Spoilers for The Mandalorian and Grogu below. Din Djarin’s helmet has always been the point. It hides the face, flattens the expression, and forces The Mandalorian to do something Star Wars has always loved: make emotion visible through posture, silence, timing, and one extremely expensive suit of armor. But apparently, the helmet was hiding more than we realized. In a new Entertainment Weekly interview, Brendan Wayne, who physically portrays Mando in the armor, said he had “tears coming out of the helmet” while filming one of The Mandalorian and Grogu’s biggest emotional moments. That is not just a nice behind-the-scenes anecdote. It is a reminder that Din Djarin is not only a voice, a suit, or a helmet. He is a performance built from all three. The Body Behind the Beskar Pedro Pascal is the name on the poster, and rightly so. His voice gives Din Djarin that tired, controlled,…
The Mandalorian and Grogu
StarWars.com’s Yoda or Grogu Quiz Hits Differently After Tom Kane
Normally, a StarWars.com quiz asking whether a line or clue belongs to Yoda or Grogu would just be cute franchise fluff. This week, it lands a little differently. The official site has released a new “Quiz: Is it Yoda or Grogu?”, challenging fans to tell the difference between the two small green Force legends. The setup is light, simple, and very on-brand: Yoda and Grogu may look similar and share certain traits, but each has a personality of his own. That is true. It is also hard not to think about Tom Kane while reading it. Yoda’s Voice Still Echoes Kane, who sadly passed away at 64, gave animated Yoda one of his most familiar modern voices. For many Star Wars fans, especially those raised on The Clone Wars, his performance became part of how Yoda sounded outside the films. That matters because Yoda is not just a character design….
The Mandalorian and Grogu Reviews Are Already Split
The Mandalorian and Grogu was supposed to be Star Wars’ cleanest route back to theaters. Early reviews suggest the landing may be bumpier than Lucasfilm hoped. As reviews began rolling in, the film’s Rotten Tomatoes score hovered around the danger zone — initially circulating around 58%, then moving into the low 60s as more critics were added. The Hollywood Reporter noted that the movie was sitting around 64% positive, just above the “Fresh” cutoff, while Radio Times reported 63% based on 68 reviews at the time of writing. So no, this is not a critical disaster. But it is definitely not the triumphant, everyone-agrees Star Wars comeback either. A Movie Sitting on the Fence The interesting part is not the exact percentage. Rotten Tomatoes scores move, especially on review day. The story is the split. Some critics seem to appreciate The Mandalorian and Grogu as a fun, straightforward Star Wars…
The Mandalorian and Grogu Team Is Already Hoping for a Sequel
The first Mandalorian and Grogu movie is not even safely through the airlock yet, and Sigourney Weaver is already talking like someone who would happily book another trip to the Outer Rim. In a new Total Film interview, reported by GamesRadar, Weaver says she would love to do more work with Pedro Pascal and Grogu after The Mandalorian and Grogu. She also suggests the team is “secretly” hoping the movie could lead to another adventure, potentially pushing the story deeper into the Outer Rim. That is not an official sequel announcement. But it is absolutely the kind of comment Lucasfilm watchers will put under glass and examine with tiny tweezers. The Outer Rim Is the Right Playground The Outer Rim has always been where The Mandalorian feels most comfortable. Dusty settlements, broken Imperial leftovers, desperate locals, criminals pretending they have a code, and one armored dad trying to solve problems…
Jon Favreau Has Big Plans for Grogu After The Mandalorian and Grogu
Grogu is not just getting a movie. He may be getting a future. Jon Favreau has revealed that he has “a lot of plans” for Grogu creatively after The Mandalorian and Grogu, and the reason is very simple: this little green chaos child is not built for a one-movie arc. His species lives for centuries. His training is weird. His identity is split between two of Star Wars’ most myth-heavy traditions. In a new GamesRadar / Total Film interview, Favreau said Grogu is “on a path to be both a Jedi and a Mandalorian,” while also making choices and growing under a strong teacher. That is a very small sentence carrying a very large amount of future merchandise. And story. Mostly story. Grogu Is Built for the Long Game The most interesting part of Favreau’s comments is not just that he wants more Grogu stories. Of course he does. Lucasfilm…
