With Star Wars resuming its movie releases, The Mandalorian and Grogu has the opportunity to break a 21-year curse for the famed franchise. Disney+’s inaugural series has come a long way since it debuted in 2019. Spearheaded by Pedro Pascal as the titular character named Din Djarin, the three-season run on the small screen is set to culminate with his own film, but this time, he’s sharing the billing with his adopted son, Grogu.
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Admittedly, marketing for the film in 2026 didn’t have the best start. Its Super Bowl LX spot was met with confusion and backlash. Subsequently, Disney released a proper trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu, offering viewers a better idea of what to expect when the duo debuts on the big screen. It’s an understatement to say that there’s pressure for the film to be a hit for the House of Mouse, especially in light of its planned films for the franchise moving forward.
Star Wars Hasn’t Had A Summer Blockbuster Success Since Revenge Of The Sith
Aside from being a critical and commercial success, it also has the chance to break a 21-year curse that has been haunting Star Wars. Much has been said about how The Mandalorian and Grogu will be the first film from the universe to be released since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, but what’s often ignored is the fact that the franchise hasn’t had a successful summer blockbuster since 2005’s Revenge of the Sith from George Lucas.
This is due to a mix of factors. For starters, Star Wars didn’t have any movie released until 2015’s The Force Awakens — the first big screen project since Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney. This was originally planned for a summer 2015 release, before moving back to December of that same year.
After that, its following films all had December premieres except for 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, which, unfortunately, underperformed at the box office. The House of Mouse originally wanted The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker for May 2017 and 2019 premieres, but they were also both delayed to the last month of their respective years.
Fueled by The Mandalorian‘s three-season build-up from being on Disney+, The Mandalorian and Grogu is Disney’s perfect chance to finally achieve a commercial hit during the summer season. If it’s successful in this endeavor, the company might be inclined to schedule more Star Wars films during the traditional blockbuster period, which is exciting.
What Are The Chances Of The Mandalorian and Grogu Finally Breaking Star Wars’ 21-Year Blockbuster Curse?
It’s no secret that Star Wars‘ era under Disney has had a lot of ups and downs. Fans of the franchise are very opinionated about what’s happening in the galaxy far, far away, and arguably, that’s still better than a detached base. So any project, especially a high-profile movie that features a character from the same intriguing species as Master Yoda, will come with immense pressure to be good.
That said, The Mandalorian and Grogu is in a unique position as the first Star Wars property to start as a TV show and culminate with a film. All that time spent on Din and the Child’s adventures has helped people be more compelled to see how their adventures would end. In terms of Star Wars lore, there’s also still the question of both of their whereabouts during the sequel trilogy — although moreso Grogu than Din. Whether Favreau’s film answers this big query remains to be seen. It will all depend on if they have future plans for the Child, as it will keep the public interested in his story.
With less than three months to go before The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters, expect Disney to ramp up their marketing effort for the film moving forward. Ideally, the House of Mouse should have already done this by now, knowing how important it is for the future of the franchise for the film to succeed. Regardless, the confirmation that Pascal will spend a portion of it without a mask is already a big step in selling it beyond the established fan base. As one of the biggest stars right now, his involvement can entice those who might not be knee-deep in Star Wars to still check out the project.
Finally, The Mandalorian and Grogu has the lowest production budget of any Star Wars film in the Disney era. This means that its chances of at least breaking even are higher. That doesn’t mean that the project should aim lower. Ultimately, it’s still better if it exceeds expectations. However, this makes it easier for the film to hit its goal and finally deliver Disney the Star Wars blockbuster that has been eluding it for years.
The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters on May 22, 2026.
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Image courtesy of Tor Books/Macmillan -
Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme
