Star Wars is finally back in theaters after seven years, and The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s ending is good for its future. The road back to the big screen has been laden with bad ideas, cancelled or stalled projects, and a slew of streaming series and spinoffs that have dominated the last half-decade for Disney. It’s the latter that has, at last, led us back to this point: after launching Disney+ in 2019, it’s now on The Mandalorian (and Grogu) to relaunch Star Wars as a viable theatrical saga once more. Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Mandalorian and Grogu.
Well, I say spoilers ahead. There is not too much to spoil. The movie is fairly safe and doesn’t have any major twists or reveals, but that’s not a criticism (or at least, it’s not one from me – your own mileage may vary in this lore-obsessed IP landscape we live in). It’s a highly entertaining movie and a good time at the theaters, and it does what you’d expect: Grogu is ridiculously adorable, and he and Mando save the day, defeating Imperials and then the Hutt twins to aid the New Republic. They’re still together, and the end of the movie simply finds them going back home, which isn’t a bad thing either.
Typically, Star Wars movie endings have a very clear setup for what’s next. You could argue this isn’t entirely true of the original movie, but Darth Vader and the Empire still need to be fully defeated. The Empire Strikes Back is a dark cliffhanger where the heroes lose. The Phantom Menace lays groundwork for Attack of the Clones, and that, likewise, for Revenge of the Sith. The Force Awakens goes straight into The Last Jedi, and that movie leaves plenty of options open for The Rise of Skywalker. Rogue One neatly connects to A New Hope, and even Solo ended with a tease of Maul and more of that story. The exceptions are the trilogy enders, because, obviously, they’re designed as conclusions.
That makes The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s ending rather unique, in that there’s not really set up for more. Sure, the pair could come back to screens, and in-universe almost certainly will have further adventures, but there’s nothing directly telling audiences that, other than Din’s willingness to continue working as a contractor for the New Republic. The movie ends, no promises are made, and nothing is teased.
Plenty of people will see that as a bad thing, but I’m actually all for it. In an era of franchise filmmaking where everything is connected and so many projects are simply about what’s next, often to their own detriment, it’s refreshing to have something end in a way that feels truly standalone. After watching a sequel trilogy that lacked a clear vision, and then the Mandoverse on TV became consumed with cameos, familiar characters, and connections, it’s honestly great to have a Star Wars movie that’s just doing its own thing.
Star Wars just needs to focus on making good movies. Hell, just making movies is a fine starting point, really, but ideally with some level of quality and entertainment factor (which, again, I think The Mandalorian & Grogu has). It can’t afford to be getting bogged down in setting up sequels that may or may not ever happen, and that’s why I like where this movie ends. It’s a fun story that nods to the pulpy serial adventures of old, which is easy to do more of if there’s demand for it.
Next year’s Star Wars: Starfighter also sounds similarly standalone (unless it ends up having connections to Rey’s New Jedi Order, of course. While that could easily be a box office hit that gets sequels, and I think it’ll be bigger and better than The Mandalorian and Grogu, it’ll hopefully do the same thing by genuinely standing alone.
At its heart, The Mandalorian & Grogu is a father-son story, which is something at the very core of Star Wars. From Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, through to Anakin Skywalker’s lack of a father figure, the dynamics between Jedi Masters and their Padawans (and indeed, Sith Lords and their Apprentices), to Han Solo and Kylo Ren, these relationships have shaped a galaxy far, far away, and that’s true of Din Djarin and Grogu as well.
Admittedly, I wish that The Mandalorian and Grogu had explored this with more depth, as I don’t think it reckons with it as much as it could’ve, and it would’ve given the film more emotional heft. But it is there, in the way we see Din increasingly accepting that Grogu can do some things on his own, while always being ready to help him when needed, which is a core part of parenthood.
Grogu, too, learns a measure of his own independence, and an important lesson that there are times when he will have to be the one caring for his father (and while it might not be the deepest movie, the sequence focusing on Grogu on his own looking after Mando is the most emotionally resonant and beautiful in the film). “The old protect the young, and the young protect the old. This is the Way.”
While everyone ends up where you’d expect by the conclusion of The Mandalorian & Grogu, one thing is particularly notable when considering the full breadth of Star Wars history, both on screen and in-universe: the end of the Hutts. With the deaths of the Twins, and the destruction of their base on Nal Hutta, it appears as though the Hutts have been wiped out once and for all (since Rotta the Hutt has no interest in criminal activity).
The Hutt Clan is one of the oldest, most powerful crime syndicates in the galaxy, dating back at least hundreds of years. It’s appeared in several eras of Star Wars, from the High Republic to the Clone Wars, the Original Trilogy and then the Mandoverse, each time making its presence and power felt, and now it’s gone.
There are also threads to pull between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant. There are some constraints from the sequel trilogy and the emergence of the First Order, but with this movie involving members of the Shadow Council, then there are ties to Thrawn and the larger plot for the Empire’s return, albeit ones that are kept purposefully vague.
The franchise is in an unusual position: there are “only” four confirmed movie/TV releases coming after The Mandalorian and Grogu (which is still a fair amount, but not relative to the glut of series a few years ago). They are:
Of those, it’s Ahsoka that is the only one with any connection to The Mandalorian and Grogu. Although it doesn’t really set it up, we do know that Zeb will be in Season 2, reuniting with his old Ghost crewmates from Star Wars Rebels. It’s also possible he’ll take Rotta with him, which would allow for a reunion between him and Ahsoka almost 20 years after The Clone Wars movie.
On the big screen, Star Wars: Starfighter is coming out amid the 50th anniversary celebrations (there’s also a re-release of A New Hope), and feels like it could be the kind of event that The Mandalorian & Grogu wasn’t. Directed by Shawn Levy, it stars Ryan Gosling as a pilot who helps a young boy (Flynn Gray) to safety, and takes place five years after The Rise of Skywalker.
It may not set anything up, but it’s easy to imagine Din Djarin and Grogu having more adventures together – there’s no sign of retirement just yet – but that will ultimately all depend on the box office. Critics and audiences are divided on The Mandalorian and Grogu, but the latter being in favor of it is a good sign. With a lower budget than most Star Wars movies – reportedly around $166 million – its breakeven point is likely a lot lower, with around $400m likely to be enough for the Mouse House to deem it a success, especially once merchandise and streaming revenue is factored in.
If it is a decent-sized hit, then The Mandalorian and Grogu 2 could well happen. There’s plenty of room in canon for more stories of them facing off with Imperials, or some other kind of threat. It’s also possible that, if it isn’t a hit, Disney could look to make another season of The Mandalorian instead, though it’s rare for something to go from TV to movies then back to TV. Either way, it’s very hard to imagine that we’ve seen the end of these two – and I, for one, hope we haven’t.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is now playing in theaters.
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