The Mandalorian and Grogu was announced today, and it will feature two of the most popular characters in the recent Star Wars ouevre . For other IPs it wouldn’t be a surprise that Disney decided to make a feature length film featuring the duo, but for Star Wars it's unprecedented. Still, it’s hardly a surprise.
Star Wars films aren’t in the best of shape. While most of the TV shows revolving around that IP have been mostly well received by critics and audiences, the latest Star Wars trilogy received mixed reactions from fans. Now it seems that Disney is leaning on some of its most prominent characters, and that means it's either finally giving fans what they want–or hoping this Hail Mary will “save” what some see as a flagging Star Wars film franchise.
The Mandalorian started off as a Disney + show and quickly became popular among core Star Wars fans while also bringing in lots of new fans. It was such a success that it’s not unusual to see stuffed “baby Yodas” on the shelves of most any store. And starring as the titular Mandalorian, Pedro Pascal’s popularity has exploded, making him a household name.
After Disney acquired the Star Wars IP for over $4 billion dollars, it has had varying degrees of success with the franchise. While Kathleen Kennedy was lauded by some for overseeing Star Wars as it tried new things, she was hated by the subset of fans that hated how they handled the legacy cast.
It’ll be interesting to see if The Mandalorian and Grogu can revitalize the Star Wars IP as a film franchise. One thing’s for sure, though: we’ll be seeing more “baby Yoda” on store shelves–at least for the foreseeable future.
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