“The Mandalorian and Grogu” Trailer: First Look at Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni’s Upcoming Star Wars Spinoff Movie with Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver
🎥 Favreau and Filoni bring Mando and Grogu to the big screen, sending the bounty-hunting duo on a mission through a fractured galaxy, with Weaver joining as a New Republic commander.
Star Wars is having a bit of an identity crisis, making the direction of the franchise difficult to navigate. On one hand, the critical success of the series Andor proved that the universe George Lucas created works as the perfect allegory for political tension, the banality of authoritarian bureaucracy, and the extremes of radicalization. On the other hand, the franchise often feels torn between being a nostalgic space opera designed to sell toys and games and a prestige drama that dares to say something deeper about the state of our world.
And as much as fans loved to revel in the political intrigue and grounded realism of Andor, not every corner of the fandom wants to be constantly reminded of a world ruled by tyranny, corruption, and dark side–fueled dictatorship. Some simply crave the escapist thrill of blaster shootouts, starship battles, and the comfort of familiar heroes and villains.
So, this is where The Mandalorian comes in! The series, over the course of three seasons, has seen its quality shift from a tightly focused space western about a lone gunslinger and his mysterious foundling to a broader, sometimes uneven, tapestry of interconnected lore, legacy characters, and franchise setup. Granted, it’s not a perfect show, as some episodes felt like side quests that stalled the momentum rather than pushed the story forward.
But for the most part, The Mandalorian tapped into the adventurous spirit of the original trilogy, where hopping from planet to planet carried the thrill of discovery, danger, and wonder around every corner. And it doesn’t hurt that Mando, with his silver beskar helmet and stoic gunslinger attitude, looks cool as hell. Add to that the introduction of his pint-sized, Force-sensitive sidekick Grogu—affectionately referred to by fans as “Baby Yoda”—and you’ve got the perfect blend of old-school Star Wars mystique and new fan obsession.
It’s a good reminder that as much as George Lucas was making a statement about his utter disgust with imperialism and imperial governments, he never forgot that the driving force of his franchise has always been about delivering a fun space western—where the good guys and the bad guys square off in stories of adventure, rebellion, and hope.
Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, the two minds spearheading the upcoming Star Wars movie The Mandalorian and Grogu, seem to have that as their main emphasis—to keep the franchise rooted in pulpy sci-fi adventure and to remind us of the simple joys of watching heroes, gunslingers, rebels, alien creatures, and space outlaws carve their paths across the galaxy. And as much as we adored something like Andor, sometimes it doesn’t have to be weighty or profound—it can simply be a good old-fashioned romp through the stars.
But we suppose the question now is: where does the Star Wars franchise go from here? Will audiences prefer Jon Favreau’s lighter, pulpy adventures that harken back to the franchise’s kid-friendly roots, or will fans demand something darker and more politically charged, like Tony Gilroy’s Andor? Well, here’s one check under Favreau’s column—he’s got Sigourney Weaver. And seeing Sigourney Weaver back in space might be worth the ticket price alone.
This newly released first official trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu sees Pedro Pascal (yes, we know, he’s in everything these days) returning as the voice of Din Djarin, aka “Mando,” a Mandalorian bounty hunter who, due to his creed, has taken under his wing a foundling in the form of Grogu—a rare, Force-sensitive alien child of the same species as the legendary Jedi Master Yoda.
Together, they’re hired to track down the remaining Imperial warlords of the shattered Galactic Empire. Remember, this timeline takes place roughly five or six years after the events of Return of the Jedi, when the Rebel Alliance successfully toppled the Empire. But with the Empire gone, it leaves a power vacuum—one quickly filled by scattered warlords, criminal syndicates, and ambitious opportunists all vying for control of the galaxy’s fractured territories. In other words, Mando and Grogu will be trekking through the galaxy’s own version of the Wild West, where lawlessness reigns supreme and danger lurks behind every dusty cantina door.
Sigourney Weaver takes on the role of Ward, a former Rebel pilot who has risen to colonel of the New Republic’s Adelphi Rangers. She’s the one who hires Mando for his latest bounty-hunting mission.
The cast also includes The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White as the voice of Rotta the Hutt, son of the late crime lord Jabba the Hutt. That’s right—Jeremy Allen White, who will likely be in the Oscar conversation for his upcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic, has lent his voice (and possibly motion-capture performance) to Jabba’s heir, Rotta. Wild. And yes, we even get a quick glimpse of Rotta in the trailer.
Written by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, with Favreau handling directing duties—his first feature since 2019’s The Lion King remake—The Mandalorian and Grogu already has fans buzzing and studio heads hoping it could reignite the kind of cultural phenomenon that Star Wars hasn’t seen since The Force Awakens. Now, we don’t see that happening, but there’s an ounce of hope that the film could capture enough of that old-school Star Wars magic to remind us why we loved these movies so much. Hey, we’d love to see the franchise back on its feet, though we’re sure the naysayers are already out there, sharpening their knives.
The Mandalorian and Grogu will be opening in theaters everywhere on May 22, 2026.