Dave Filoni Says Star Wars Has a Plan — Just Not a Spreadsheet
Dave Filoni is not promising a Star Wars assembly line. Good. We have enough factories in this galaxy already. In a new Collider interview, Filoni was asked about the future of Star Wars under his creative leadership, and his answer was less “here are 14 release dates and a logo wall” and more “there is an architecture, but the stories come first.” That may sound vague if you are looking for a Marvel-style phase chart. But for Star Wars, it is probably the healthier answer. The Future Is Being Architected Filoni said he is currently “looking at the stories and the potential” while planning what he would like to do. He also said he believes in having “an overarching idea” before figuring out how many projects fit into that shape. The key part is not just that Star Wars has a broader plan. It is that Filoni is trying to…
Fortnite Is About to Become a Mando and Grogu Screening Room
Star Wars marketing has officially entered its “meet me in Fortnite for the movie preview” era. On May 19 at 10 a.m. ET, Fortnite players will be able to enter The Mandalorian and Grogu Watch Party Island, a Nevarro-inspired experience created by Fairview Portals and Beyond Creative. According to StarWars.com, the island will feature a special message from director Jon Favreau and an exclusive look at a 10-minute sneak peek of The Mandalorian and Grogu ahead of the film’s theatrical release on May 22, 2026. That is not just another skin drop. That is Star Wars using Fortnite as a digital lobby before the cinema doors open. Nevarro, Grogu, and a Very Modern Movie Preview The Watch Party Island is set on Nevarro, which makes sense. If The Mandalorian has a home base beyond “somewhere dangerous,” Nevarro is probably it. Players will be able to explore the location, step into…
Pedro Pascal Just Joined a Very Small Star Wars Movie Club
Pedro Pascal has worn the helmet, carried the show, protected the galaxy’s most powerful toddler, and somehow made “this is the Way” sound both cool and emotionally exhausted. Now he appears to have joined a much smaller Star Wars club: actors who receive top billing in a theatrical Star Wars movie. With The Mandalorian and Grogu heading to theaters, current promotional and cast listings place Pascal front and center as Din Djarin, alongside Grogu, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White, and the rest of the film’s new big-screen lineup. That may sound like a tiny credit-order detail, but in Star Wars history, top billing is not exactly handed out like blue milk at a cantina. A Short List With Big Names The list of actors most commonly associated with top billing in theatrical Star Wars films is small and very heavy: Mark Hamill, Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Harrison Ford, Felicity Jones,…
Jon Favreau Almost Gave The Mandalorian Its Own Holiday Special
Somewhere in a better, weirder timeline, The Mandalorian got its own holiday special and Peli Motto was apparently essential to the operation. In a new ComicBook interview promoting The Mandalorian and Grogu, Jon Favreau revealed that he once kicked around the idea of doing a new Star Wars Holiday Special built around Din Djarin’s corner of the galaxy. And yes, he even dropped one beautifully specific detail: “I don’t know how you would do it without Peli Moto,” referring to Amy Sedaris’ gloriously chaotic Tatooine mechanic. Honestly? He may be right. This Was Apparently a Real Early Idea Favreau said the idea came up back in the first season, before The Mandalorian had even aired. He was also careful to cool expectations immediately, saying there are no plans for a live-action holiday special and that it was something they “jokingly talked about.” But this does not sound like a random…
The Mandalorian and Grogu Premiere Makes Star Wars Feel Like a Movie Again
For the last several years, live-action Star Wars has mostly felt like something you watched at home while wondering if you still had time to squeeze in one more episode before bed. Now the red carpet is back. The Mandalorian and Grogu has held its Los Angeles premiere, with Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Ming-Na Wen, Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and more turning up for the kind of glossy Hollywood rollout Star Wars has not had in a very long time. Page Six and Just Jared both covered the L.A. event, which turned the film’s final marketing stretch into something that looked less like another Disney+ chapter and more like a proper theatrical moment. And honestly, that matters. Star Wars Has Been Living on the Couch Since The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, live-action Star Wars has mostly belonged to Disney+. That era gave us plenty: The Mandalorian, Andor, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan…
