The Mandalorian and Grogu is expected to help Star Wars regain its former glory on the big screen, something the Marvel Cinematic Universe has recently failed to achieve.
The success of The Mandalorian on television was a turning point that helped the Star Wars series thrive as it does today.
Now, Lucasfilm hopes that Mando and Grogu’s journey will rekindle the excitement for moviegoers, something that has somewhat faded since the sequels.
The film will explore the beloved story from the television series and adapt it for the big screen. This raises the question: do audiences need to watch all the previous seasons, especially from season 1 to season 3, to understand the film’s content?
However, this approach could help Star Wars score points where the Marvel Cinematic Universe has failed: balancing story depth for old fans with accessibility for new audiences.
The Burden of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
After Avengers: Endgame (2019), the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has become increasingly chaotic and divisive. The main reason stems from Marvel Studios’ increased production, not only releasing 3 to 4 films per year but also developing numerous series on Disney+.
What once made the Marvel Cinematic Universe easy to follow, limited to theatrical releases from 2008-2019, is gone.
The biggest problem in the post-Endgame era is the growing reliance on the connections between films. Audiences are starting to feel that to understand a theatrical release, they need to “do their homework” by watching the television series beforehand. For example, The Marvels depends on Ms. Marvel, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness continues WandaVision.
As a result, the phenomenon of “MCU fatigue” is widespread, and box office revenue has dropped significantly. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige also acknowledged this. He stated that expanding beyond 2019 is a significant challenge, though also exciting.
Another prime example is Thunderbolts. Kevin Feige shared with Variety that many viewers were unfamiliar with the film or its characters because they came from less-watched television series.
While he insisted the film wasn’t built on the premise of requiring viewers to “see” other series beforehand, he admitted that this should have been communicated more clearly to the audience.
Ironically, the very element that once made the Marvel Cinematic Universe so powerful – its interconnectedness – has become a barrier, overwhelming viewers.
Star Wars maintains its connection, but in a smarter way.
According to Screen Rant, many viewers are concerned that The Mandalorian and Grogu will fall into the “trap” of forcing viewers to watch previous Marvel films, as has been the case recently, but perhaps this is unnecessary.
For those who have watched The Mandalorian seasons 1, 2, and 3, this is clearly a compelling sequel. However, the ending of season 3 cleverly establishes a very clear new setting, allowing first-time viewers to follow the storyline without feeling lost.
Specifically, Din Djarin officially adopts Grogu and moves to live on the planet Navarro. He returns to bounty hunting, this time targeting the remnants of the empire operating underground. This simple yet effective setting is engaging enough for newcomers while providing depth for those who have followed the characters’ journey.
If screenwriter and director Jon Favreau does a good job of making Din and Grogu appealing to both new and veteran audiences, then concerns about coherence will no longer be a major worry.
Those familiar with the previous films will find many details familiar, but new viewers can still understand and enjoy it without needing to “do homework.”
This makes The Mandalorian and Grogu almost a “soft reboot”—both fresh and continuing the spirit of the past.
The Mandalorian and Grogu’s approach essentially follows the path George Lucas laid out for Star Wars.
In all three films directed or supervised by George Lucas, he always takes the audience into an existing and functioning universe without needing to explain everything from the outset.
For example, in A New Hope (1977), audiences hear about the Clone Wars, Jedi, Anakin Skywalker, the Empire, and more for the first time without having seen them firsthand. These details don’t confuse viewers; instead, they spark curiosity and help expand the Star Wars universe in a fascinating way. The power lies in the fact that viewers don’t need to understand everything, they just need to know that these events actually happened.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is scheduled to be released on May 22, 2026.
