It’s been almost seven years (!) since a new Star Wars film hit the cinema, but now the wait is almost over as everyone’s favourite bounty hunter and force-infused sidekick are about to make their first-ever appearance on the big screen. I am of course talking about The Mandalorian & Grogu which is set to drop in a Cineworld near you on May 22nd.
Because this is going to be such a momentous event for both fans of the Star Wars films and The Mandalorian series, I would recommend getting your seat and screening locked in now to avoid missing out on the fun. I’m going to be there opening weekend, taking my daughter along too as it’ll be her first-ever Star Wars film (the fact that she’s only three months old and won’t remember any of it is irrelevant).
As something of a Mando-mega-fan, I’ve been obsessing over every trailer for the film, trying to see which details I can spot that might provide a tip-off over what the film has in store. While there are a few tidbits that we know ahead of time, including the fact that Jabba the Hutt’s son will be voiced by none other than Jeremy Allen White (inspired casting if you ask me), there’s still a lot that’s up for debate.
BOOK THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU TICKETS
With that in mind, I don’t think that there’s a better time to run through what I would like to see from this big-screen outing, as someone who has spent countless hours watching (and re-watching) the show. Hopefully my fellow mega-fans will agree, but here’s what I need for The Mandalorian & Grogu to truly deliver on its potential.
Nods to previous adventures
I think any fan would agree that for The Mandalorian to make the transition to the cinema, it needs to tread new ground. After all, the last thing anyone wants is a rehash of old storylines, especially as there might be a handful of people who haven’t seen a single episode and are being introduced to that world through this latest adventure. With that said, I would love to see a few nods to the film's roots.
Even if all we see are a few items in Mando’s ship that have been collected over the years, like Grogu’s armour, which represented a huge decision for the character that would affect his Jedi training forever, or a piece of IG-11, the gun-toting droid who valiantly sacrificed himself to save Mando and Grogu. Small nods like these would be great as a sign of thanks to the fanbase for having followed the dynamic duo throughout their adventures, plus it might inspire those aforementioned newcomers to go back and check out the original series.
Grogu’s powers on full display
Ever since the show’s second episode, we’ve known that Grogu can wield the force, but the development of that power has become a focal point of the entire series, as the remnants of the Empire know how powerful Grogu can become.
Over the show’s three seasons, we’ve seen Grogu’s abilities grow stronger to the point where he’s using the force to flip over obstacles and even create force fields that can save him (and his favourite bounty hunter) from imminent danger.
Assuming that some time has passed since the end of season three and the start of The Mandalorian & Grogu, I would like to see that reflected in what everyone’s favourite green character (sorry Kermit) can do. I don’t expect Grogu to be fighting off enemies completely by himself – he’s still an infant after all – but it would be great to see him play a more active role when Mando gets into combat.
The return of Mandalorian icons
One of the things that really helped to sell The Mandalorian as a show, other than Pedro Pascal’s performance and the immediate cuteness of a babified Yoda, is the excellent gallery of side characters that fleshed out the wider universe. Whether that be Timothy Olyphant’s turn as the grizzled sheriff Cobb Vanth, or Carl Weathers’ (RIP) unforgettable portrayal as the morally ambiguous but never boring Greef Karga.
For The Mandalorian & Grogu to retain some of that DNA, I hope that it strikes the right balance of introducing a new character or two who are similarly interesting enough to be worthy of a spin-off, whilst giving enough room for a few returning faces. If I were in charge of the script, I’d love to see Migs Mayfield make an appearance – a character that surprised everyone as he was played by comedian Bill Burr, but also carried one of the show’s best emotional arcs (if you know, you know).
Everyone’s favourite de-aged Jedi
I could have mentioned Luke Skywalker in the previous section, but given his importance to The Mandalorian storyline and Star Wars at large, I think he deserves a proper highlight. At this point, Luke, Grogu and Mando’s storylines have become so intertwined that I’d be genuinely surprised if he didn’t make an appearance in the upcoming film.
So far we’ve seen Luke save the day just as Mando and the gang were about to be captured by Moff Gideon, and in one standout episode of The Book of Boba Fett, we got a glimpse at the training Luke has provided to Grogu to help him master the force and someday become a Jedi.
The only thing we really haven’t seen is for Luke and Mando to fight side by side, lightsaber and blaster, against those who seek to bring the Empire back into power. If The Mandalorian & Grogu can make this happen, consider me one happy Tusken camper.
Still, even with all of this in mind, I just can't wait to see these characters on the big screen. If you're as excited as I am, make sure to nab your tickets now for when The Mandalorian & Grogu premieres on May 22nd.
BOOK THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU TICKETS
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