This story contains light spoilers for the Season Three finale of The Mandalorian.
Roses are red, Grogu is green, and The Mandalorian movie is officially a go. Dave Filoni (the mastermind behind many of the Star Wars animated series) will direct the big screen debuts of Mando and Grogu it was revealed in early April. This, of course, brings up about a zillion more questions. So, following The Mandalorian‘s Season Three finale, we’re here to rampantly speculate the details of this movie, which we very likely won’t see until the back half of the decade. This is the way.
So, What’s the Story Here?
According to Variety‘s dispatch from Star Wars Celebration, where this project was revealed, Filoni’s film “will focus on the New Republic, and “close out” the interconnected stories that are told in series including The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and other Disney+ shows.” Interesting! It sounds like a very Avengers-esque way to say goodbye to the first wave of Star Wars on Disney+. You have to imagine that—whatever story will be told in this film—it’ll truly launch Grogu’s arc in the greater Star Wars universe. (Blaster to my head, LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy sees The Mandalorian as the kid’s origin story. Especially if Rey’s new film will see her rebuilding the Jedi order.)
Here’s what Filoni had to say at Star Wars Celebration about taking the reins:
[Lucasfilm President] Kathleen Kennedy and I talked from the very beginning of her coming into Lucasfilm about whether there would be opportunities for me to experiment with live-action or try it. And she really worked at coming up with a plan to educate me and get me involved. I visited J.J. [Abrams] on The Force Awakens, I visited Gareth Edwards [on Rogue One] and I visited Rian on [The Last Jedi]. Rian was the one who shoved me up front, sticking lenses in my hand and really getting me immersed in it. And so I still talk with him to this day. He’s obviously a very talented filmmaker, and I was just very fortunate to be in such an environment where I could sit and listen and learn.
No shade to Dave Filoni—and as nice as the news is—I’m bummed that Bryce Dallas Howard won’t direct The Mandalorian movie. Her take on Episode Six of The Mandalorian Season Three rocked. Maybe the inevitable sequel.
Does The Mandalorian‘s Season Three Finale Give Any Hints?
Not really. “Chapter 24” of The Mandalorian, more or less, gives Mando and Grogu’s stories a clean slate. We learn that our favorite father-son duo finally took Greef Karga up on his offer to house them on Nevarro. Judging by Mando’s parting conversation with Captain Teva, he’ll roam the galaxy as an “independent contractor” for the New Republic, wiping out Imperial remnants. Meanwhile, Bo-Katan Kryze, the Armorer, and the rest of the formerly exiled Mandalorians have settled back into their old digs on Mandalore. In other words? The Mandalorian‘s main players will remain relatively idle, until the Star Wars Bat-Signal calls on them for the next adventure. Maybe we’ll see Grogu bop over to Ahsoka.
Important Question: How Does Pedro Pascal Feel About All This?
Before the Mando movie news hit, we caught up with Pedro Pascal for our April/May cover story—which is out now. In the accompanying video interview, streaming above, we asked the actor how he felt about the idea of joining the Star Wars film universe. In quippy, Pascalian fashion, the man had two words: “Fuck yeah.” It’s safe to say that Pascal will feature heavily in Filoni’s film, if you had any doubt. Now, let’s just work on finding an excuse to get rid of Mando’s helmet in time for the movie.
