Star Wars is phasing out Boba Fett in its new era of storytelling. The legendary helmeted bounty hunter became one of Star Wars' most iconic characters after he appeared in The Empire Strikes Back. Skip ahead a few decades, and Disney tried to reinvigorate the character with his own Disney+ show, The Book of Boba Fett, but it failed to generate enough interest, and a new bounty hunter has taken the spotlight.
Lucasfilm's new CEO, Dave Filoni, confirmed in the latest Empire Magazine issue that Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin, more commonly known as the Mandalorian, is Star Wars' new Boba Fett. Ever since Lucasfilm announced The Mandalorian, the similarities between the two helmeted heroes have been clear, but the newer bounty hunter has officially overtaken his predecessor, with Filoni referring to the dynamic between Djarin and Grogu as "a Boba Fett/Yoda team-up."
"Did you ever think, watching 'Empire Strikes Back', we would see a Boba Fett/Yoda team-up? Where Boba Fett is, like, Yoda's dad? No! But here it is, and it turns out it's a wonderful delight."
It's worth noting that when The Mandalorian started in 2019, Boba Fett was still believed to be canonically dead, having been swallowed by the Sarlacc pit in Return of the Jedi. As a result, The Mandalorian was able to revitalize interest in a Boba Fett-like character by creating a new one, Din Djarin, who eventually opened up the door for Boba Fett to return from the dead and launch into his own show. But by the time that happened, The Mandalorian was already too popular; he outshone Boba Fett and officially became Star Wars' main Mandalorian bounty hunter -- and now fully-fledged leading hero.
The duo's upcoming film, The Mandalorian & Grogu is the first-ever instance of a live-action Star Wars show transitioning into a movie, and it couldn't have happened without the audience's investment in Mando and Grogu. Boba Fett is one of the most iconic bounty hunters in the Star Wars world, but he's since had to make room for Din Djarin, particularly after the flop of The Book of Boba Fett, which basically condemned the character.
Where The Book of Boba Fett explored Boba's attempts to become the new crime lord on Tatooine, an act of revenge against his former employer, Jabba the Hutt, The Mandalorian & Grogu is taking its new replacement in a different, more heroic direction. After closing out a three-season era that saw Din Djarin transition from a cold-hearted hunter into a parent, The Mandalorian & Grogu sees Pascal's character "working for the good guys:"
Pedro Pascal: "It only felt like the ending of a particular chapter. They open up the opportunity for him to continue his best work as a bounty hunter, but just working for the good guys. Combining skill and morality. Whereas when we meet him first, it's simply skill, and beskar, and [the Mandalorian] Creed. Through his relationship to Grogu, there is an expansion of his heart and a disarming of his armour, so to speak, that leads him to fight for what he knows is right."
Din Djarin will forever be associated with Boba Fett thanks to their shared Mandalorian heritage and similar looks, but the former has now fully replaced the latter in terms of iconography.
The Mandalorian & Grogu will be released in theatres on May 22, 2026, with Jon Favreau directing and Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, and Jeremy Allen White starring.
Boba Fett Is in the Background Now
Fans will always love Boba Fett for the roles he played in the original trilogy (and his origins in the prequels), but the character's mystique was a large part of his appeal. When Disney tried to give fans what they wanted and tell more of the character's story in The Book of Boba Fett, it flopped and became one of the lowest-rated Star Wars series on review platforms.
It was telling that even in The Book of Boba Fett, a series dedicated to the iconic hero, one of the standout episodes was one focused on Din Djarin. Episode 5, titled "Return of the Mandalorian", was essentially a bottle episode following Djarin in between The Mandalorian Seasons 2 and 3, and it became one of the highest-rated episodes of the season. At that point, the message was clear that investment in Pascal's character was higher than in Morrison's.
Filoni's comments also come shortly after Morrison revealed to fans that Boba Fett has been "put on the shelf." Despite hopes that The Book of Boba Fett might be renewed, Morrison said Lucasfilm had called him to tell him of the character's shelving:
"I’m at a convention, and I say stupid things. Then I’ve got [Lucasfilm] ringing me: ‘Look, you’ve been put on the shelf, Boba Fett. We might open up the jar later.' [I’m] shelved, that’s all, like a jar of peaches. When it does get opened, I’m going to come out sweeter, darling."
Morrison did add that Lucasfilm hinted they "might open up the jar later," meaning Boba Fett certainly isn't dead, but there seems to be no immediate plans for his return, particularly while the studio is flying high with The Mandalorian.
