Credit: LucasfilmThe Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) hasn’t got off to the best start with fans.
The Film’s Marketing Hasn’t Worked
The first trailer for the film, which hits theaters on May 22, failed to excite audiences, with many saying it looks more like an extended episode of the hit Disney+ series than a big-budget project (and reports claim that its budget is surprisingly low for a Star Wars movie).
Some even feel that the film is mostly irrelevant, too, given that Season 3, which received mixed to negative reviews, ended on the streaming service three years ago.
Recently, a Super Bowl ad featuring the pair being pulled on a tauntaun-led carriage left audiences confused. According to Variety, there have been internal concerns that the spot “failed to generate the kind of excitement the marketing team was hoping to spark.” Some individuals within the company are also reportedly concerned that the film might not perform well.
But there’s a lot resting on The Mandalorian and Grogu as it marks the franchise’s time in theaters since The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
Fans Are More Excited About Star Wars: Starfighter
While the second official trailer for the film has created some buzz, the hype that normally accompanies a Star Wars movie just doesn’t appear to be there.
It seems there’s far more interest in next year’s Star Wars: Starfighter (2027) — which is being directed by Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine) and stars Ryan Gosling — from both the fan community and Walt Disney insiders, according to reports.
Across social media, fans continue to express their lack of interest in the film, signaling that the Force is not strong with The Mandalorian & Grogu, whether that’s because there’s some serious Star Wars fatigue taking place, which would make sense given the wave of disappointing content we’ve had over the past several years (the sequels, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Mandalorian Season 3, Ahsoka, The Acolyte).
Or, maybe the film just doesn’t look all that exciting.
It also has the challenge of featuring a mostly all-new cast other than Pedro Pascal (Din Djarin). Regular characters from the Disney+ series such as The Armorer (Emily Swallow), Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris), IG-11 (Taika Waititi), Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), Cara Dune (Gina Carano), Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), and Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) are not part of the lineup.
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It Could Be the Biggest Flop Since Solo
Of course, diehard fans will likely show up in big numbers. But whether that’s enough to push the big-screen continuation of the series towards global box-office success remains to be seen. If its low budget is true, then the film may turn a decent profit, but given its current trajectory, it’s unlikely to pull in numbers anywhere near as big as its predecessors.
The film may become the second cinematic flop for the franchise following Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), which was considered a “bomb” after grossing $393 million worldwide.
Mando and Grogu Might Be “Replaced”
So, The Mandalorian & Grogu isn’t off the best start. Of course, the same can’t be said about the characters themselves. Following the release of The Mandalorian on Disney+ in 2019, the duo became an overnight success. Then-dubbed “Mando” and “Baby Yoda,” the bounty hunter and pint-sized Force-wielder quickly became as iconic as Han Solo and Chewbacca.
But 2019 was a long time ago. While the series continued with two more seasons, it still ended three years ago. As such, Din and Grogu no longer command the same attention from fans, meaning the film now has the added challenge of reintroducing them to audiences.
If it does fail, Lucasfilm may wish to turn its attention to a new duo — or an underused one.
Recently, a report from industry insider Daniel Richtman (via The Direct) revealed that Lucasfilm is moving forward with another season of Star Wars: Visions.
“The anime anthology series was a unique experiment from Lucasfilm, which enlisted animation studios from around the world to create short Star Wars stories set outside the main canon,” The Direct wrote. “The unbridled creativity was refreshing for Star Wars, and some episodes were so popular they scored follow-ups in Star Wars: Visions Season 3.”
Star Wars: Visions launched on Disney+ in 2021. Volume 1, developed in partnership with seven Japanese anime studios including Kamikaze Douga, Production I.G., Studio Trigger, Kinema Citrus, Science SARU, and Geno Studio, consisted of non-canon Star Wars stories. Volume 2 was released in 2023 and Volume 3 arrived in 2025.
All three volumes received critical acclaim and are widely considered by fans to be some of the best Star Wars stories to have hit the streamer, despite none of them being canon.
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Volume 3 broke new ground for the anthology series by being the first to include sequels to Volume 1 episodes: “The Duel: Payback”, “The Lost Ones”, and “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope” expanded upon “The Duel”, “The Village Bride”, and “The Ninth Jedi”, respectively.
“The Ninth Jedi” alone was so popular that it’s now being developed into a full anime series set to arrive sometime in 2026 under the new Star Wars Visions Presents banner.
But while Volume 3 doesn’t include a follow-up to Volume 1’s “Lop and Ocho,” there’s every chance the next round of episodes will finally give us a continuation. “Lop and Ocho” takes place some time during the reign of the Galactic Empire and follows a young Lepi (a humanoid rabbit) named Lop, one of the two titular characters.
Even five years after her debut, Lop still has the potential to become an iconic Star Wars character. But despite her instantly memorable look — samurai-inspired attire, green lightsaber with engravings, single-lens visor, and umbrella glider — she’s yet to get her own action figure, let alone a follow-up episode.
But if Lucasfilm plays its cards right, Lop and her hovering droid companion TD-4 Lop and her hovering droid TD-4 could emerge as a fan-favorite duo in future projects, including live action, essentially replacing Din Djarin and Grogu as the next major Star Wars duo.
Replaced: Disney and Lucasfilm Missed a Huge Opportunity With This ‘Star Wars’ Installment
Will The Mandalorian and Grogu Flop?
We’ll just have to wait and see if a theatrical release for a mostly irrelevant Disney+ series is “the way” for Star Wars, or if Din Djarin and Grogu’s popularity has finally come to an end.
“The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy,” the film’s official synopsis on StarWars.com reads. “As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu.”
The Mandalorian & Grogu stars Pedro Pascal (Din Djarin/The Mandalorian), Sigourney Weaver (Ward), Jeremy Allen White (Rotta the Hutt), and Grogu.
Are you excited about The Mandalorian & Grogu? Or would you rather wait for Star Wars: Visions Volume 4? And what are your thoughts on Lop and Ocho? Let us know in the comments!