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It's been six years now since the Star Wars saga was last on the big screen, which means The Mandalorian & Grogu needs to be a showstopper as the first movie back out of the gate.
When The Mandalorian and Grogu movie was announced, I was immediately excited – the Beskar-clad gunslinger and his tiny green charge stole my heart from the first episode of the Disney Plus show. I'm still of the opinion that there are no better characters to herald Star Wars's return to the big screen. They kickstarted the Disney Plus era and they're pretty much universally beloved, so who else could lead Star Wars into the future?
However, as much as I adore Mando and Grogu, I felt the show faltered slightly in The Mandalorian season 3, which had my excitement for the movie mixed with a dose of trepidation (especially because it will be going up against Avengers: Doomsday, which is released just weeks earlier).
At Star Wars Celebration 2025 though, I was lucky enough to get a behind-closed-doors look at the film during the movie's dedicated panel. This brief glimpse allayed all of my fears, because it's clear the movie is going back to basics – and that's a very promising sign.
A galaxy of adventures
The footage begins with Mando fighting through an AT-AT full of troopers in what looks to be a solo mission. It's sleek, fast-paced action that immediately brought the opening scene of season 1 to the forefront of my mind ("I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold"). Then, he's back to dad mode with Grogu, jetpack-flying through the sky with Baby Yoda clutched in his arms. After that, he meets with Sigourney Weaver's character while Grogu uses the Force to try and steal a bowl of food, before we see the duo watching Rotta the Hutt in a gladiator match of some kind as Grogu chows down on popcorn. All of it reminded me of the good old days when Mando and the Child went on standalone adventures across the galaxy together. In short, it looks like it has all the makings of a classic episode of The Mandalorian.
Now, to be clear, I enjoyed season 3 a lot. But I did feel there was something of a dip from the earlier two installments. Mando and Grogu felt almost incidental to a storyline that was essentially Bo-Katan Kryze's, while their personal arcs – Mando struggling with his creed and Grogu's Force powers flourishing, but without the tutelage of a Jedi Master – also felt somewhat diluted by the larger focus on Mandalore. While I liked seeing Bo-Katan retake her planet, I really missed the focus on Grogu and Mando's bond: which is why I loved the Mandalorian season 3 ending, which saw Din Djarin adopt the Child and name him Din Grogu, so very much.
Season 3 convinced me that Mando and Grogu work best as wandering adventurers, with a wider storyline for them both threading through the background of the story – exactly how the superb seasons 1 and 2 worked.
That's why I'm so pleased the movie seems to be following in those seasons' footsteps. "Right now, you work for us," Weaver's character tells Mando, which gives us the best clue yet about what Din Djarin and Din Grogu are up to after settling on Navarro – by the sounds of things, they're back to travelling the galaxy and getting themselves into sticky situations on behalf of the New Republic, which is the perfect set-up for a Mandalorian movie. Most likely, the film will focus on one of these adventures.
There's definitely a larger tale building in the Disney Plus timeline, with Ahsoka Tano stranded in another galaxy (and due to face off with Grand Admiral Thrawn in Ahsoka season 2) and Ezra Bridger returning home. I have no doubts that Mando and Grogu will eventually have their own parts to play in this part of the saga, but that will most likely come later, perhaps in Dave Filoni's movie set to tie together the shows. Grogu seems to have a larger destiny ahead of him, to say the least. But for now, Mando and Grogu seem to be far away from saving the fate of the galaxy, and that's the best place they can be.
The winning formula of The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2 combined with the spectacle of the big screen will, I hope, lead to more Star Wars greatness. It's what Mando and Grogu deserve, after all. Save the galaxy-changing battles for the Jedi, and let Mando and Grogu have their own adventures. That's the way.
The Mandalorian & Grogu hits theaters on May 22, 2026. In the meantime, check out our guide to everything revealed at Star Wars Celebration 2025, or see our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.
