The Mandalorian And Grogu Is Rolling The Dice On Audiences Still Caring When It Releases
The Mandalorian has proven one of the most popular Star Wars properties to come out in quite some time. Despite the box office returns on the sequel trilogy, The Mandalorian undeniably has better critical reviews than the movies starring Rey and her friends. So it makes sense that Disney would want to capitalize on that further.
However, they are taking a big risk by shifting the character over from a TV show to a movie, with plans to release The Mandalorian & Grogu in 2026.
The Mandalorian & Grogu In Theaters?
I have been as much of a fan of The Mandalorian as the next person, but you can’t deny that Disney has tampered with the formula to some bad results in the past.
They inserted the character into The Book of Bobba Fett to significant criticism from fans who felt it was unfair to have major story developments for the character happen in a totally different show.
Now Disney is doing a bit of the same thing by expecting the show’s fanbase to follow it to theaters to see The Mandalorian & Grogu.
Appealing To Fans?
The big challenge here is one that the Marvel movies have already faced. How is Disney going to make the movie appealing to fans who follow their TV shows as well as those who only want to watch the movies?
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness faced this dilemma when it had to continue character progression that started in WandaVision, and many fans were left confused at the sudden villainous turn of Scarlet Witch.
No Background?
I personally have seen every season of The Mandalorian, but many Star Wars fans will come in with no background context around these pre-established characters. This creates an awkward dynamic for The Mandalorian and Grogu.
So now Disney either has to rehash the backstory in The Mandalorian & Grogu, which will be boring to those of us who have already seen The Mandalorian, or it has to risk alienating its movie-exclusive fans by not even establishing how the characters met.
Star Wars Gap
It can certainly be done, as the original Star Wars trilogy played off a lot of character history that had not yet appeared on screen. But it has been a while since a Star Wars movie has been able to successfully walk that kind of a tightrope.
Not Until 2026?
There is also the reality that The Mandalorian & Grogu won’t even be here until 2026. While I have been enjoying The Mandalorian still, a lot of fans felt like season three had lost momentum from the previous two.
The series definitely doesn’t feel like the highly talked about show it was back in season one. So will the character even have that same level of interest two years from now?
Worst Case Scenario
The worst case scenario here is that The Mandalorian & Grogu could be so dependent on having watched at least three seasons of TV shows beforehand that general audiences will be alienated by it.
It is not easy taking a story and adapting it from one medium to another. I am interested to see what Disney is able to do, but part of me wonders if it will be worth the gamble, or if Disney will regret not keeping the character to shows on Disney+.
