Disney is terrified to create a new Star Wars film. The famously risk-averse studio is lost after the polarized reception of The Last Jedi and near-universal revulsion at The Rise of Skywalker. Consistently ignoring the only viable solution of handing the Star Wars license to talented filmmakers to make unique projects with reasonable budgets, Disney has instead chosen to rely on their only popular recent character. The Mandalorian & Grogu might be a safe choice, but it could still be compelling.
The Mandalorian felt like a tremendous step forward for the Star Wars franchise. Its first season was fresh and compelling, earning celebration from fans desperate for something different yet familiar. The fact that Disney eschewed a Boba Fett movie in favor of a new character who happened to be similar seemed like the start of a new era. That brief optimism makes Din Djarin's status as a safe, marketable name to fall back on sting even more.
The Mandalorian & Grogu Should Stand On Its Own
The Mandalorian & Grogu would be the first Star Wars film adapted from one of their streaming series. That landmark difference necessitates an alternate strategy. The wisest approach to this leap would be to treat it like an anime movie. When Naruto or Dragon Ball Z gets a big-screen adaptation, it follows the heroes traveling to a new land, fighting a new antagonist, meeting new allies, and usually returning to the status quo before the credits roll. This serves several purposes. Disney gets constant pushback for tying its projects together. The Mandalorian's second season ended with a dramatic narrative turn. Fans were shocked to find that fateful decision reversed as they tuned in for the season three premiere. The Book of Boba Fett, a far less popular series that gave a few episodes to Din Djarin, held the massively important developments somewhere many would never see. That choice irritated almost every viewer. Those who watched both shows didn't view it as a fun Easter egg. It was a critical character-defining moment that many missed. The movie can't pull the same blatant trick. It should play out as a standalone adventure, focusing only on the characters in the title and a few of their allies. It should also avoid ruining anything from the show, but that should go without saying.
The Mandalorian & Grogu Should Be A Personal Story
At its best, The Mandalorian was a Space Western about a taciturn bounty hunter learning to protect and nurture his adopted Jedi son. Jailbreaks, shootouts, hunting trips, and various other quests blended into the ongoing journey of the lone wolf and cub throughout the galaxy. Most episodes see Din and Grogu land on a planet to get their ship repaired, find out information, or hunt someone down, only to find the place in disarray. They'd wade into the trouble and either shoot or talk down the problem. Many compared the structure favorably to a video game. The overarching story was fun, but most of the series' best episodes were barely related to the narrative. The film should follow that example, letting Mando and Grogu travel the galaxy to solve problems and grow closer together. The best stakes for this story would be personal. Their relationship and development should feel like the central element.
The Mandalorian & Grogu Shouldn't End Their Story
The fourth season of The Mandalorian was in development before Disney announced The Mandalorian & Grogu. It's unclear whether the show will continue alongside the film. Some have suggested, without confirmation at time of writing, that the movie would serve as the two-part series finale to a shortened fourth season. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in the press statement announcing the film:
Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have ushered into Star Wars two new and beloved characters, and this new story is a perfect fit for the big screen.
That statement, as generic as it appears, might imply that they've exchanged season four for the film. Either way, the shift could be seen as a momentous occasion suitable for a finale. One big fireworks display or, as Werner Herzog put it, a libation to celebrate the closing of our shared narrative. That impulse is understandable, but it runs afoul of the series. Fans have been watching Din Djarin's adventures at home on Disney+ for years. Though it has a cost, they see watching the show as free. Hiding the ending at the movie theater feels less like a celebration and more like a marketing scheme to sell tickets. End the show as it began.
Making a movie out of The Mandalorian feels like a risky proposition in several ways. The show grew from the most celebrated outing in the Star Wars franchise to a middling series dealing with the usual continuity problems. Disney seems to be floundering with their most popular IPs, but The Mandalorian & Grogu could still be a win. Let Din and his boy have one more excellent quest together before they fly off into the galaxy together.
