2026 is going to be another big year for Star Wars, in which Jon Favreau’s upcoming live-action movie The Mandalorian and Grogu will be the franchise’s flagship release. Aside from another chance to see Pedro Pascal in his role as Din Djarin, this movie holds major significance for the Star Wars canon.
Set five years after Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, The Mandalorian and Grogu’s timeline fits snugly between its TV forerunners and the events of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Since this new movie’s plot wasn’t factored into the Skywalker sequel trilogy during the 2010s, it essentially rewrites the timeline between the sixth and seventh films.
The Star Wars TV shows have already remodeled the course of events in the franchise canon extensively in recent years, specifically around the time period in which The Mandalorian and Grogu is set. It feels as though the so-called Mandoverse releases of the 2020s are attempting to make up for the perceived shortcomings of the sequel movie trilogy.
How The Mandalorian & Grogu Rewrites The Force Awakens
Din Djarin and Grogu in The Mandalorian and Grogu movie
In this regard, The Mandalorian and Grogu will pick up where The Mandalorian TV series left off, in fixing Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. A major criticism of the 2015 movie was that it featured extensive character and narrative changes from the franchise’s original big-screen trilogy, without explaining how they happened.
Specifically, The Mandalorian and Grogu is expected to illustrate how the New Republic becomes destabilized to the point of collapse in The Force Awakens, as well as the rise of the First Order from the remnants of the old Empire. This latter plot thread is one that its TV forerunners only begin to touch upon.
At the same time, the movie will build towards the monumental event that will seemingly set the scene for the sequel trilogy, which is likely to be connected to Kylo Ren’s destruction of the Jedi Temple. Luke’s arc post-Return of the Jedi is something that could be further explored in Dave Filoni’s later Star Wars movie, but The Mandalorian and Grogu should lay much of the groundwork for it by exploring the state of the New Republic.
By returning to the big screen with a movie set between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, Star Wars is ultimately setting the stage for the sequel trilogy to be subtly retconned whenever necessary. While the Mandoverse has avoided contradicting the sequels, the more this side of the franchise grows, the more retcons we may encounter.
The Mandoverse Has Slowly Retconned The Sequel Trilogy
Luke Skywalker from The Book of Boba Fett to the left and Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano to the right in a combined image in front of a purple background with filmCustom Image by Yailin Chacon
For seven years, The Mandalorian’s screen universe has been replacing the sequel trilogy with its own version of what happened after Return of the Jedi. Although The Mandalorian and Grogu is the first movie in the Mandoverse, it’s actually the fifth release in the saga.
In addition to The Mandalorian itself, companion TV series The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew also belong to the same overarching narrative. These shows give us fresh perspectives on the events of the Star Wars movie sequels. They even go as far as retconning Luke Skywalker’s character arc between Return of the Jedi and The Last Jedi.
Dave Filoni’s Star Wars Movie Can Be The New Episode VII
Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) smiling in Ahsoka season 1
As much as the Mandoverse has added to Star Wars lore throughout the 2020s, it’s important to emphasize that none of its releases are direct replacements for the sequel movie trilogy. At the same time, Dave Filoni’s untitled Star Wars movie, if it does indeed get made, could stake a major claim to serving as a new Episode VII.
This movie would be the one in which a galaxy-shattering event occurs that fundamentally shifts the balance between the New Republic and the ascendant First Order. Its events would take place directly before those of The Force Awakens, effectively making it the Skywalker saga’s seventh episode, and setting up the entire plot of the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Created by
George Lucas
First Film
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
Cast
Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal
TV Show(s)
The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions
Movie(s)
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order
Character(s)
Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.