Summary
Fans ofThe Mandalorianhave been eagerly anticipating the upcoming film based on the series since it was announced at the beginning of the year, but a recent report indicates that they might not be entirely delighted with the film’s impact on the franchise.
The Mandalorianis to theStar Warsfranchise whatWandavisionis to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, being the project that brought the franchise to the small screen when Disney decided to leverage its big IPs for content on its Disney+ streaming service. After a solid three-season run, the fourth installment of the show would be delayed by the 2023 strikes, giving execs the chance to conceptualize a theatrical project based on the show, which would be announced in January of 2024. Longtime fan-favorite franchise stalwart Dave Filoni would be attached to direct, a decision that many gained even more confidence in afterFiloni’s stellar work onStar Wars: Ahsoka.
Whiledetails on the plot forThe Mandalorian & Groguis only really speculationfrom potential leaks at the moment, fans now know at least one important fact about the film and how it’s going to affect the series that birthed it. A recent report from trusted insider sourceDaniel Richtmandeclares thatThe Mandalorianhas reached the end of its impressive streaming run, and the upcoming theatrical film projectThe Mandalorian & Groguwill instead be the final chapter of the story that’s been a decade in the making. “I have also confirmed the Mandalorian movie will be the final chapter of the show, no season 4,” Richtman reports. “He will be in other projects after that, but ‘The Mandalorian’ will be over.” It was said that the focus had been shifted from a fourth season ofThe Mandalorianto the film, but many fans didn’t think this meant a total end to the Disney+ series.
While many fans of the franchise have fond memories of the show, which was the blueprint for all the success thatStar Warshas seen on Disney+ since then, and might react negatively to the show coming to an unceremonious end, the bitter news is a bit mellowed by the assurance of seeing Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin in future projects beyondThe Mandalorian & Grogu. There are tons of things thatThe Mandalorianfans would like to see in the upcomingStar Warsmovie, but it’s easy to see that there’s nobody that wants to say goodbye to the characters for good. While the plot of the film needs to terminate the story of the Disney+ series, fans can be pretty sure the protagonists make it through the end and remain in good form since they’re going to appear down the line.
It’s been clear for a while thatStar Warscould be falling into the Marvel trapwith its seemingly far-reaching commitment to making content for Disney+, a lot of which involves fan favorite characters that are worthy of full theatrical projects.The Mandalorian & Groguwill certainly require fans to do three seasons' worth of homework to understand it, which will be an uncharacteristic first for the franchise. This stands in contrast toRogue OneandAndor,which both stand on their own as solid entries in the franchise, despite the former being a direct setup for the firstStar Warsand the latter being a prequel series to it. Adding in the fact thatRogue Onewasreleased first, and it’s clear to see why that worked well within the franchise’s film-centered approach. However, the Disney+ era has now seen projects taking place before, during, and after the timeline covered in the mainline films, leaving the franchise with a major issue.
Ending its run asone of the Best Disney Plus Series of 2023isn’t a bad way to go out. If the upcoming film can put a proper capstone on the show, thenThe Mandalorianwill certainly go down in history as a trueStar Warswin on streaming, a title that’s been hit or miss for the franchise on Disney+. With the controversy surroundingThe AcolyteandSkeleton Crewstill being an unknown variable,The Mandalorian & Grogumight take one even more significance when it eventually releases.
