There’s been a disturbance in the Force. After about four years of delivering (mostly) solid Star Wars content in the form of Disney+ streaming series, something is shifting at Lucasfilm. Suddenly, there are fewer updates about upcoming shows like Skeleton Crew and The Acolyte, and more emphasis on the three upcoming movies:
- A sequel to the sequel trilogy following Rey as she rebuilds the Jedi Order.
- A prequel about the dawn of the Jedi.
- A film directed by The Mandalorian and Ahsoka showrunner Dave Filoni meant to wrap up the “Mando-verse.”
However, there may be a wild card in the mix: a fourth movie.
Lucasfilm leaker Making Star Wars claims the ongoing WGA and SAG AFTRA strikes have forced studio execs to examine different options for the future of Star Wars. According to the leak, the strikes may make the two seasons of television needed to set up Dave Filoni’s movie (that’s reportedly The Mandalorian Season 4 and Ahsoka Season 2) difficult to finish in time. As a result, The Mandalorian Season 4 may be truncated into a movie released after Rey’s sequel film, which isn’t slated for release until May 2026. (No matter what happens, get ready to wait a while for more Mando.)
It’s important to emphasize this is merely a contingency plan reportedly being floated internally. However, while this might initially sound bad for Baby Yoda fans, this change might actually be exactly what the Mando-verse needs.
and while it would mean a much longer wait for a possible Season 4, it actually could be just the change in form that The Mandalorian needs.
The Mandalorian worked perfectly as Star Wars’ first live-action show thanks to its adventure-of-the-week format and Western tone, which rippled through Seasons 1 and 2. In each episode, Din Djarin would roll into a town needing something, would find a mission to do to fulfill that need, accomplish the mission, and move on. (If you need a refresher, this viral video pretty much nails it.)
But in Season 3, the scope got a lot bigger. The Mandalorian wasn’t just about one man and his tiny ward on a journey, but the Mandalorian people as a whole reclaiming their old planet. That led to some great side plots and episodes, but also to what felt like a lot of unnecessary detours away from what made the series so great in the first place.
Maybe The Mandalorian has outgrown the TV format altogether, and this emergency backup plan could be the best way to evolve with the story itself. Of course, Disney could avoid this situation altogether by negotiating with the striking unions and paying them fairly, but either way, it’s worth seriously considering whether the best path forward for the Mando-verse is another meandering season of television when a movie could accomplish the same thing a whole lot faster.
