The Mandalorian & Grogu became a much-anticipatedStar Wars film almost immediately. Buttressed by the popularity of the so-called “Baby Yoda,” the film — based on the hit Disney+ show The Mandalorian — will conclude the saga of the wayward bounty hunter and his adopted green charge of an indeterminate species.
Jon Favreau, who helmed the production of the popular television series, will direct the movie. Kathleen Kennedy serves as the executive producer alongside Favreau and Dave Filoni.
“I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created,” said Favreau to the official Star Wars site. “The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting.”
The film entered production earlier this year. While no official trailer has dropped, fans have started making speculative teaser trailers in anticipation of the “real” trailer dropping.
Trailer fun aside, here's everything we know about the upcoming film so far.
The Mandalorian & Grogu Has a 2026 Release Date
Lucasfilm hasn't officially announced a release date forThe Mandalorian & Grogu. However, the film's IMDB page revealed a release date of 2026. And while release dates can change, fans can't help but wonder if they'll get a new Star Wars film about two years from now.
As a sidebar, Daisy Ridley's “UntitledStar Wars Project” also has a 2026 release date, so fans may be getting twoStar Wars films in the same year. Observers have speculated, however, that the Ridley-led film will get a December 2026 release — just in time for Christmas — while The Mandalorian & Grogu hit screens sometime in May of that year.
Will It Pick Up Where the Show Left Off?
Season 3 of The Mandalorianconcluded with Din Djarin, Grogu, and Bo-Katan basking in the glory of a Moff Gideon defeat. (Or, at least that how it appeared — fans already know thatStar Wars Big Bads have a problem staying dead.) Bo-Katan reclaimed the throne of Mandalore, while Din and his kid got a nice lakeside hut with all the frogs Grogu can eat.
But Din isn't one to rest on his Beskar armor, so he also made a deal with the New Republic to bring other Imperial Remnant leaders to justice, effectively reopening his bounty-hunting business that fell by the wayside when he adopted Grogu.
That all but guarantees a collision course with Grand Admiral Thrawn, whom fans met in theAhsoka series. While it's still unclear what role Thrawn plays in the ultimate failure of the New Republic,The Mandalorian & Grogu promises to at least further bridge the gap between Return of the Jedi andThe Force Awakens.
The Mandalorian & GroguCast Will Have Some Old — And New — Faces
Pedro Pascal will return asthe titular Din Djarin, while Lateef Crowder and Brendan Wayne will return as the stuntmen. Grogu will star as himself, unless he officially starts talking inThe Mandalorian & Grogu. (It would be rather trite to give him the same voice and speech inflection as OG Yoda, just for the record.)
There has been some speculation that Pascal's role will be somewhat more limited than in years past, in part because his shooting schedule potentially conflicts with Marvel's Fantastic Four, which begins shooting at the end of July. So far, however, no one in the Lucasfilm or Disney camps hasconfirmed or denied this speculation.
While no other cast members have officially been confirmed, there's a good chance that familiar faces will join the fan favorites on their journey. Temuera Morrison can return as Boba Fett, Ming-Na Wen can reprise Fennec Shand, Katee Sackhoff can play Bo-Katan Kryze, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee can return as Carson Teva.
The Star Wars camp has also found excitement thanks to a new face joining the cast. Sigourney Weaver, the legendary sci-fi actress who brought the Alien series into the pop culturezeitgeist, is currently negotiating her as-yet-unnamed role in the film, according toThe Hollywood Reporter.
Sadly, though, one cast member will not be returning toThe Mandalorian & Grogu. Carl Weathers, who played Greef Karga, died in February 2024 due to complications from cardiovascular disease. Hopefully, Favreau and company have begun preparing a proper send-off for the character in honor of the legendary actor.
What Becomes of Cara Dune?
The Gina Carano-sized elephant in the room is, of course, revolving around the fate of Cara Dune. As of this writing, it's unclear whetherThe Mandalorian & Grogu will tackle Dune's/Carano's departure head-on. What's clear, though, is that her story has ended, as far as Disney/Lucasfilm is concerned.
Earlier this month, Carano filed a response against Disney's motion to dismiss her Elon Musk-backed wrongful termination lawsuit.
“After admitting that they discriminated against Carano for herpersonalpolitical beliefs and subjected her to disparate treatment from her similarly situated male co-stars, The Walt Disney Company, Lucasfilm LTD, and Huckleberry Industries (collectively, “Defendants”) assert that the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives them absolute immunity,” she wrote. “Defendants are incorrect.”
She continued: “Neither the First Amendment itself nor the few cases applying the First Amendment in the context of casting give employers the right to control or punish thepersonalspeech of employees. None of Carano’s comments reference Defendants,Star Wars,orThe Mandalorian, or had anything to do with Defendants. Carano’s claims do not seek to impose any message on Defendants or to change Defendants’ speech in any fashion.”
Disney, Lucasfilm, and the production companies have a different take on the matter. “Disney has a constitutional right not to associate its artistic expression with Carano’s speech, such that the First Amendment provides a complete defense to Carano’s claims,” they wrote in their motion to dismiss.
Despite Carano's complaints about Disney,Star Wars, and the production companies behindThe Mandalorian & Grogu, her lawsuit has one endgame: an injunction that will give her job back to her. In other words, she's doing all thisso she can be Cara Dune again.
It remains to be seen, though, if Disney will grant her that wish.
