With the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash, a new version of the trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu has been released in theatres. While it hasn’t been officially released online (a similar strategy was employed with Zootopia 2 screenings), some of us on the team have seen the extended trailer in theaters for ourselves. The new trailer has a few seconds of previously unseen footage, including an extended version of the monster fight in Rotta the Hutt’s ‘impressive’ arena with new creatures that may look familiar to eagle-eyed fans. Let’s break down what we saw.
The trailer opens with the titular Mandalorian and Grogu in a hallway. We couldn’t match the location to one shown in previous footage, but wherever it is, it’s clear that Din expects trouble and tries to prepare his adopted son to face it as his Mandalorian apprentice.
“Before going into harm’s way, check your armor first. It’s gotta fit snug so it doesn’t slide but not so tight that it restricts your movement. Got it?”
It’s a touching moment, with Grogu nodding his head in answer, and hopefully amid all the explosions and action, we get to see more bonding between the pair who are, after three seasons, truly father and son. I can’t be sure, but I’m presuming that the armour Din is tightening around Grogu is the chainmail that the Armorer forged from Morgan Elspeth’s beskar spear and later presented by Luke Skywalker in The Book of Boba Fett, when Grogu chose to return to the Mandalorian rather than follow the Jedi path.
(L-R) Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu in Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU. Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm. © 2025 Lucasfilm Ltd™. All Rights Reserved.
The rest of the trailer plays exactly the same, apart from one additional scene of Din using his flamethrower to knock two Snowtroopers off guard. Presumably this is on the same snowy planet that the AT-AT scenes take place in.
The trailer ends with an extended version of a previous scene showing that Din will battle an array of monsters in Rotta the Hutt’s arena, not just the one seen in the original teaser. If these creatures look a bit familiar to you, it’s because they all first appeared as pieces on the Dejarik board in A New Hope. These creatures, first animated in stop-motion by Phil Tippett, are now on-screen in all their full terror.
The footage shows a Kintan Strider arriving in the arena, wielding a club as it does in its holochess version. This creature is the namesake of the Kintan Strider biker gang in The Book of Boba Fett. The Strider attacks a Mantellian Savrip being ridden by Din, as seen in previous footage, knocking both of them to the ground. While down, Din is approached by a Ng’ok, which snaps its claws at him. Then, the footage cuts to him taking on a Monnok with a sword.
These creatures seem very specifically chosen. Sure, it may just be Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni playing with their Star Wars action figures on screen, but in-universe, it may be that Rotta the Hutt is also a fan and has decided to create his own live combat Dejarik game and has thrown Din into the centre of it. Our own Sydney is also a fan of the game – check out her love letter to Dejarik on our site.
The Mandalorian and Grogu releases in theatres on May 22, 2026. If you’re going to see Avatar: Fire and Ash this weekend in IMAX, there is also a Mandalorian and Grogu-themed countdown in addition to the trailer.
A teacher from Wales in the UK, Aled has loved Star Wars ever since that Star Destroyer flew over his head and blew his mind.