Movies

I’m Convinced the Next Star Wars Movie Will Deliver 1 Thing Fans Have Been Waiting 7 Years For

Star Wars is finally making its return to theaters this summer with the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu. While there were initial concerns about the film’s quality due to a shaky start to the marketing campaign, opinions have started to shift in a more positive direction with the recent premiere of the latest trailer. In contrast from the polarizing teaser that debuted last fall, this new preview sports a much more cinematic feel and even sheds light on the film’s story, hinting at what should be many exciting moments that will look great on the big screen. As director Jon Favreau said, the creative team tried to “up our game” on the project.

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Unsurprisingly, some of the best moments in the Mandalorian and Grogu trailer feature the titular infant, whether they’re played for comedy (Grogu pushing buttons on the ship) or tug at the heartstrings (Grogu meditating as Din Djarin ponders the child’s life without him). Grogu should steal just about every scene he’s in, and there’s an intriguing way The Mandalorian and Grogu could up its game in this regard. The film should depict the moment where Grogu speaks his first words.

The Mandalorian and Grogu Can Turn Grogu’s First Words Into an Event

Throughout his appearances on The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, Grogu has only communicated through a variety of baby noises that convey different emotions. Star Wars has flirted with the baby’s first words in the past (there’s a humorous moment in The Mandalorian Season 3 where Grogu seemingly tries to say “This is the way”), but he’s yet to say something clear and definitive. It feels like Lucasfilm has been steadily building up to that moment, which will undoubtedly be a significant event. Realistically, it’s something that should happen sooner than later. Grogu is over 50 years old, and it’s been shown he understands words that are spoken to him. There are many unresolved mysteries about the development of Grogu’s species, but most human babies typically say their first word after around a year. Grogu’s behavior largely resembles human infants around that age range.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is arguably the biggest chance Lucasfilm is guaranteed to have to turn Grogu’s first words into the major event they deserve to be. It makes sense for this to happen in the film, where it would be a fun and unexpected surprise for the audience. Hearing Grogu speak his first clear word would land with the biggest impact on the big screen, turning it into a communal experience for all the Star Wars fans gathered on opening weekend. It’s not a given there will be a Mandalorian and Grogu sequel or even another film set in the New Republic era (depending on how things turn out, Dave Filoni’s MandoVerse crossover movie could be reworked into a limited series), so if Lucasfilm is saving Grogu’s first words for something monumental, it doesn’t get much more substantial than the first new Star Wars movie in seven years.

The main plot of The Mandalorian and Grogu seems to revolve around Din Djarin traversing the galactic underworld on the search for a Hutt, but there’s also an emotional through-line in the film. At one point in the trailer, Din Djarin expresses concern over the fact that Grogu will outlive him by centuries, meaning he won’t always be around to protect his ward. Preparing Grogu for life without him sounds like it will be a significant part of Djarin’s character arc, and it’s hard to picture a more powerful way of capping that subplot off than having Grogu say his first words to his adoptive father figure, perhaps doing what he can to put Djarin’s mind at ease. Grogu could theoretically say something in a comedic moment, but it would arguably be more impactful for his first words to come in a poignant scene, giving them a bit more meaning.

If Grogu doesn’t speak his first words in The Mandalorian and Grogu, it would be a missed opportunity. This is something fans have waited for since the character debuted in 2019. Understandably, it’s taken a long time to get to this point. If Grogu spoke at the end of The Mandalorian Season 1 or even the emotional finale of Season 2, it might have felt like it happened too soon. But after seven years of watching the dynamic duo together, The Mandalorian and Grogu is when this moment should happen. It would be a great way to ring in the new era of Star Wars movies and get fans buzzing about the franchise again.

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