Throughout three seasons of The Mandalorian on Disney+, viewers have spent time learning about the franchise’s latest father-and-son duo. Much has happened to them since Din first came across the Child. During their time together, they’ve met a mix of various characters — some allies and others villains. As they make their big screen debut in Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, the titular characters are set to encounter fresh players, including Sigourney Weaver’s Ward, the leader of the New Republic’s Adelphi Rangers, and Jeremy Allen White’s Rotta the Hutt.
The Mandalorian and Grogu Doesn’t Have An Interesting Main Villain
Image Courtesy of Disney
Marketing for The Mandalorian and Grogu is now in full swing, as its release slowly nears. After its odd Super Bowl LX trailer, Disney and Lucasfilm followed it by rolling out a proper look at the film. Between the trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu and the subsequent promo clip, viewers are getting a better idea of what to expect from the project, as Din and the Child roam the galaxy to hunt down the remaining Imperial warlords on the heels of the Galactic Empire’s defeat.
There are no shortages of bad guys in The Mandalorian and Grogu, as marketing footage has shown the pair dealing with gangsters, war criminals, and monsters — as Pascal’s character himself listed down. Despite this, the film doesn’t have a clear big bad. The trailers position Rotta as the story’s main antagonist, which makes sense given the Hutts’ history as villains in Star Wars‘ history. However, the fact that his encounter with the titular characters are seemingly part of their new job from Ward and not tied to anything personal, it doesn’t feel like he’s a substantial threat to anchor the whole film on.
Ultimately, it feels like The Mandalorian and Grogu don’t have a main villain. Instead, the film has various antagonists that Din and the Child have to deal with throughout this new adventure. This makes it feel more like a procedural wrapped up in a big budget movie than an actual summer blockbuster that Disney and Lucasfilm are positioning it to be. It’s important to remember that during The Mandalorian, Din and Grogu came across some of the most legendary players in the galaxy far, far away, such as Ahsoka, Bo-Katan Kryze, and even Luke Skywalker. The Mandalorian and Grogu appears like they’re back to doing straightforward bounty hunting — at least based on its marketing.
The Mandalorian and Grogu’s Lack Of Main Villain Could Be Intentional
Admittedly, there’s nothing wrong if Star Wars explores the criminal underworld. Following years of following the upper echelon like the Jedi, Sith, as well as the players of the First Order and Galactic Empire, among others, putting the focus on more grounded characters is a refreshing change. That said, The Mandalorian and Grogu can effectively do this without making it feel like the film is uneccessary, at least to be told on the big screen, in the grand scheme of things. Currently, there’s an argument that it could have worked perfectly fine as another season of its original Disney+ series.
However, the lack of a substantial-enough main villain in The Mandalorian and Grogu might be part of a bigger plan from Disney and Lucasfilm. For three seasons, The Mandalorian kept people invested on the Disney+ series, with the project initially drawing people to the streaming service. Now that they have expanded their programming, the House of Mouse might want to take that kind of popularity to Star Wars‘ movie division. This makes sense when one looks at the franchise’s seven-year film hiatus.
So instead of a film that could be the culmination of everything that they have gone through thus far, The Mandalorian and Grogu might be the beginning of a new era instead. Like the first installment in what could be a fresh trilogy, Favreau could be starting with a low-stakes and fun adventure for Din and the Child come May 2026. From there, Disney could build on the events of the new film to continue their adventures for the next few years on the big screen.
The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters on May 22, 2026.
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