Of allStar Wars’upcoming movies,The Mandalorian and Groguseems to be the most likely to completely reset the franchise, and that’s exactly whatStar Warsneeds right now. While there have been some serious triumphs forStar Warsof late, such as withAndorseason 2, there’s little denying that the franchise as a whole is struggling.
Star Warsmovies and TV showsconsistently face harsh criticism, and the future of the franchise has seemed increasingly precarious. Particularly the significant scaling back of movies following the several released in the 2010s has raised questions aboutStar Wars’stability. Yet,The Mandalorian and Grogumay very well be the solution toStar Wars’problems.
The Mandalorian And Grogu Is A Reset For The Star Wars Franchise
Star Wars Is Moving Into A New Era Focused On Movies
The Mandalorian and Groguis the next to be released ofStar Wars’new movies, with a July 29, 2025, release date. This will make itStar Wars’first movie released in nearly seven years when it premieres, which means there is a lot riding on the movie, and expectations will likely be high.
However,Star Warshas set this movie up to be a major success in various ways. For one,The Mandalorianis already considered one ofStar Wars’best TV shows, and main characters Din Djarin and Grogu remain beloved by most of the fanbase.
What’s more, Pedro Pascal, who is one of severalactors who play Din Djarin, though he is easily the most well-known, has absolutely been on a career hot streak, with recent releases likeThe Last of Usseason 2,The Materialists, andThe Fantastic Four: First Steps.The Mandalorian and Groguwill no doubt build upon that momentum.
This movie also represents a positive shift forStar Wars, reflecting how it will be a reset. Recently,Star Warshas been focused on TV shows, with a mix of live-action and animated projects. Unfortunately, issues likebacklash toThe Acolyteand its subsequent cancelation, in addition to negative reception of shows likeObi-Wan Kenobi,have proven challenging.
Criticism of such shows is varied, with likewise varying degrees of validity (racist attacks targeting actors are inexcusable, for example), but the truth is,Star Warshas always been a movie franchise, and that has been a major gap recently. Yes, there have been incredible shows, butThe Mandalorian and Groguis a reminder that the franchise needs movies too.
Star Warshas always been a movie franchise, and that has been a major gap recently.
Star Wars Is Boldly Stepping Away From Jedi & Sith
Star Wars Has Long Needed This Shift
Yet another key aspect ofThe Mandalorian and Groguthat also represents a promising change for the franchise is the fact thatthis movie is clearly a departure from the Jedi and the Sith. There have been some other examples of this approach in recent years.
These includeAndor,Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and evenSolo: A Star Wars StoryandRogue One: A Star Wars Story, among others. However, this movie feels different even from those projects, as it will presumably be a story on the big screen that has very little intersection with the Skywalker Saga.
This movie feels different even from those projects, as it will presumably be a story on the big screen that has very little intersection with the Skywalker Saga.
In that sense,The Mandalorian and Groguis breaking brand-new ground in the franchise, and that will hopefully translate into proof thatStar Warsdoesn’t need the Jedi or the Sith to be successful.
That doesn’t have to mean abandoning the Jedi and the Sith entirely in the future—and other upcomingStar Warsmovies, from Rey’s movie toStar Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, verify that isn’t the plan—but it does suggest DisneyStar Warsis ushering in a new era, wherein major theatrical releases can focus on entirely new areas.
That will likely be followed up on with Ryan Gosling’s movie,Star Wars: Starfighter, yet another upcoming project that, based on the title, deviates from the norm of an emphasis on the Jedi, the Sith, and the Skywalkers.
This is again a shift thatStar Warshas needed for quite some time, as there have been complaints that these stories feel too repetitive (such asStar Wars: The Force Awakensfeeling like a repeat ofA New Hope). With this evolution, the future ofStar Warsfeels much more limitless and therefore exciting.
The Mandalorian Yet Again Paves The Way For Star Wars
This Show Has Been Instrumental To Star Wars' Future
Ultimately,The Mandalorian and Groguis serving the same purpose on the big screen thatThe Mandalorianfirst served on the small screen. That is,The MandalorianandThe Mandalorian and Groguhave both opened the door to a whole new exploration of the galaxy far, far away.
Star Warstook a big risk withThe Mandalorian, as the show introduced brand-new characters and, especially compared to otherStar Warsmovies and shows, actually relied surprisingly little on previously established heroes and villains. Yes, Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano had cameos, but they were relatively minimal.
Therefore, just asThe Mandalorianset the tone for the future ofStar Warsshows,The Mandalorian and Groguwill be paving the way forStar Wars’new movies for years to come. That puts a lot onThe Mandalorian and Grogu’sshoulders, but the movie certainly seems up to the task of beingStar Wars’much-needed reset.
