The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau says "we get to really have fun with" fan-favorite Star Wars Rebels character Zeb Orrelios in the new movie: "He's such a compelling character, even if you've never seen Rebels"

The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau has teased the role of a fan-favorite Star Wars character in the upcoming movie: Zeb Orrelios, who also briefly appeared in The Mandalorian season 3.

"Now we get to really have fun with him," Favreau said in a new interview with Empire. "He’s such a compelling character, even if you’ve never seen Rebels, between the voice, the swagger, and the physical ability."

Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios is a former member of the Lasat Honor Guard who became part of the Ghost's crew of rebels because he wanted revenge against the Empire for massacring his people. He was voiced by Steve Blum in the animated Star Wars Rebels show, but his casting for the movie hasn't been confirmed yet.

"The Mandalorian has changed his priorities," Favreau explained. "One of the last things we say [in season 3] is, like, 'I don’t want to go out there and just be a hired gun. I want to work for the good guys.'"

The movie will see Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin and his small green ward take to the big screen for the first time, alongside Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt and Sigourney Weaver as the New Republic's Colonel Ward.

"[With] The Mandalorian and Grogu, it was not my intention to find a fourth franchise," Weaver said recently. "I didn't ever imagine that I would enter the Star Wars world. But what's interesting about Star Wars now is they're no longer trying to do the Star Wars to end all Star Wars. They're letting the universe exist, and tell[ing] really interesting stories within that."

The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in theaters on May 22, 2026. While we wait, check out our guide to the other upcoming Star Wars movies and shows to add to your watchlist.