The Mandalorian & Grogu is set to hit theaters in less than two months. As the marketing campaign ramps up, so does excitement for the new film, which is the first Star Wars movie on the big screen in over six years.
Disney has a lot riding on The Mandalorian & Grogu because of this. As a result, the pressure is on to deliver a Star Wars story worthy of a place in movie theaters and, as such, must avoid key mistakes made in The Mandalorian show in order to be successful.
5
Din Djarin and Grogu Need To Be At The Heart Of Everything
The bond between Din Djarin and Grogu is the core driving factor driving the show’s success. In seasons 1 and 2, Djarin and his adopted son grow closer and closer to one another as the story progresses. Their connection is genuinely heartwarming, and it’s hard to imagine the show emerging as the hit that it was without it.
In The Mandalorian season 3, however, Din and Grogu remain close, but their bond isn’t always front and center. Other stories (and characters) take center stage, such as ongoing conflicts between Mandalorian groups, the presence of Bo-Katan Kryze, and the conflict over the Darksaber.
These things aren’t necessarily bad, but the execution is lacking. The politics between and within Mandalorian groups feels more like a Clone Wars repeat than anything else, and Bo-Katan’s presence distracts away from the dynamic between Din and Grogu.
That’s not to say The Mandalorian season 3 wasn’t entertaing, but it didn’t match either of the first two seasons, which wisely made its central character dynamic the crux of most of its stories.
With that in mind, The Mandalorian & Grogu movie would be wise to center itself firmly on the title characters, without getting bogged down by side plots and characters that make viewers wish Mando and Grogu shared more screentime together.
4
No More Mandalorian Politics
The Mandalorian politics in particular is something to avoid in the new movie. In season 3, the story became too fixated on who’s ruling Mandalore and which clans are peaceful with each other and which are more cautious.
Despite some strong acting, this storyline simply felt out of place, given that it didn’t seem to be something that should be of interest in respect to Din Djarin’s story, who is has lived most of his life away from Mandalorian society.
The plot disappointed in many ways, too, which is even more reason to leave the Mandalorian politics behind and look forward into the future. Din Djarin was teased to be the unexpected ruler of Mandalore in the season 2 finale as he acquired the Darksaber, but season 3 abruptly changed that.
This meant that what looked like a satisfying character arc for Djarin actually ended up being Bo-Katan’s development as a hero, which feels out of place in a story about Din and Grogu. To make matters worse, this plot, with Bo-Katan stepping up to rule, was already done in The Clone Wars and Rebels.
This doesn’t mean that Bo-Katan appearing in the new movie is a bad thing. Instead, it goes back to characters like Bo-Katan serving as supporting players. Regardless, Bo-Katan actress Katee Sackhoff has teased a return to the franchise, so she may end up being in the film after all.
3
It Needs To Feel Like A Movie
The Mandalorian TV show paved new ground for the Star Wars franchise as the first live action television series in its history. At times, the show felt incredibly cinematic. Episodes like Chapter 9 — The Marshal, guest starring Timothy Olyphant, proved that Star Wars could thrive visually on the small screen.
Other episodes, however, left much to be desired in this regard. Chapter 5 — The Gunslinger is visually bland, with Tatooine looking like all one beige color. It’s the least eye-popping the iconic planet has ever looked in live action.
All things considered, The Mandalorian & Grogu must be visually on par with previous Star Wars movies, as opposed to looking like The Gunslinger. Much of this also has to do with scale, as the new movie should also prioritize telling a story that is worthy of the big screen.
The action should be benefit from this approach perhaps more so than any other area in the movie, as the budget of a theatrical Star Wars film should give The Mandalorian more than enough room for some truly spectacular action sequences. Of course, The Mandalorian had this an abundance in comparison to other action-oriented TV shows, but as a big-screen endeavor, it can go even further.
2
Grogu Can’t Stand Still As A Character
Another mistake The Mandalorian & Grogu needs to avoid is related to one of its title characters. Grogu mustn’t stand still in the new film, and should instead have an arc that progresses his character.
Kathleen Kennedy recently confirmed that Grogu won’t learn to speak in the new film, which eliminates the possibility of that being a part of his arc in the film. Although that is ruled out, there are still plenty of other ways in which Grogu can develop.
One of these ways is to show more of Grogu’s origins. Each season of TV, fans have gotten a longer look at his time when he was younger. Season 3 revealed that Grogu met Jedi Kelleran Beq on Coruscant during Order 66, and the flashback ended as the two flew away to Naboo.
The new movie can continue that plot, showing what happens next to Beq and Grogu. The film can also focus on a progression of Force powers, showcasing how Grogu is growing stronger with the Force and what that means for his development as a potential future Jedi.
1
Din Djarin Needs To Show His Face (Solved)
Arguably the biggest mistake The Mandalorian & Grogu needs to avoid is regarding Din Djarin. Specifically, the new movie simply must show his face, unlike The Mandalorian season 3, where fans didn’t see Mando underneath the helmet at all.
This had a huge negative impact on Djarin’s arc in season 3. The character felt like he went backwards, reverting back to the cult-like stance of undoing what he did in The Mandalorian season 2, where he took off his helmet.
Luckily, The Mandalorian & Grogu looks set to have solved this problem. Pedro Pascal is seen in the latest trailer for the film, confirming that he was on set for the production of the film, the first time he has participated in filming for a Star Wars project since 2020.
This greatly impacts the story of the film in a positive way. Seeing Pascal’s face means that fans will have more of an emotional pull and connection to the character again, and potentially moving away from the arc in season 3 which had Din Djarin regret letting Grogu see his face.
This also benefits the film’s box office as well. Pedro Pascal is one of the biggest actors in the world, so having him physically in The Mandalorian & Grogu will be a big draw for audiences, likely increasing the amount of money it makes worldwide.