If You Didn’t Like The Mandalorian And Grogu, The Next Star Wars Movie May Be For You

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Released on May 22nd, The Mandalorian and Grogu is the first Star Wars movie to come out since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. The film continues the story of Din Djarin and Grogu from The Mandalorian season 3, with Pedro Pascal reprising his role – and showing his face more often this time!

So far, The Mandalorian and Grogu film has opened with expected box office numbers. It made approximately $160 million worldwide over its first four days, with about $100 million of that coming from the United States. This is the lowest domestic opening weekend for any Star Wars film, falling below the debut of Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018. However, The Mandalorian and Grogu cost considerably less to make than Solo, with a production budget of $160 million.

The movie has received a mixed reaction from viewers and critics. As the first Star Wars film in years, there was a lot of anticipation for The Mandalorian and Grogu to make a strong return to theaters. While critics gave it a 62% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences seem to enjoy it more, giving it an 89% score.

Overall, fans have enjoyed the film much more than critics. However, some viewers have criticized it, saying it feels more like a long TV episode than a movie and that the story isn’t grand enough for the big screen. If you’re one of those viewers, the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter might be more to your liking, as it’s expected to be a larger, more epic film – and it will include lightsabers!

Starfighter Has A Much Bigger Scale

Shawn Levy, the director of the upcoming Deadpool and Wolverine, helms Star Wars: Starfighter. The script was written by Jonathan Tropper. Unlike typical Star Wars movies, Starfighter boasts a star-studded cast featuring Ryan Gosling, Amy Adams, Mia Goth, and Matt Smith.

With such a talented cast, this film feels made for the cinema, and it might be just what fans who weren’t thrilled with The Mandalorian and Grogu have been waiting for. But it’s not just the actors; the story is bigger in scope, and it also features characters who can use the Force.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is the first Star Wars movie without any lightsabers, a major change for the franchise, particularly given its focus on Jedi and Sith. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film intentionally showcases a different part of the galaxy than what Jedi usually inhabit. However, it also promises a return to the world of the Force after an eight-year absence on the big screen.

Okay, so details are still pretty scarce about this new Starfighter movie, but from what Disney and Lucasfilm have said, it’s going to center around a young guy who’s strong with the Force and his uncle. They’re basically on the run, traveling the galaxy while being pursued by some new bad guys. I’m excited to hear that Mia Goth and Matt Smith are playing villains – they’re both fantastic! And, if the rumors are true, we’re finally going to see some red lightsabers in action. Seriously, it’s about time!

Adding characters who can use the Force to Starfighter immediately raises the story’s importance. Major events in the Star Wars universe almost always involve Jedi or Sith in some way, so this suggests Starfighter could take the franchise in exciting new directions.

Starfighter Has New, Original Characters

Unlike The Mandalorian and Grogu, Star Wars: Starfighter features a largely new cast of characters. The Mandalorian and Grogu mainly focuses on characters audiences have already met, with even newer faces like Rotta and the Hutt twins having appeared in previous Star Wars stories. This makes Starfighter stand out as a sequel that introduces a fresh group of heroes and villains.

The new film, Starfighter, introduces a completely fresh set of characters. Currently, details are scarce, but Flynn Gray will play a young child strong with the Force, and Ryan Gosling will star as his uncle, responsible for guiding him across the galaxy. Christina Hendrick and Manny Jacinto have been cast as key villains, marking the first new dark side characters since the Sith’s defeat in The Rise of Skywalker.

Although we don’t know much about these new characters yet, that’s actually exciting for fans – especially those who felt something was missing with The Mandalorian and Grogu. Because these characters are completely new, anything could happen, which immediately makes the story more suspenseful.

Starfighter Is Set In A Different, Unexplored Time Period

Set five years after The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars: Starfighter is currently the furthest point in the official Star Wars timeline. This means the story is moving into completely new areas. The Sith have been defeated, and the original characters from the first Star Wars movies are no longer active. While the main characters from the sequel trilogy might appear in the new film, that hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Even if other stories come out first, Starfighter has a lot of freedom to tell its story within the Star Wars universe. Unlike The Mandalorian and Grogu, which have to consider events from the sequel trilogy happening about 20 years in the future and the rise of the First Order, Starfighter isn’t tied down by existing canon in the same way, meaning it potentially has higher stakes and more room to explore.

Because the Disney+ series like The Mandalorian and Grogu take place before the later Star Wars movies, their stories are limited in what changes they can make to the galaxy. However, Star Wars: Starfighter isn’t connected to the main storyline, giving it the freedom to explore new ideas and tell a different kind of Star Wars story. This open approach could be exactly what some fans want to see.

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2026-05-27 22:59