Grogu’s Jedi Path Is Getting Weirder, and That’s Good
Grogu is not becoming a normal Jedi. Thank the Force for that. The little green chaos goblin at the heart of The Mandalorian and Grogu may still meditate, use the Force, and make everyone in a ten-mile radius emotionally vulnerable. But Jon Favreau is making it increasingly clear that Grogu’s future is not simply “tiny Luke Skywalker, but with better ears.” In a new Total Film interview, reported by GamesRadar, Favreau says Grogu is “not on the typical Jedi path of a youngling,” even though he has trained with some remarkable teachers. That includes Luke Skywalker, his time at the Jedi Temple, and possibly Yoda before everything in the galaxy became Order 66-shaped misery. That matters because The Mandalorian and Grogu is not just about a kid with powers anymore. It is about what happens when a Force-sensitive child is raised outside the usual Jedi system — by a Mandalorian…
The Mandalorian and Grogu Is Trying Not to Be Homework
Star Wars is heading back to theaters, and Jon Favreau seems very aware of one dangerous trap: making the audience feel like they need to revise for an exam first. The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in cinemas on May 22, 2026, marking the franchise’s first big-screen release since The Rise of Skywalker. But while the movie grew out of plans for The Mandalorian Season 4, Favreau is now framing it as something more self-contained — a film that still fits the wider Mando-era story, but does not require every viewer to arrive carrying a Disney+ viewing spreadsheet. In a new Total Film interview, reported by GamesRadar, Favreau says Dave Filoni remains “closely in step” with the movie, even though the shift from streaming season to theatrical release changed the shape of the story. That distinction matters. A Movie Cannot Feel Like Episode 25 Television can be dense. It can reward…
The Mandalorian & Grogu Had to Stop Being Season 4
Jon Favreau may have just explained the most important creative choice behind The Mandalorian and Grogu. The upcoming Star Wars movie did not simply become “Season 4, but longer.” According to Favreau, the story originally tied more directly into what had come before — and what was still coming next — but the film had to become more self-contained so new viewers could actually walk into a theater without needing a Disney+ homework binder. Speaking with GamesRadar, Favreau said the movie still connects to the larger Mando-era story, but in a way that is more approachable for audiences who may not have followed every thread from The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka. That is not just smart. It is probably necessary. Star Wars Cannot Return to Theaters With Homework The Mandalorian and Grogu is not a normal Star Wars release. It is the franchise’s big theatrical return…
The Mandalorian and Grogu Is Already Climbing Disney+ Before Theaters
The Mandalorian and Grogu is still weeks away from theaters, but Disney is already using its most powerful Star Wars machine to warm up the crowd: Disney+. A new streaming push around Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu — A Special Look is already showing traction on the platform. According to FlixPatrol’s Disney+ chart for May 8, the special ranked among the top TV titles globally, sitting behind only The Testaments and Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord that day. Both ScreenRant and Collider have also noted the special’s early Disney+ momentum ahead of the movie’s theatrical release. That is exactly what Disney wants. Disney+ Is the Hype Engine Now If you are not sleeping under a rock, you already know that The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters on May 22, 2026. That is what makes Disney+ pushing the Special Look so interesting: the platform that turned Din Djarin and…
The Mandalorian and Grogu Is Getting a Prequel Comic — After the Movie
Din Djarin and Grogu are heading to comics, because apparently one tiny green merchandising empire was not enough. Mad Cave Studios and Papercutz, in collaboration with Lucasfilm Publishing, have announced Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu — Danger in the Dark, a new all-ages comic one-shot set just before the events of The Mandalorian and Grogu. The twist? The comic arrives on July 22, 2026 — roughly two months after the movie hits theaters. So yes, it is technically a prequel. It is also arriving after the thing it leads into. Star Wars timelines remain undefeated. Din, Grogu, and the Anzellans Go Underground According to Mad Cave’s official announcement, Danger in the Dark sends Din Djarin and Grogu beneath the surface of Nevarro, where a crashed pirate ship is causing trouble in the lava tubes under the city. They are joined by a group of Anzellan allies, which means the…
