After seven years, Star Wars is finally returning to the big screen – and The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s new trailer shows the franchise is back with style. The Mandalorian was easily Star Wars’ biggest hit since the sequel trilogy, successfully launching the franchise’s Disney+ era. But Disney is shifting focus once again, returning to the big screen, and that means it’s time for Star Wars to return to its natural home.
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Directed by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian and Grogu is set roughly five or six years after the end of Return of the Jedi. This is a time when the Empire was believed defeated, but when gangsters and pirates flourished as the New Republic attempted to establish itself as a galactic power. The end of The Mandalorian Season 3 saw Din Djarin sign up to work exclusively for the Republic, and that means he’s on the front lines of an unexpected Imperial resurgence.
20. Din Djarin Is Flying with the New Republic in The Mandalorian and Grogu
The new Mandalorian and Grogu trailer opens with a surprising hint: Din Djarin seems to have signed up fully to the New Republic, even flying with them (and allowing a New Republic Astromech to serve as his navigator). With the Empire rising again, it makes sense that Din would work with the Republic rather than the forces who hunted Grogu down for decades.
19. No, That’s Not Artoo in The Mandalorian and Grogu
The first shots from The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s were released early to hype it up, and led to a lot of surprising discussion over whether the film had confirmed the return of Artoo-Detoo. While there is a shot of an Astromech, it’s not Artoo. Astromechs are incredibly common in the Star Wars galaxy, used for navigation. This one sports red, confirming it’s a New Republic Astromech. Artoo, of course, has a unique and individualistic blue.
18. Din Djarin’s New RazorCrest
Din Djarin’s trusty Razor Crest was destroyed in The Mandalorian Season 2, and he took up an N1 starfighter as a replacement in The Book of Boba Fett. It seems that was only a temporary purchase, though, because now he’s back in one of his beloved Razor Crests again – this one sporting cool yellow paintwork. From an out-of-universe perspective, this is clearly part of a general reset to restore the Mandalorian silhouette back to what worked so well in Seasons 1 and 2 after the stumbles of Season 3 and the Boba Fett spinoff.
17. Has Din Djarin Returned to Coruscant?
City-planets are a dime a dozen in Star Wars, especially in the Galactic Core, but it’s entirely possible that Din Djarin will head to Coruscant at some point. Imperial agents like Katy O’Brian’s Elia Kane are known to be working on the galactic capital, attempting to undermine the Republic, so it would make sense for Din to go there. Alternatively, this could be the upper levels of Nar Shadda, the so-called “Smuggler’s Moon” that orbits the Hutt homeworld of Nal Hutta.
16. Martin Scorsese Just Joined Star Wars
No, your ears did not deceive you; Martin Scorsese makes his Star Wars debut in The Mandalorian and Grogu. He’s playing a monkey-like Ardennian, apparently an underworld informant for Din Djarin. It’s presumably just a brief cameo.
15. Din Djarin Confronts the Twins from The Book of Boba Fett
Crime bosses introduced in The Book of Boba Fett, the Twins have already featured fairly prominently in The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s marketing. These are no doubt the kind of gangsters Din Djarin promises to hunt down for the New Republic, and they’re a formidable force to be reckoned with, already known to be connected to gladiatorial games.
14. “Long Live the Empire”
Din Djarin isn’t only hunting gangsters, of course; he’s tasked with neutralizing leaders in the Imperial Remnant, scattered warlords left behind by the Empire’s apparent collapse. In reality, these warlords are coordinating under the leadership of an Imperial Shadow Council and the newly-returned Grand Admiral Thrawn, a top strategist who was exiled from the galaxy shortly before the beginning of the Galactic Civil War. The trailer features a slogan that’s become increasingly popular in the Imperial Remnant; “Long live the Empire,” an ominous promise for the future.
We don’t know much about the Imperial warlords Din Djarin is hunting. Notice the background, though, which shows a snowy planet; this must be the world that featured in the first Mandalorian and Grogu trailer, in thrilling shots that showed him taking down AT-ATs. It’s clearly a major Imperial operation.
13. Action From Star Wars Celebration’s Mandalorian and Grogu Footage
There’s a brief shot of Din Djarin showing just how dangerous a flamethrower is in a fight. This is actually footage from an earlier Mandalorian and Grogu trailer seen at Star Wars Celebration last year, where fortunate viewers got a (very) early glimpse of the film (never released online). ComicBook’s James Hunt was there, and he recalls:
“Maybe it was the excitement of being in the room, but the action was awesome: it turned the Mandalorian into a one-man wrecking crew, it was kinetic and fast-paced but clean, made great use of his different weapons (his flamethrower was a real highlight), and overall it was a thrilling sequence that, importantly, felt cinematic. The crowd naturally loved it, and it made it seem like Disney had a hit on its hands, and one it was confident in at that.”
12. Adelphi Base, the New Republic Outpost
There’s a brief glimpse of the exterior of Adelphi Base, an important New Republic outpost on the galaxy’s Outer Rim. The New Republic Defense Fleet operates from this base, and it’s where Din goes to receive orders. It also seems to play an important role in the film’s plot – because it’s potentially a tempting target for the resurgent Empire.
