When Jon Favreau set out to create The Mandalorian for Disney+ back in 2019, he had no idea that his tiny, oddball companion character, Grogu—known to many as Baby Yoda—would become one of the most beloved faces in the Star Wars galaxy. Now, as The Mandalorian and Grogu prepares to hit theaters on May 22, 2026, Favreau finds himself reflecting on a journey that’s not just transformed his career, but also reinvigorated the entire Star Wars franchise for a new generation.
The new film, directed by Favreau and co-written with Lucasfilm president Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor, isn’t just another chapter in the sprawling saga. It marks the first Star Wars movie in nearly seven years, following the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga with The Rise of Skywalker. The stakes are high: not only is the film expected to unite longtime fans, but it also aims to serve as a welcoming entry point for newcomers, regardless of their familiarity with the franchise’s deep lore.
Favreau, speaking with several outlets including Collider, ScreenRant, and CBS, explained how the journey to the big screen wasn’t straightforward. Originally, he had penned scripts for a fourth season of The Mandalorian television series. But the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and changing priorities at Lucasfilm prompted a creative pivot. "The priorities changed from what I had written as a Season 4, before the work stoppage, and that was pushed to the side, and a new script had to be come up with," Favreau recounted. The result? A standalone adventure crafted specifically for theaters, but one that still honors the rich tapestry of stories that came before.
"This one, we wanted this to be an understandable enough standalone experience, so that if a fan wants to bring somebody who may not be as familiar, they'll still have a good time. But the details are still there, and it does feed into what you're talking about with the time period," Favreau told Collider. Co-writer Dave Filoni echoed this sentiment at the film’s premiere, telling Variety, "Star Wars came to life on the big screen, and no matter how good a show we made, I feel like we were missing a dimension of it, and it's something we wanted. It's these characters who really earned their way. I love that they're new characters, and not ones who came from the movies. How special is that? Fans, the world over, love these new characters, and it was time for them to have their big adventure."
The film picks up after the events of the third season of The Mandalorian, which saw Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu step aside to support Bo-Katan Kryze in uniting Mandalore’s clans against the Empire. With Mandalore’s fate secured, Din formally adopted Grogu and set up a homestead on Nevarro, retiring from bounty hunting in favor of contract work for the New Republic. The movie’s plot revolves around one such mission: Din and Grogu are tasked with rescuing Rotta the Hutt—Jabba the Hutt’s son, voiced by Jeremy Allen White—in exchange for crucial information about a New Republic target. Rotta, who first appeared as an infant in The Clone Wars movie and series, is now grown and entangled in gladiator-style fights. The film also introduces Jabba’s twin cousins and Sigourney Weaver’s Colonel Ward, leader of the Adelphi Rangers.
For Favreau, the move to the big screen felt both daunting and exhilarating. "To get the opportunity to do 'Star Wars' for the big screen, it feels like you're getting a shot to pitch in the World Series," he told CBS. The emotional core of the story remains the bond between Din and Grogu—a relationship Favreau describes as one of the most positive father-son dynamics in the Star Wars universe. "Father-son relationships have always been a big part of 'Star Wars,'" he explained. "This is one of the most positive father-son relationships in 'Star Wars,' and, ironically, they're not related in any way. But it is a family of choice, and 'Star Wars' has always been about families coming together."
Grogu’s meteoric rise to stardom is something Favreau admits caught him off guard. "We knew it would be exciting," he said on CBS Sunday Morning. "We didn't realize quite what a phenomenon it would be. And then when we saw the balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, that's when it kind of – as a New Yorker – it really hit me. Like, 'Wow! This has really hit another level.' The whole thing's surreal." That balloon, floating above Manhattan, symbolized Grogu’s leap from streaming fame to cultural icon.
Part of Grogu’s appeal, Favreau believes, is his unconventional cuteness. "The cute stuff in 'Star Wars' tends to be a little weird-looking. It's not like 'Disney cute,' it's 'Star Wars cute.' And so, he's got weird little hairs and sharp little teeth in there and wrinkly skin, and claws!" Favreau explained. This slightly scruffy design is no accident; it’s a deliberate homage to the analog, handmade feel that has defined Star Wars since 1977. "There's an analog, handmade feel to a lot of the characters and a lot of the costumes and a lot of the puppets from 'Star Wars,'" he said, underscoring the franchise’s roots in practical effects and tactile storytelling.
As the first Star Wars film in nearly a decade, The Mandalorian and Grogu carries the weight of expectation. Favreau and Filoni have made it their mission to thread together all eras of Star Wars, ensuring the movie acknowledges the original trilogy, the prequels, the sequels, and the ever-expanding universe of animated and live-action series. "People connect with the Star Wars that hit at the age when they're perfect to receive it," Favreau told ScreenRant. "It's nice to try to bring everybody together with all the different stories."
Recent Nielsen data suggests their approach is working: in the first quarter of 2026, The Mandalorian was the most-watched Star Wars series among Baby Boomers and Gen Alpha, while Gen Z gravitated toward The Clone Wars. By designing the film as both a celebration of Star Wars and a standalone adventure, Favreau hopes to unite fans young and old in theaters once more.
For Favreau, who grew up in Queens dreaming of distant galaxies, the journey to this moment has been nothing short of cinematic. From early acting gigs and writing the cult classic Swingers, to directing blockbusters like Elf and Iron Man, he’s built a career on blending crowd-pleasing spectacle with genuine heart. Now, with The Mandalorian and Grogu, he’s inviting audiences everywhere to make new memories in a galaxy far, far away.