Kathleen Kennedy Says Jon Favreau Is Pushing Star Wars Forward Like George Lucas Did
Kathleen Kennedy has made a big comparison — and yes, Star Wars fandom will almost certainly discuss it calmly, politely, and with no dramatic overreactions whatsoever. Speaking about Jon Favreau and The Mandalorian and Grogu, Kennedy compared Favreau’s approach to innovation with the way George Lucas pushed filmmaking technology forward. In a new GamesRadar+ report, Kennedy praised Favreau for taking technology and cinema “into the next level,” saying that spirit reminds her of what Lucas did. That is not a small compliment. In Star Wars terms, that is basically handing someone the keys to the digital toolbox and saying, “Try not to break cinema.” Favreau’s Star Wars Has Always Been Tech-Driven The comparison makes sense when you look at what The Mandalorian actually did for modern production. Favreau helped bring StageCraft and the Volume into the mainstream conversation, using large LED environments to blend real-time digital backgrounds with live-action filming….
Pedro Pascal Wants to Keep Playing Din Djarin After The Mandalorian and Grogu
Pedro Pascal is not ready to hang up the helmet. Or, more accurately, he is not ready for everyone involved in wearing the helmet to hang it up. Speaking during a London Q&A attended by GamesRadar+, Pascal said he hopes to continue playing Din Djarin beyond The Mandalorian and Grogu, calling the role the longest creative relationship of his career. As he put it, he would like to keep going “for as long as my body, or as many bodies as we put into the suit, can take it,” according to GamesRadar+. That is a very Pedro Pascal way of saying: yes, the Mandalorian business may continue. Din Djarin Is No Short-Term Gig Anymore Pascal first stepped into the role when The Mandalorian premiered in 2019. Seven years later, Din Djarin has become one of modern Star Wars’ most recognizable characters — even though the show’s central joke remains that…
Grogu Café Is Opening in London, Because Star Wars Has Finally Weaponized Matcha
Grogu has already conquered toys, memes, Disney+ thumbnails, lunchboxes, plush shelves, and the emotional stability of anyone with functioning eyes. Now he is coming for London’s café scene. Disney UK has announced a limited-time Grogu Café pop-up in Shoreditch, opening from Friday, May 15 to Sunday, May 17, ahead of the cinema release of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22, 2026. According to the official Disney UK press release, the pop-up will feature Grogu-inspired food, drinks, themed décor, photo moments, and merchandise. So yes, Star Wars has reached the “adorable alien matcha activation” phase. Honestly, it was only a matter of time. The Cutest Outpost in the Galaxy The café will be located at 1 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London, E2 8AA, with DisneyTickets describing it as a “matcha-fuelled experience” built around Grogu’s charm. Entry is free but ticketed, with food, drink, and products available to purchase on-site…
Star Wars Insider Is Over — And a Huge Piece of Fan History Goes With It
Before Star Wars news lived on YouTube thumbnails, Reddit threads, Discord servers, leaks accounts, and algorithmic chaos, there was Star Wars Insider. Now, after nearly four decades of official magazine history, that run has come to an end. The final issue, Star Wars Insider #237, is out now, closing a publication lineage that stretches back through Star Wars Insider, The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine, and the old-school fan-club era when getting official Star Wars news meant waiting for paper to arrive like some kind of ancient Jedi ritual. It sounds dramatic because it is dramatic. For a lot of readers, Insider was not just a magazine. It was the magazine. The Final Issue Has Arrived Lucasfilm announced last year that Star Wars Insider would launch its final issue in 2026, with issue #237 marking the end of the magazine’s current run with Titan. At the time, editor Christopher Cooper described…
SWTOR’s May 4th Rewards Are Still Live — Free Droid, Double XP, and a Razor Crest-Inspired Moun
