When The Mandalorian premiered alongside Disney+ in 2019, it not only breathed new life into the Star Wars franchise, but it showed fans and Lucasfilm that this medium is the way. Following Mando and Grogu/Baby Yoda's debut, The Mandalorian became a pop-culture phenomenon that only built upon its success in its second season. And, now, nearly two years removed from its Season 2 finale, fans are more than ready for Mando's third chapter.
Following Din Djarin and Grogu's role in The Book of Boba Fett, audiences knew that Obi-Wan Kenobi would be the next Star Wars series on the docket. However, reports varied about when to expect Season 3 of the original Star Wars Disney+ series, ranging from Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon claiming a summer 2022 premiere to rumbles of a December debut.
Now, as part of Star Wars Celebration 2022, Lucasfilm has finally officially confirmed when the galaxy's favorite foster father and son will be returning to fans' screens.
Mandalorian Season 3 Delayed to 2023
At Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm revealed that The Mandalorian Season 3 release date has been delayed to February of 2023, supporting earlier reports.
A February release is a departure from the show's typical fall release window. In the past, Season 1 aired on November 12, 2019, while Season 2 premiered on October 30, 2020.
As part of the announcement, Lucasfilm aired a teaser trailer for the show's third season which included Carl Weathers' Greef Karga, Omid Abtahi's Dr. Pershing, and Katee Sackhoff's Bo-Katan Kryze, who is in pursuit of the Darksaber.
The footage also confirmed what many Star Wars fans had been anticipating, which is Mando's venture to Mandalore due to him having removed his helmet in Season 2.
Mando Season 3 To Launch Lucasfilm's 2023 Slate
While there's no doubt that Star Wars fans would rather have Season 3 of The Mandalorian earlier than February 23, 2023, no longer is Mando content the only live-action content on Disney+.
In addition to The Book of Boba Fett which concluded earlier this year, Obi-Wan Kenobi is premiering on May 27 followed by Andor on August 31. Also, there's still a possibility that an animated series may premiere sometime in 2022 as well.
The Mandalorian's February debut will kick off another full slate of Star Wars storytelling, including Rosario Dawson's long-awaited Ahsoka, which may have Mando ties given they both appeared together in The Book of Boba Fett. This new series will be followed by another which is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew by director Jon Watts and starring Jude Law.
This "bounty" of content is, of course, due to the success of The Mandalorian's first two seasons. And, in light of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni's trend of interconnecting characters and stories, Mando and Grogu will likely have even more opportunities to appear outside their own series in the future.
Season 3 of The Mandalorian is set to premiere in February 2023.
