The Mandalorian season 4 was supposed to go into production before 2023's Hollywood strikes. Scripts had been written, but the downtime saw Disney decide Din Djarin and Grogu's next adventure should be a feature instead.
Given their popularity and the way season 3 ended, it's not overly surprising that Disney is looking to cash in on The Mandalorian's success by shifting focus from streaming subscribers to box office revenue.
It's also been over six years since The Rise of Skywalker. So, getting Star Wars back into theaters, after Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy essentially turned it into a small screen property, has become a priority for Disney CEO Bob Iger.
Starting with two hugely popular characters is a smart move, but as of now, we don't know what the future holds in store for them both beyond The Mandalorian and Grogu movie coming to theaters next year. For example, is the plan to launch a new film franchise, or could we eventually get a new version of The Mandalorian season 4 on Disney+?
When Collider (via SFFGazette.com) asked filmmaker Jon Favreau the question at Star Wars Celebration this past weekend, the filmmaker responded, "Right now, I'm focusing on the feature because we still have another year of the story. You discover so much as you edit a film and put it together with visual effects. Right now we're really locked in on the big screen story that's coming."
For those concerned that The Mandalorian and Grogu will be little more than a truncated version of season 4, Favreau confirmed he took full advantage of the big screen to make the world of The Mandalorian feel different from what we're used to.
"We really leaned into it. As we did tests, we looked at what looked good in IMAX. A lot of stuff in space looked great, and a lot of sets we built taller to really embrace the opportunity."
"A lot of people know these characters who haven’t seen the show," he said of how the shift to theaters will change his storytelling approach. "So it’s not just that there are people who saw the show and people who don’t know the characters - there’s a big range. We want to reward people who’ve been there since the beginning, but also invite new audiences in."
If The Mandalorian and Grogu is a box office hit, then we'd bet on these two remaining on the big screen moving forward. However, if the movie underperforms, there's no guarantee season 4 would then happen, especially with Disney looking to cut streaming costs.
Starring Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White, and Jonny Coyne, The Mandalorian and Grogu is directed by Favreau and produced by him, Kennedy, Dave Filoni, and Ian Bryce.
This exciting new adventure in the Mandalorian and Grogu's journey is currently in post-production and arrives in theaters on May 22, 2026.