Although it hasn’t been officially announced, it seems as thoughStar Wars’upcoming movie,The Mandalorian and Grogu, has taken the place ofThe Mandalorianseason 4, and while that is exciting, it’s also a bit disappointing.The Mandalorian and Groguis the next to be released ofStar Wars’upcoming movies, with a July 12, 2025 release date.
Whilestory details aboutThe Mandalorian and Groguhave been kept tightly under wraps so far, there’s still plenty of enthusiasm about this brand-newStar Warsmovie—perhaps more than any other upcoming movie in the franchise. Yet,I can’t help but feel a bit of disappointment that we may never get to seeThe Mandalorianseason 4.
It Looks Like The Mandalorian Season 4 Has Been Turned Into The Movie
That Isn’t Yet Official, But It Feels Rather Likely
Perhaps to keep the option on the table for the future,Star Warshas not yet confirmed thatThe Mandalorian and Groguwill be taking the place ofThe Mandalorianseason 4. However, all signs currently point to that being the case. At present,Ahsokaseason 2 is the only confirmed live-action project amongStar Wars’upcoming TV shows.
IfThe Mandalorianseason 4 was indeed still in the works, or was expected to be coming down the line following the movie, surely that would have been confirmed, particularly given there had already been discussions aboutThe Mandalorianseason 4 whenThe Mandalorian and Groguwas announced.
It would also arguably seem redundant to have bothThe Mandalorian and GroguandThe Mandalorianseason 4 be released. Presumably,The Mandalorian and Groguwill pick up whereThe Mandalorianseason 3 endingleft off, making it the continuation of the story seen in the show.
Moreover, it would feel particularly odd forThe Mandalorian and Groguto be followed byThe Mandalorianseason 4, as that would mean a jump to the big screen and then a transition back to the small screen.This may very well mean thatThe Mandalorian and Grogumovie marks the end ofThe Mandalorianshow.
It would feel particularly odd forThe Mandalorian and Groguto be followed byThe Mandalorianseason 4.
The Mandalorian Deserved To Follow Through On Its Original Vision
The Mandalorian Season 4 Seemed Like A Sure Thing
There’s no doubt that the upcoming release ofThe Mandalorian and Groguis exciting, especially because, by the time the movie is released, it will markStar Wars’first movie in nearly seven years. It also suggestsThe Mandaloriantruly is one ofStar Wars’best TV shows, given it earned this jump to the big screen.
Yet, I can’t help but feel as thoughthis movie has also completely altered the plan forThe Mandalorianshow and has undercut that plan in some ways. After all, we’d already gotten some details about andupdates onThe Mandalorianseason 4, including confirmation that Jon Favreau had already written the script for season 4 ofThe Mandalorian.
Jon Favreau had already written the script for season 4 ofThe Mandalorian.
At present,it’s not clear whether that story was absorbed into or adapted for the movie or if those plans were entirely scrappedand replaced with the story to come inThe Mandalorian and Grogu. While the former is arguably preferable to the latter, neither feels exactly fair for the show.
I also find myself wondering whether the performance ofThe Mandalorianseason 3 had any bearing on this decision, as that was objectively the show’s worst-performing season in terms of reception. In fact, just based on the ratings, it’s clear this season fell short for many.The Mandalorian’sRotten Tomatoes scoresalone reveal that dip.
93%
91%
84%
50%
Whether those numbers were a factor or not, I do think it’s a shame to not see how Favreau’s story forThe Mandalorianseason 4 would have played out. In addition to that disappointment, though,there’s good reason to be concerned about how this shift will turn out forThe Mandalorian and Grogu.
I’m Not Sure How I Feel About A TV Show Season Becoming A Movie
There’s Recent Evidence That This Can Go Badly
While I am genuinely excited to seeThe Mandalorian and Groguand believeStar Warsis long overdue for a new movie,I do worry that this plan to turnThe Mandalorianinto a movie could backfire. Some recent examples suggest this could end up being the case, as the TV show-turned-movieMoana 2was considered a disappointment.
Disney will almost always pull big numbers at the box office, and audiences certainly came out to seeMoana 2, but the general sentiment following the movie’s release was that it did not live up to its predecessor,Moana. This drew heavy speculation thatMoana 2should have remained a Disney+ series, which was the original plan for the story.
This drew heavy speculation thatMoana 2should have remained a Disney+ series, which was the original plan for the story.
The same could end up being true ofThe Mandalorian and Grogu—particularly because we knowThe Mandalorianseason 4 was already written—although that remains to be seen.The Mandalorian and Grogudoes at least have somethingMoana 2didn’t, which may help its chances.
As mentioned,The Mandalorianseason 3, whichThe Mandalorian and Groguwill follow on the heels of, is considered the weakest season of the show. In addition to that, the lastStar Warsmovie to be released wasStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which is still considered one ofStar Wars’worst movies, if not the worst overall.
This means that, for better or worse,The Mandalorian and Groguwill be the newest addition to both one of the show’s worst-performing seasons and one of the franchise’s worst-received movies. Therefore, unlikeMoana 2,The Mandalorian and Groguwill presumably have a bit of an easier hill to climb.
I remain hopeful thatThe Mandalorian and Groguwill do well, especially because I believe the characters, Din Djarin and Grogu (and actor Pedro Pascal), deserve that. Even so, I can’t help but wonder if we are missing out onThe Mandalorianseason 4 becauseThe Mandalorian and Groguis coming.
The Mandalorian
Cast
Released on July 03, 2025 The Mandalorian follows a lone gunfighter navigating the galaxy’s outer reaches after the Galactic Empire’s fall. As a skilled bounty hunter, he operates in a lawless universe, undertaking various missions on the fringes of the New Republic’s territories.
The Mandalorian and Grogu
The Mandalorian and Grogu is a Star Wars movie directed by Jon Favreau that continues Disney+’s immensely popular TV Show, The Mandalorian.