May the 4th may be over, but Star Wars: The Old Republic is still handing out the good stuff like a vendor who forgot to close shop. Broadsword has launched its SWTOR May 4th celebration, running from May 1 through May 22, with free rewards, Cartel Market discounts, Double XP, and a subscriber mount inspired by Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. In other words: log in now, ask questions later, and try not to spend your entire Cartel Coin reserve in one heroic mistake. Free BX-RC Probe Droid Minipet for All Players The easiest reward is also the one nobody should miss. According to the official SWTOR May 4th celebration post, all players who log in during the event window can receive the BX-RC Probe Droid Minipet. It is small, floaty, mechanical, and exactly the kind of companion you claim you do not need until it starts hovering behind…
Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni Are About to Talk MandoVerse Future
The future of the MandoVerse is apparently about to become a very real conversation. Jon Favreau says he plans to sit down with Dave Filoni next week to discuss what comes after Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu. That does not mean a new movie, show, or fourth season has been announced. But it does mean the two main architects of this corner of Star Wars are preparing to talk next steps — and that is enough to make the rumor engines start coughing smoke. Speaking during a roundtable attended by MeriStation, Favreau said he is currently focused on promoting The Mandalorian & Grogu, while Filoni is busy working on Ahsoka. But once they are both back in the United States, the two will reconnect and discuss the future. MeriStation quotes Favreau as saying that after they meet next week, “we’ll sit down and talk.” The Movie Was Not Always…
Guillermo del Toro Quietly Helped Shape the Hutts in The Mandalorian & Grogu
Guillermo del Toro did not direct a Star Wars movie. He did not get to make his long-rumored Jabba the Hutt film. But somehow, beautifully, he still ended up near the Hutts. Jon Favreau has revealed that del Toro receives an acknowledgment credit in The Mandalorian & Grogu after giving creative suggestions about the Hutts featured in the film. In an interview with Vandal, Favreau explained that del Toro had spent a lot of time thinking about Hutts because of his own abandoned Jabba project, and that he shared ideas with the Mandalorian & Grogu team. The Hutt Expert Star Wars Almost Used This is one of those behind-the-scenes details that feels small at first, then immediately gets more interesting the longer you stare at it. Del Toro has history with Hutt material. Back in 2023, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the filmmaker confirmed he had worked on a now-scrapped…
Fortnite Is Hosting a Mandalorian & Grogu Watch Party Island
Fortnite is no longer just the place where Star Wars characters show up, swing lightsabers, and make Darth Vader do things no Sith Lord should ever do in public. Now it is becoming a movie preview venue. Epic Games and Lucasfilm are launching The Mandalorian and Grogu Watch Party Island inside Fortnite on May 19 at 10 a.m. ET, giving players an exclusive early look at 10 minutes of footage from Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu before the film hits theaters on May 22, 2026. The island will also include a special message from director Jon Favreau. Welcome to Nevarro, Fortnite Edition The Watch Party Island is set on Nevarro, which is exactly the right choice. It is already one of The Mandalorian’s most recognizable hubs: dusty streets, bounty jobs, shady corners, and the kind of town where someone is always either asking for help or making things worse….
Gina Carano Says She Spoke With Favreau and Filoni After Lawsuit Settlement
Gina Carano is back in the Star Wars conversation — though not, at least officially, back in Star Wars. The former The Mandalorian actor has revealed that she spoke with Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni after her lawsuit with Disney and Lucasfilm was settled. In a new Entertainment Weekly report on Carano’s Mandalorian comments, she described the January Zoom call as a “let’s touch base” conversation and said it was important for her to “mend whatever” and make sure everyone was good. Cara Dune Is Not Confirmed to Return Before anyone fires up the rumor engines at full power: there is no official announcement that Cara Dune is returning. Carano played Cara Dune in the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, before Lucasfilm cut ties with her in 2021 after controversial social media posts. Disney and Lucasfilm later settled her lawsuit, and Entertainment Weekly notes that Lucasfilm’s settlement statement said…