Star Wars | The Next Mandalorian and Grogu’ Trailer Needs to Deliver

The first teaser trailer for The Mandalorian & Grogu offered fans a first look at the May 22, 2026, theatrical release, featuring Din Djarin and Grogu in an all-new Star Wars adventure.

Since the teaser’s release, many fans have called it disappointing, underwhelming, lacking a clear plot, and feeling more like an episode of the Disney+ streaming series rather than an actual theatrical movie event. It’s also received mixed reactions from the media, with one outlet saying that it’s doomed to fail.

Teaser trailers are designed to attract an audience to the film with excerpts that are usually drawn from the most exciting, funny, or otherwise noteworthy parts without producing spoilers. In this case, it appears Producer Jon Favreau, known for his role in Iron Man 2, deliberately designed it to give as little information as possible in order to build excitement and mystery for the upcoming theatrical release. That design obviously has failed. But why? Well, let’s take a closer look at the why.

Unlike a standard trailer, which offers a more comprehensive look at the plot, a teaser is meant to intrigue you and leave you wanting more. The criticism of the teaser is simply overblown in this case; it is only the very first look for some, and its lack of a clear plot seems intentional and follows standard industry practices.

Very few teaser trailers hit the bar that Star Wars: The Phantom Menace did. The Phantom trailer was nothing short of an absolute masterpiece that delivered the goods. I remember the excitement surrounding the release that showed the first Star Wars footage in decades. Star Wars was back in all its glory. That teaser created major Star Wars hype, but it also was a saga film and not a one-off, and it had been nearly twenty years since the original trilogy had ended. People were chomping at the bit to see anything Star Wars at that time. There are simply multiple factors involved in the disappointment with The Mandalorian and Grogu’s lack of excitement. For example, the marketing for the film has also thus far been cluttered with references to characters from the show.

In all honesty, the Mandalorian and Grogu trailer hits all the major points of what a teaser trailer should accomplish, but the underlying problem may lie with the rest of the general audience—the audience that aren’t fans.

It’s a miracle that The Mandalorian and Grogu is hitting theaters next year, as Lucasfilm has struggled to launch anything film related since since The Rise of Skywalker hit theaters almost seven years ago. Lucasfilm’s attempt to bring The Mandalorian television show onto the big screen by turning a series into a movie is simply a daunting task. While it’s intended to introduce the franchise to a broader audiences, the release of the film may end up generating negative buzz for the following films to come. General audiences have absolutely no idea who or what these characters or story arch’s are all about.

Lucasfilm’s next film titled Star Wars Starfighter is designed to start an entirely new story, picking up shortly after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, where The Mandalorian and Grogu follow events unknown to the general audience. With Mando and Grogu, you’re basically expecting fans to jump right in and then rewatch the Disney+ series as a reference in order to be up to date with the storyline. Lucasfilm’s recent one-off films have followed stories that were known to the general audience, but asking a new audience to take a deep dive may be a bit too much.

So where does Lucasfilm’s marketing for The Mandalorian and Grogu go from here?

First, the theatrical trailer needs to invite new audiences instead of relying on pre-established character arcs. Introducing Mando and Grogu using character-focused snippets, dynamic reveals, and carefully constructed dialogue to establish their personalities and roles is the way. The overall goal should be to create intrigue and give viewers a distinct, memorable first impression without revealing everything.

Following that formula could lead to Grogu, colloquially known as “Baby Yoda,” becoming an instant and massively popular hit with the general audiences not just Disney and 
Star Wars fans. That little buggers wide-eyed charm sparked a frenzy that drove viewership of the new streaming service and generated billions in merchandise sales. To recapture that with the rest of the world, outside of Disney and Star Wars fans would be a welcoming thing.

RETURN TO THE CLASSIC SCI FI WESTERN! THIS IS THE WAY…

Another thing Lucasfilm can do is return to what made the streaming series a success, prioritize its character-driven story of Mando and Grogu’s relationship, bring out its unique structure reminiscent of classic westerns, and its grounding in the original Star Wars feel.

The Star Wars sequel trilogy was successful at the box office because younger viewers grew invested in the characters. Creating that kinda investment is needed here in order propel this film to a decent box office. All the ingredients are there for success but Lucasfilm has to execute. Can Lucasfilm execute? Tell me what you think below in the comments.

If you haven’t already seen the teaser trailer for The Mandalorian & Grogu, you can watch it below in all its glory:

Plot Synopsis:

The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu (as himself).

May the Force be with you…