11. Is Grogu Seeking Revenge in The Mandalorian and Grogu?
Another shot seen at Star Wars Celebration, The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer shows Grogu using the Force to destroy a mouse droid. What’s surprising, though, is that the trailer positions this alongside a warning that the duo’s mission should not be about revenge. It’s perhaps a hint that Grogu’s motives are mixed; he may have sworn himself to the Mandalorian Way, but he’s still a Force-sensitive and vulnerable to the dark side. Revenge is a very dangerous motive for anyone who has the Force.
10. The Stakes are Higher than Ever Before in The Mandalorian and Grogu
The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer gives an extended look at Din Djarin and Grogu’s meeting with Colonel Ward, a New Republic leader played by sci-fi legend Sigourney Weaver herself. Colonel Ward reveals just how high the stakes really are; she believes the galaxy is on the brink of another war, and this mission is a last chance to prevent it. Given The Mandalorian and Grogu will be followed by Ahsoka Season 2, with full-scale capital ship battles between Imperial and Republic forces, it’s reasonable to assume the heroes are destined to fail.
9. An Old Separatist Outpost – Complete With Battle Droids
In a surprising twist, The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s trailer heads to an old Separatist base and an army of battle droids. This droid army hails from the Clone Wars, and Din Djarin appears to be leading them. This may well explain why the film is known to feature the Anzellans, droidsmiths from Nevarro, who could potentially reprogram an old Separatist army to work for Din.
8. The Return of Embo, a Clone Wars Bounty Hunter
The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer features glimpses of the bounty hunter Embo, a ferocious killer who flourished during the days of the Old Republic and the Clone Wars. He’s clearly hunting Din Djarin, and must have been offered quite a price to kill the Mandalorian and the Child; he’d retired by this point in the timeline, meaning it would take a lot of credits to tempt him into resuming his career. Chillingly, Embo appears to be attacking Din Djarin’s homestead on Nevarro.
7. The Mandalorian and Grogu Features a Lot More of Pedro Pascal
In a shocking twist, Din Djarin is actually unmasked by the Hutts – which means this trailer shows a lot more of Pedro Pascal’s face than anyone had expected. That makes sense from a marketing viewpoint given Pascal’s popularity, but it’s also an important story point; Din is part of a Mandalorian sect who believe in never removing their helmets, in never allowing anyone to see their faces. For Din to be unmasked is a mark of shame.
6. Grogu Has More Mandalorian Weapons & Armor
Grogu is truly his father’s son, now adopting a smaller version of Din Djarin’s signature “Whistling Birds” wrist weapons. Notice that the beskar breastplate – given to Grogu in The Mandalorian Season 3 – bears the insignia of the Mudhorn Clan. This is a clan of two, composed only of the Mandalorian and Grogu. We later see evidence that Grogu will be on some side-missions on his own, including shots of him in a speeder with Anzellans. It seems pretty clear Grogu’s arc is being deliberately concealed.
5. Grogu’s Destiny Foreshadowed – Will He Return to the Jedi?
Introduced as a Jedi youngling, Grogu chose to remain with Din Djarin rather than pursue the life of a Jedi. But that decision may not last, simply because the trailer reminds viewers that Grogu will live on when Din is nothing but dust. He’s shown pursuing power in the Force, meditating in what may be a Force vergence like Dagobah. The shot is deliberately reminiscent of Yoda himself, and his own meditations on that swamp-world. It may well mean Grogu is still destined to be a Jedi – and it’s even possible we see a glimpse his teacher, a mysterious alien.
4. Din Djarin Faces Monsters – Including Ones Straight Out of a Sabacc Game
This wouldn’t be a Star Wars film without monsters, and Din Djarin is up against quite a few. Some are even drawn from the creatures we’ve seen before in Dejarik, the holo-chess game Chewbacca likes to play. The most terrifying is a snake-like monsters that he faces while apparently unarmed.
3. Din Djarin Versus Rotta the Hutt
The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer returns to the film’s Hutt subplot, showing Din Djarin begin gladiatorial combat against Rotta the Hutt – Jabba’s son. Introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and now voiced by Jeremy Allen White, Rotta is clearly a force to be reckoned with. He’s been described as one of the movie’s three stars (along with Pascal and Weaver).
2. Zeb Returns in Live-Action – But Has Adelphi Base Been Attacked?
Played by Steve Blum, Zeb Orrelios is an established character who hails from Star Wars Rebels. Zeb is now a New Republic pilot based on Adelphi, and shots immediately after this appear to show him fighting against the Empire on the outpost itself (Grogu uses the Force on a landspeeder in what seems to be a sand dune setting). This raises the possibility The Mandalorian and Grogu will see the Empire launch a devastating counter-attack, one that risks dooming Din Djarin’s mission.
1. A Daring Escape… & An Unexpected Carl Weathers Tribute
The monsters from the Hutt arena break out into the streets (supporting the theory this is, in fact, Nar Shaddaa). It all leads to a delightful escape, as Grogu steals a turbo-powered version of his old pram. Easy to miss, though, is the fact one of the creatures – a Mantellian Savrip – exits through a door with some distinctive writing in Aurebesh. This reads “WEATHERS APOLLO,” clearly a tribute to the late Carl Weathers, who played a major role in The Mandalorian but sadly passed away in 2024.
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