Disney Is In Danger of Killing the Next Star Wars Movie

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Fans are excited about the return of Star Wars with The Mandalorian and Grogu in May, but there’s some worry about how the movie is being promoted. The TV spot shown during the Super Bowl, directed by Jon Favreau, received mixed reactions, with many expressing disappointment. Lucasfilm seems to be using a similar strategy to the marketing for Lilo & Stitch: releasing a full trailer well in advance (November of last year), followed by a subtle Super Bowl ad, and likely another trailer in March.

It’s clear why Lucasfilm is taking a page from the Lilo & Stitch playbook. That movie earned over $1 billion worldwide, and the recent Super Bowl ad generated a record-breaking 173.1 million views in just one day. I first wondered if the marketing just wasn’t meant for me – the film seems aimed at Gen Z, and I’m not a big sports fan, so the ad didn’t really resonate. But I don’t think that’s the issue. I believe this marketing approach is simply flawed.

The First Mandalorian and Grogu Trailer Didn’t Land Well

Initial issues became apparent when the trailer was released four months ago. It’s tricky to get an exact view count for trailers, as they’re often shared by other sources, making it hard to track all views. However, a basic estimate can be made by looking at the original uploads on major platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok. Of those, the trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu performed best on Facebook, racking up 68 million views. Overall, across all platforms, the trailer has received 131.5 million views in the past four months.

Comparing the trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu to the recent Masters of the Universe trailer highlights a difference in initial impact. The Masters of the Universe trailer quickly gained significant traction, earning 56.3 million views on TikTok in two weeks – much higher than the 27.5 million views for The Mandalorian and Grogu. Overall, it’s amassed 120.5 million views in a fortnight. This suggests the first trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu didn’t generate as much excitement.

The release of The Mandalorian and Grogu comes at a challenging moment for Star Wars. Interest in the franchise has waned, partly because there have been too many Star Wars products and partly because the quality of the shows on Disney+ hasn’t been consistent. For example, Season 3 of The Mandalorian received a disappointing audience score of just 51% on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to 93% and 91% for the first two seasons. Also, as we’ve seen with Pixar, audiences aren’t always eager to go to theaters for franchises they’re used to watching at home. That means The Mandalorian and Grogu needs a strong marketing campaign to succeed.

Did The Mandalorian and Grogu’s Super Bowl TV Ad Work?

I’m definitely not the target viewer for the The Mandalorian and Grogu Super Bowl ad, and that’s okay – I’ll be seeing the movie opening night regardless. I was really hoping for a full trailer, and a lot of other fans felt the same way, but we were disappointed. As of now, the ad doesn’t seem to be performing well; it hasn’t gotten nearly as many views on social media as the Lilo & Stitch teaser. After 12 hours, it’s still under 1.5 million views on YouTube.

Disney addressed the recent criticism of its TV commercial with an explanation from its marketing team. Ryan Stankevich, a marketing lead at Lucasfilm, said the spot was intentionally designed to resemble memorable commercials from past Super Bowls. He explained it aimed to showcase the heartwarming and funny relationship between the two characters, building excitement for their upcoming movie this summer. Jackson George, Disney’s executive vice president of creative marketing, further highlighted the role of the character Grogu in the ad’s appeal.

Grogu isn’t just a character – he’s become a huge part of pop culture. Traveling with the Mandalorian, he adds fun, humor, and heartwarming moments that instantly resonate with viewers. This advertisement highlights how much we love these characters and reminds us of the excitement, heart, and grand scale that make Star Wars so special. It gives a quick preview of the amazing experience audiences will have seeing these two favorites together in theaters.

This comment breaks down Lucasfilm’s marketing approach, suggesting they believe Grogu is already such a recognizable character that he doesn’t need much promotion. This seems reasonable considering how well Grogu merchandise is selling, and Lucasfilm might be right to take this approach. However, there are a couple of worries. First, the actual viewership numbers don’t quite support this optimism. While “The Mandalorian and Grogu” was a trending topic on X after the Super Bowl trailer, most of the conversation focused on whether the trailer was effective, not on building excitement for the show itself.

However, the reasoning behind this situation isn’t new. Back in 2018, Disney and Lucasfilm underestimated the need to market Star Wars, prioritizing promotion for Avengers: Infinity War instead of Solo: A Star Wars Story. This resulted in very little marketing for Solo, which led to the first Star Wars film to perform poorly at the box office. While Solo had other issues – former Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy thought audiences weren’t receptive to a different actor playing Han Solo – most industry experts agree that the lack of marketing was a significant reason for its failure.

While The Mandalorian and Grogu is expected to be successful – Lucasfilm appears to have lowered production costs, with a budget of around $166.4 million, making profitability achievable – there’s a feeling that this represents a shift in strategy for Star Wars. It’s designed to be a lower-cost film that will then perform well on streaming services. However, many believe a major Star Wars film should aim higher, and even a moderately successful box office run might be viewed as underwhelming.

Everything Rests on the Final Mandalorian and Grogu Trailer

Currently, Lucasfilm’s marketing for the new film relies heavily on the idea that fans already love the characters from Disney+ and have purchased Grogu merchandise, so they should now see it in theaters. However, that doesn’t seem like a strong enough reason for many people to go. The next trailer needs to be really impressive and show that the story itself is compelling and exciting—not just that Grogu is in it. It needs to focus on the plot and key story moments to generate genuine interest and anticipation.

Some Star Wars fans are thrilled to go into the new film with no prior knowledge of the plot. They note that Lucasfilm successfully kept the entire story of The Mandalorian Season 1 a secret back in 2019, even concealing the character Grogu until the show premiered on Disney+. That strategy worked because the trailers for The Mandalorian promised a compelling new Star Wars adventure, which the show then exceeded expectations on. Currently, however, there’s been very little marketing beyond a promise of ‘more of the same,’ leaving fans in the dark.

The final trailer has a lot to live up to, and that’s creating a lot of stress. As a longtime Star Wars fan, I really want this movie to succeed and show that the franchise is back and strong after being away from theaters for seven years. Right now, though, it feels like some marketing missteps could ruin its chances, which is really worrying. I’m hoping Lucasfilm can deliver a great film, and that positive buzz will help The Mandalorian and Grogu become a surprise success.

I just saw the new TV spot for The Mandalorian and Grogu, and it looks amazing! I’m so excited for the new season. I’d love to hear what you all think – let’s chat about it over on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-09 17:13