The Mandalorian and Grogu's latest promotional efforts confirmed the Star Wars movie's second dangerous villain, and they already appeared in Season 3 of the Disney+ series. The Pedro Pascal-led Star Wars film is set to bring Din Djarin and Grogu to the big screen alongside new and familiar threats that will disrupt their dynamic and the New Republic. One of the villains introduced in The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer is Embo, a Kyuzo bounty hunter who appears to be hunting down the two protagonists, and it seemed that the one who possibly hired him may have been revealed in new promotional images.
Empire Magazine released its special coverage for The Mandalorian and Grogu, confirming that the Shadow Council will be a villain in The Mandalorian and Grogu. The confirmation came with a special look at Jonny Coyne's mysterious character, who has ties to the sinister council.
The Shadow Council is set to be the second villain in The Mandalorian and Grogu, joining Embo as another foe in the upcoming Star Wars movie.
The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau teased in his interview with Empire that Coyne's mysterious warlord character is important in Star Wars lore, noting, "You'll like his character name when you hear it."
Coyne is confirmed to be coordinating the Shadow Council behind the scenes, and part of the plan is to kidnap Grogu, as shown in the official image from Empire. It is possible that the Imperial remnants are planning to reignite their cloning plans for Emperor Palpatine's return in the sequel trilogy.
The Shadow Council was first introduced in The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 7, where they were seen in a holographic meeting with Moff Gideon. The group's main goal was to undermine the New Republic's efforts to restore the galaxy and work toward restoring the Empire's rule following its defeat at the Battle of Endor.
At the 0:32 mark of the official trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu's official trailer, the remaining members of the Shadow Council can be seen reconvening to map out the next steps in their dangerous plans.
A mysterious Imperial warlord can also be seen overseeing the Shadow Council meeting, which seemingly serves as Moff Gideon's replacement in the group.
Directed by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian and Grogu will focus on the titular protagonists as they embark on new missions assigned by the new Republic to expose Imperial remnants and the Shadow Council's plans across the galaxy. The movie will premiere in theaters on May 22.
The Mandalorian & Grogu's Shadow Council Could Expose their Palpatine Plans
The Shadow Council's inclusion in The Mandalorian and Grogu could possibly expose part of, if not all, their long-term plans to bring back Emperor Palpatine, tied to Project Necromancer. This project is a cloning initiative to increase subjects' midichlorian counts and create Force-sensitive clones.
The machinations behind Project Necromancer could actually be revealed in The Mandalorian and Grogu, and this could explain why Grogu was kidnapped by the Shadow Council. The Hutt cartel could also be in on it because they can be seen abducting Din Djarin as well and taking off his mask in the process (which ended a six-year The Mandalorian streak).
With the kidnapping of Grogu, Din Djarin could eventually hunt down Imperial holdouts and come across the Shadow Council operations, which could lead him to uncover more cloning facilities that tie back all the way to the Disney+ series.
The Mandalorian and Grogu could end with a major revelation about the foundation of the First Order, making the film a must-watch for longtime Star Wars fans.
