Posted in: Lucasfilm, Movies, Star Wars, TV | Tagged: The Mandalorian and Grogu

The Mandalorian and Grogu Dir. Doesn't Know Why This Is The Comeback

The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau isn't sure why this movie was chosen to bring Star Wars out of its years-long theatrical hiatus.

When Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was released, and people weren't super into it, many fans and critics said that Star Wars might have needed a break. The way that Disney was approaching the series was similar to that of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it was becoming very apparent that it wasn't working in a galaxy far, far away. However, when people thought about a timeline for this break, they probably weren't thinking six years. The pandemic threw things into a tailspin as everyone thought the future was streaming and streaming alone, but it didn't take long for it to become very apparent that streaming alone was not the future. Now, Star Wars was a bunch of TV series with no movies in sight. The existence of The Mandalorian and Grogu isn't that far-fetched, but the fact that it's the first Star Wars movie in theaters since 2019 is wild. Apparently, we're not the only ones who think it's wild, since, according to an interview with GamesRadar+, director Jon Favreau also doesn't know how this happened but believes that the way Grogu and the show brought in new fans was a contributing factor.

"I'm not sure what, exactly, why we were asked to do this," Favreau explained. "I suspect it was because these are characters that people, even who hadn't seen Star Wars, may be aware of, especially Grogu. Baby Yoda was everywhere. And these are two characters that were used to launch Disney Plus, and we made no assumptions when the Mandalorian TV show came on that anybody had seen any Star Wars before. But we also wanted to make it feel authentic to Star Wars, and so the world that we created as the backdrop and the way the characters present themselves were embraced by Star Wars fans, which I really appreciate. But it also was an inroad for people who may not have ever watched Star Wars on television, and here we are now, seven years after the last film. I think there's an opportunity to present Star Wars to a new audience using these characters as well."

The irony that The Mandalorian and Grogu likely seemed like the safe choice, and now people seem deeply uninterested, shouldn't be lost on anyone. However, even if all of this falls apart, another Star Wars movie is right around the horizon, and maybe Star Wars: Starfighter will feel more like a return to form.

The Mandalorian and Grogu: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

The Mandalorian and Grogu embark on their most thrilling mission yet in Lucasfilm's Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, an all-new Star Wars adventure opening exclusively in theaters May 22, 2026.

The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu. Directed by Jon Favreau, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu also stars Sigourney Weaver and is produced by Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, and Ian Bryce,  with music composed by Ludwig Göransson.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!