is slated for a May 2027 release and stars Ryan Gosling.
With internal changes and a narrower slate of projects ahead, Star Wars once again finds itself at a crossroads. Whether audiences follow the franchise into its next phase remains an open question, and the once steadfast Mandalorian era seems to be on shaky ground.
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