It's Time You Watch the Best 3-Part Star Wars Sci-Fi Before Its Big Theatrical Release

Published Apr 28, 2026, 7:19 AM EDT

One of Djarin's missions eventually brings him into the orbit of a child named Grogu, who can wield the Force. Djarin takes Grogu under his care, which eventually leads him into conflict with an Imperial remnant led by Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). In addition to undertaking various missions, Djarin also encounters other Mandalorians on his quest to try to reunite Grogu with the Jedi Order, all the while striving to follow the Way of Mandalore. Across three seasons, The Mandalorian drew immense praise, and it's about to be the center of another Star Wars milestone as The Mandalorian and Grogu marks Star Wars' return to the big screen.

'The Mandalorian' Thrives Thanks to Top Shelf Casting & Directing

Watching The Mandalorian, it immediately becomes apparent that creator Jon Favreau has a deep love for everything Star Wars. That love tends to be displayed through deep-cut connections to other Star Wars media, particularly Star Wars: The Clone Wars, or utilizing familiar Star Wars iconography in surprising new ways, like a collection of Stormtrooper helmets stuck on pikes. Favreau also assembled an incredible line-up of directors to helm episodes of The Mandalorian, including Rick Famuwiya (Dope), Robert Rodriguez (Desperado), Bryce Dallas Howard, and Peter Ramsay (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). Dave Filoni, who previously worked with Favreau on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, even made his live-action directing debut with the premiere episode.

That approach also applies to The Mandalorian's cast, which features a rich mix of character actors and alums from the Star Wars franchise. In addition to Katee Sackhoff as Mandalore's former leader, Bo-Katan Kryze, and Mark Hamill briefly reprising his role as Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, The Mandalorian also saw the late, great Carl Weathers join its cast as Greef Karga. The best performance, however, goes to Pascal and stuntmen Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder. Due to following the Way of Mandalore, Djarin rarely removes his Mandalorian armor, meaning that Wayne and Crowder often have to rely on physical movements to depict what he's feeling while Pascal performs vocal work. It results in a truly unique performance that makes Djarin one of the most iconic Star Wars characters to date.

'The Mandalorian' Is Reviving Star Wars on the Big Screen

While The Mandalorian and Grogu are the first Star Wars films to hit theaters in years, it's because of a change to the original series. Lucasfilm had tried to develop a new Star Wars film for years, but saw multiple directors depart over differing creative visions. Ironically, when the 2023 SAG-AFTRA/WGA strikes led to the shelving of a fourth season of The Mandalorian, Lucasfilm instead decided to make a Mandalorian film. During a recent interview, Jon Favreau said he made sure that The Mandalorian and Grogu would appeal to fans of the series and newcomers alike.

"You gotta deliver something that the audience enjoys - regardless of the medium. And in this case, what could we do that we couldn’t do before? We have to treat it like the first season and the first episode of The Mandalorian, which is: don’t assume anybody’s seen anything but also make it clear to the people who’ve been with Star Wars for 50 years that this is something that is for them...We can’t forget that Star Wars hasn’t been in theaters for almost seven years. There are audience members who were not old enough to know Star Wars in the theater; we have to invite those fans in."

Seven years may have passed since its debut, but The Mandalorian still continues to have an impact on Star Wars. With its transition to the big screen, there's never been a better time to revisit the series. As Djarin often says to his fellow Mandalorians, "This is the Way."