Posted in: Disney+, Movies, TV | Tagged: The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian Season 4 Still Possible? Maybe, But It's Confusing

Based on Jon Favreau's comments, it sounds like The Mandalorian Season 4 could still be possible. Unfortunately, here's why it's a long shot.

To say that a whole lot of fans of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni's Pedro Pascal-starring The Mandalorian were surprised by the news that dropped back in January 2024. Though they had been waiting on news of a fourth season of the streaming series (with Favreau and Filoni having reportedly completed writing Season 4 in February 2023, ahead of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes), it was announced that Disney and Lucasfilm would be bringing the story to the big screen, with The Mandalorian and Grogu set for May 2026. While many assumed the move to the big screen was the final nail in the "Star Wars" series' coffin, Favreau's recent comments to Empire Magazine have left things a bit confusing.

"We were planning on doing a fourth season. I had actually written all of that. I still have Season 4 sitting on my desk here, Favreau shared. "It's structured around a movie structure, as opposed to a serialized weekly television show. So there's a larger throw to the whole thing." Based on Favreau's comments, there appears to still be a viable batch of Season 4 scripts – good news, right? Well, probably not. Disney CEO Bob Iger has made it clear that Lucasfilm and other studios will scale back and spread out their films and series, with a focus shifting more towards theatrical films than streaming series. If The Mandalorian and Grogu is a success, we can't imagine Lucasfilm deciding to go back to a streaming series; they would be leaving too much money on the table. If the film is a disappointment, we could see Lucasfilm mothball the franchise before investing in another season.

The Mandalorian & Grogu: Dave Filoni's 2023 Thoughts

During an interview with Empire, Filoni offered some early clues to what fans could expect from the film, the need to go big when moving to the big screen, and planting the seeds for some defining moments. Here's a look at some of the highlights that were offered during the early stages of development:

Will the Film Wrap-Up Storylines or Have Its Own Story? "The way I look at it, there are [small] stories, and then there's the big story of the day, too. 'A New Hope,' 'Empire,' and 'Return Of The Jedi' tell the important parts of the tale that really define the history of the period. There are all kinds of sub-stories underneath that. We've been building all these small stories."

Moving to The Big Screen Means "Defining Moments" Are A Must: "To me, a theatrical experience has to have a big idea – a monumental moment in the time period that changes what's happening. What Tony [Gilroy] has done [in Andor] and what we did in 'Rebels,' everything then changes when Luke blows up the Death Star. You're looking for those moments that define an era, and that's what the films really should be about – whether it's characters coming together or a defining moment."

Filoni's Been Leaving Clues to What's to Come "Across Different Mediums" for Some Time: "There are little things along the way that I've built across different mediums, all in preparation for things that come later."

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