
By the time The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters, it will be the first live-action Star Wars movie in seven years. Back in 2019, as The Rise of Skywalker came into theaters, The Mandalorian was wrapping up its first season, and even debuted Rey’s Force-healing power via Baby Yoda, one day before Episode IX was released. But now, the landscape of the Force feels very different, with Star Wars’s cinematic comeback relying not on old-school nostalgia, but very recent memories of a beloved TV series.
That said, with the inclusion of one character in both the trailer and the poster, The Mandalorian and Grogu isn’t so much a straightforward adaptation of The Mandalorian for the big screen, but more generally, the first big screen movie to embrace the entire world of TV Star Wars. And, arguably, the Star Wars TV franchise rebooted in 2014 with Star Wars Rebels.