Speaking at an event to mark the announcement of new toy and merchandise lines for the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu film, Jon Favreau spoke to Polygon and others about the difference in creating a Star Wars story for the big screen, what those stakes are and how he’s feeling as we near the release of the film. Apart from the teaser trailer released last year, a few additional seconds of footage before in-theater films, and a Super Bowl spot, there hasn’t been too much in the way of marketing for The Mandalorian and Grogu–yet. Favreau himself alludes to more hints and clues to come in the near future, which we expect means a full trailer, hopefully very soon.
While Favreau is certainly no rookie when it comes to developing massive films, he did address some of the unique technical challenges of creating The Mandalorian and Grogu in this new-to-the-characters medium:
With Star Wars, we have to execute at that tech level, so the challenge becomes: Okay, we presented a cinematic experience on the small screen. We have to up our game now to the movie theater. That means taller aspect ratios for IMAX, building sets that take full advantage of that, making the visual effects of the quality and caliber that we have to notch everything up. And then the storytelling as well.
(L-R) Jon Favreau and Peyton Reed during the making of The Mandalorian season 2.
Beyond the technical differences, Favreau touched on the unique challenges of motivating theater goers in today’s media economy:
That adventure has to fill up the screen and has to be something — at this moment in time, when so much is competing for attention — that you’re going to stop what you’re doing, and you’re going to go to a movie theater, and you’re going to sit down in that movie theater, and you’re not going to be able to pause it, and you’re not going to be able to eat the food out of your refrigerator. You have to have such a good experience that you say, ‘This is worth my time. Let’s go again. I want to bring you. You should go see it.’
Details on the film have been somewhat thin on the ground with no full trailer out yet, but between the teaser, synopsis, and various casting announcements, we know that Din Djarin and Grogu are being given a mission by New Republic officer, Colonel Ward. We also know the Imperial Shadow Council shown in The Mandalorian will play a role. Favreau touched on some additional known details, but hinted at more to come:
There’s some stuff that people may have gotten clues to. He’s in a Razor Crest now, which is the ship that he originally had. He’s in the same model of ship. Grogu has leveled up a bit. We saw that he trained with Luke, and time has passed. So he’s got a little of the Jedi influence. And then he’s also an apprentice Mandalorian. So now it’s time for dad to bring him on adventures. And pretty soon there will be a few more clues out there in the world.
If you’re wondering what Jon Favreau’s journey with Star Wars will look like in the coming years, he may have given us a clue:
“I’ve been working on Star Wars now for seven years and to be able to step up to doing it as a film feels like a culmination of what I’m working on.”
Nothing definitive by any means, but “culmination” may imply a natural end. At the very least, I could see Favreau taking a break as showrunner, writer or director, but still collaborating with Lucasfilm as a producer on future projects involving Din Djarin and Grogu. For now, I expect we’ll be hearing from Favreau a lot more in the coming weeks as the marketing push for The Mandalorian and Grogu heats up.
The Mandalorian and Grogu releases May 22, 2026.
When she isn’t watching her friends and family’s eyes glaze over at the mention of The Clone Wars, she’s at the park with her dog, Melvin, or on the couch with a book in one hand and a drink in the other. Physically, she lives in Ohio; spiritually, she lives in Naboo.