Credit: LucasfilmThe Mandalorian & Grogu (2026) is just a few weeks from its theatrical release and, unsurprisingly, marketing has begun ramping up, with the titular pair suddenly appearing everywhere from toy stores to Disney Parks.
This push follows a less enthusiastic response to earlier marketing that began last year with the first official trailer. That initial trailer mostly failed to excite audiences, and the Super Bowl ad earlier this year further highlighted fans’ concerns with the upcoming film.
The New Star Wars Movie Has a Low Bar
Directed by Jon Favreau, who co-wrote and produced the film with Lucasfilm’s new co-president Dave Filoni, The Mandalorian & Grogu marks the franchise’s first time in theaters since Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019), while also being the first time a TV series set in the faraway galaxy has been adapted for the big screen, with the film acting as a continuation of the popular series that helped launch Disney+ in 2019.
The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2 resonated with fans, who, at the time, had been left alienated by Disney’s hugely divisive sequel trilogy films, Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker. Those first two seasons could do no wrong; however, Season 3 was met with mixed to negative reviews, with many feeling that the series, which was beginning to sideline Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), had outstayed its welcome.
Related: ‘Mandalorian’ Film Confirms Return of Character Removed From Disney+ Series
The Mandalorian & Grogu Box Office Projections
Now, The Mandalorian & Grogu is expected to attract fans of the Disney+ series, despite it having been absent from our screens since the poorly received Season 3 premiered in 2023. Many fans have already been hugely critical of the film not just for this reason, but because of the trailers themselves, with the film looking more like an extended episode of the series as opposed to a big-scale blockbuster movie (it reportedly has a surprisingly low budget).
According to Deadline, the film is tracking to secure around $80 million-plus over its four-day domestic opening over the U.S. Memorial Day weekend. “While that’s not the $100M+ opening to which we’re accustomed for a Star Wars movie, duly note that it’s still early in the campaign, and though skewing currently with men over 25, Disney’s plan is to attract more families heading into the pic’s opening May 22,” the outlet reports.
Currently, the lowest opening for a live-action Star Wars movie belongs to 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story — also a standalone film — which debuted to $103 million over the four-day Memorial Day holiday and finished at $213.8 million domestic and $393 million worldwide. Now, it seems Disney and Lucasfilm are keen to avoid that disaster again.
Related: Lucasfilm Finally Confirms That Grogu Is Alive During the ‘Star Wars’ Sequel Trilogy
A New Trailer Aims for Nostalgia
With yesterday, May 4, also known as “May the Fourth” or Star Wars Day, marking the last major push to promote the film, fans were also treated to a brand-new trailer titled “Generations,” which includes footage of legacy characters, in particular mentors and their students similar to Din Djarin and Grogu (AKA “Baby Yoda”), such as Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Rey (Daisy Ridley), and even Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) and young Jyn Erso (Beau Gadsdon).
Watch the new trailer below:
Who’s in The Mandalorian & Grogu?
Unfortunately, The Mandalorian & Grogu isn’t expected to feature any such characters. While the Disney+ series featured a huge roster of supporting characters, including The Armorer (Emily Swallow), Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris), IG-11 (Taika Waititi), Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), and Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), none of them are confirmed to return in the film, which wipes the slate clean with its lineup.
Other Mandalorian characters can be ruled out instantly.
Related: Mando and Grogu May Be Replaced in Season 4 of Disney+ Series, as ‘Mandalorian’ Film Struggles
Carl Weathers, who played Greef Karga in the series, passed away in 2024. Boba Fett actor Temuera Morrison, who appeared in The Mandalorian Season 2 and got his own spinoff series The Book of Boba Fett (2021), recently said that Lucasfilm told him his character has “been put on the shelf” for now. Katee Sackhoff, who played Bo-Katan Kryze in seasons 2 and 3, revealed last year that she had struggled to find work following her time on the series.
The situation with Gina Carano, who was fired by the company in 2021, remains speculative, especially following comments she made on The Ariel Helwani Show regarding conversations she’s had with Favreau and Filoni about reprising the role of Cara Dune.
Confirmed characters aside from Din and Grogu include Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), the Lasat warrior Zeb Orrelios from Star Wars Rebels (2014 — 2018), who briefly appeared in The Mandalorian Season 3, the Kyuzo bounty hunter Embo from the animated series The Clone Wars (2008 — 2020), Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White), who first appeared as a baby in the 2008 Clone Wars film, and the Hutt Twins, who appeared in The Book of Boba Fett.
Of course, surprise cameos are always likely in a Star Wars movie.
The Mandalorian & Grogu Will Launch a New Era
It remains to be seen whether The Mandalorian & Grogu can revitalize Star Wars for audiences following years of divisive content spanning film and television, from the sequel trilogy to shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), Ahsoka (2023), and The Acolyte (2024).
Still, the film marks the beginning of a new era for the franchise as it seemingly moves away from the episodic trilogies of the long-running Skywalker Saga. Next year, another standalone film will arrive in the form of Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter (2027), which stars Ryan Gosling (Project Hail Mary) in the lead role. The film releases on May 28, 2027.
“The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy,” the film’s official synopsis for The Mandalorian & Grogu on StarWars.com reads.
It continues: “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 is directed by Jon Favreau, and produced by Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, and Ian Bryce, with music composed by Ludwig Göransson.
The film releases in theaters on May 22.
Are you excited about The Mandalorian & Grogu? Let us know in the comments!
