New Mandalorian & Grogu Movie Footage May Reveal A Bold Star Wars Strategy

Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni's "The Mandalorian and Grogu" movie won't be out until 2026, but we already know a thing or two about the film. Disney's D23 event unveiled some footage of the big screen continuation of DIsney+'s first "Star Wars" show, revealing that Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu will travel to a cold snow planet and that classic AT-AT walkers will also play a role in the story. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios (Steve Blum) briefly appears, organically continuing his live-action story after the "Star Wars Rebels" character's cameo in "The Mandalorian," Chapter 21. Less expected but at least as welcome is the appearance of several tiny Anzellans — one of whom might even be the fan-favorite mechanic Babu Frik (Shirley Henderson).

As the first "Star Wars" movie to follow the Skywalker Saga's conclusion in "Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker," a lot hinges on the film's success, not the least of which because it reveals how the franchise intends to handle its movie game going forward. If Zeb and the Anzellans are any indication, it appears that "Star Wars" is adapting a bold, new big screen strategy that "The Mandalorian" show has already honed into an art form: shining a light on minor, but well-liked "Star Wars" characters.

This isn't a massive surprise, per se. In the age of the cinematic universe, the days of a "Star Wars" film casually introducing a neat character and barely mentioning them ever again are long gone. However, up to this point, the franchise's live-action projects have been content to expand the backstories of beloved characters on Disney+. Zeb and the Anzellans may very well be the first signs that the movies will step up on this front as well.

While the appearance of Zeb and the Anzellans might indicate that "Star Wars" is now ready to feature minor characters on the big screen, fans of the franchise know that the Disney+ projects that take place in the galaxy far, far away have honed this exact strategy into an art form. "The Mandalorian" alone has liberally given spotlight moments to characters like the comparatively obscure Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant), as well as bringing key figures like Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) to live-action canon. Other Disney+ "Star Wars" shows have continued this trend, featuring no small amount of minor but delightful characters for fans to reconnect with and enjoy.

Apart from allowing the live-action shows to dip their toes into the deep pool of interesting characters from previous live-action projects, this approach has also allowed the franchise to introduce many of the more interesting bits of "Star Wars Legends" into canon proper. "Ahsoka," in particular, is effectively a sequel show for "Star Wars Rebels" and features many members of the well-regarded animated series' cast.

Now that Din Djarin and Grogu are established A-list characters in their own right, it sure seems like their big movie might establish the tried-and-tested Disney+ strategy as the "Star Wars" film's official approach as well. If this turns out to be the case, it's probably fair to guess that Zeb and the Anzellans will be far from the only comparatively minor characters that the movie intends to elevate. Even if this doesn't turn out to be true, at least "The Mandalorian & Grogu" will finally offer a side-by-side comparison that might help fans decide who's cuter: Babu Frik or "Baby Yoda."