Star Wars‘ upcoming return to the big screen with The Mandalorian and Grogu is really just a feature-length episode of the beloved Disney+ series. Still, the movie could also be bursting with characters who can canonically pop up at any point. While the story seems relatively focused at the moment, the size of the Star Wars timeline and the era during which The Mandalorian and Grogu is set means any number of franchise icons may appear when the movie premieres on May 22, 2026.
So far, other than the movie’s two title characters, Steven Blum’s Zeb Orrelios is the only other confirmed returning franchise figure. Zeb not only made his live-action debut in The Mandalorian Season 2, but Blum also voiced the character in every season of Star Wars: Rebels. It’s currently unclear how large a role Zeb will have in The Mandalorian and Grogu, but it’s fairly safe to say that other fan-favorites from across the franchise will likely show up. It just remains to be seen who will appear in the movie’s post-Return of the Jedi storyline.
7
Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Mandalorian is only set a handful of years after Star Wars‘ original trilogy ended in 1983. Although Alec Guinness’ Obi-Wan died in 1973’s A New Hope, the character returned as a Force Ghost in the following two movies. In fact, he appears in the final moments of Return of the Jedi. Paired with the fact that no one can really prove whether a Force Ghost’s presence ever expires, it’s safe to say Obi-Wan could have a cameo in the upcoming movie. Just who would portray him is another matter, though. Ewan McGregor is too young, and a CGI revival of Guinness similar to the late Peter Cushing’s Tarkin in 2016’s Rogue One could prove divisive.
Yoda (Frank Oz) is another original trilogy character who could technically show up as a Force Ghost.
6
Luke Skywalker
Originally played by Mark Hamill, Luke has already made a Star Wars comeback in recent years. After his surprise return in The Mandalorian Season 2, his presence was also one of the biggest highlights in The Book of Boba Fett. The advanced filmmaking techniques used allowed Hamill to semi-reprise his role, but he wasn’t able to do it alone due to being decades too old for this era of Luke’s life. Still, considering The Mandalorian served as Luke’s comeback vehicle after the failure that was the sequel trilogy, it would be fitting to see him again when The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives.
5
Boba Fett
The Mandalorian Season 2 created a strong connection between Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison), a dynamic that bled into the divisive Disney+ spin-off built around Temuera’s character. While The Book of Boba Fett certainly gave its title character’s reputation a beating, the bounty hunter was at least still alive when the final credits rolled. Boba definitely needs to be redeemed in the eyes of fans, and doing so on the big screen via another team-up with Din Djarin would be a great way to pull that off.
4
Han Solo & Chewbacca
Sure, we all saw Harrison Ford’s Han Solo die in 2015’s The Force Awakens, but that was set many years after The Mandalorian and Grogu. In the upcoming movie, both Han and his Wookiee sidekick will be alive and well, and only relatively recently removed from their victory over the Empire with the Rebellion. Chewie’s character design means there are multiple actors capable of bringing him to life, but it gets a little trickier when considering how Han could appear. Techniques similar to how Luke was portrayed in The Mandalorian are one option, or perhaps Alden Ehrenreich could reprise the role for the first time since 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story.
3
Ahsoka Tano
Rosario Dawson’s version of Ahsoka Tano had a path back to prominence that was similar to Boba Fett’s. Just as Boba showed up in The Mandalorian and went on to have his own show, so did Ahsoka. Originally voiced by Ashley Eckstein in The Clone Wars, Ahsoka’s connection to Din Djarin and his surrogate son is a little more tangential than Boba’s, but it is there. It would make sense for her to appear in the upcoming movie, but it also wouldn’t be entirely surprising if Star Wars were opting to contain her arc within the imminent Ahsoka Season 2.
2
Anakin Skywalker
The Mandalorian and Grogu writer/director, Dave Filoni, made relatively heavy use of Hayden Christensen’s Star Wars character in Ahsoka Season 1. The new president of Lucasfilm clearly has an affinity for the redeemed Jedi. After leaving the Darth Vader moniker behind in his dying moments, Anakin has returned as a Force Ghost, just like his master before him. It would be tricky to include Anakin without Ahsoka also being present in the upcoming movie, but Christensen’s big-screen Star Wars comeback remains a possibility in The Mandalorian and Grogu.
1
Princess Leia Organa
The sad passing of Carrie Fisher during the production of the Star Wars trilogy turned what was already a divisive comeback into a relatively pieced-together affair. Although Fisher unfortunately can’t reprise her role in The Mandalorian and Grogu, Leia holds a vital place in the story at the time of the upcoming movie’s setting. She may even be in the throes of the Jedi training she ultimately abandoned. Disney has already proven capable of using this younger version of Leia in live-action without recasting her, although the character may not be required to tell The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s story at this point in the Star Wars timeline.
- Release Date
-
May 22, 2026
- Sequel(s)
-
Dave Filoni’s Untitled Mandalorian Movie
Source link
Add Comment