Star Wars has come clean about its Mandalorian & Grogu Super Bowl ad, as the latest look at the movie left fans largely confounded. For weeks leading into the big game, whispers of a new Mando Movie trailer began to swirl. This came after a lackluster first look at the film last fall, leaving fans to hope that a second trailer could reignite the hype for the star-faring adventure. However, what they got was a confounding 30-second spot during the game that spoofed one of the most famous Super Bowl commercials of all time rather than offer a new look at the movie itself.
A new story from Variety detailed the eyebrow-raising Mandalorian & Grogu Super Bowl ad, including an official statement from the Star Wars brain trust about why the franchise went the way it did with the film's second official teaser. In the new report, it was revealed that Mando Movie director Jon Favreau also directed the new ad, and that it was a clear homage to the Super Bwol commercials of yore.
Lucasfilm marketing brand lead Ryan Stankevich told the outlet that the unique trailer was meant to give "a nod to classic Big Game spots of years past," capturing the "warmth, humor, and emotional connection between these two beloved characters:"
"Our creative and marketing team landed on a unique concept that gave a nod to classic Big Game spots of years past. It captured the warmth, humor, and emotional connection between these two beloved characters and was the perfect next step for our campaign as we lead up to their big screen debut this summer."
Disney executive VP of creative marketing Jackson George added, "Grogu is more than a character; he’s a pop culture phenomenon," making him the perfect candidate for a commercial spoof like this one:
"Grogu is more than a character; he’s a pop culture phenomenon. Riding alongside the heroic Mandalorian, he brings lightness, humor, joy, and an instant emotional connection that transcends the moment. This Big Game spot celebrates how deeply we love and connect with these characters, reminds us of the fun, heart, and spectacle that defines ‘Star Wars,’ and offers a bite-sized promise of the experience audiences will get when they see these two beloved icons on the big screen."
Fans have been quick to turn on the new big-game spot, calling Star Wars out for not delivering a more traditional second trailer for the upcoming film. "What the hell was that?" wrote one commenter on X. "Was this really the trailer? What a disappointment," chided another.
The Mandalorian & Grogu teaser was just one of several new trailers released during the event (watch every Super Bowl LX movie trailer here). With the new Star Wars film set for release on May 22, a second full-length trailer has been on fans' wish lists for months.
Starring Pedro Pascal as his chrome-domed Disney+ character, The Mandalorian & Grogu follows the star-faring hero Din Djarin and his force-weilding ward, Grogu, as they are recruited to take on their biggest mission yet, involving the son of intergalactic crime boss Rotta the Hutt.
Was The Mandalorian & Grogu Super Bowl Trailer a Good Idea?
Coming off the Super Bowl, it seems as though the Mandalorian & Grogu trailer did not hit in the way that perhaps Star Wars would have liked it to.
Instead of the Lucasian faithful praising the planet-hopping brand for its unique subversion of expectations and goofy tongue-in-cheek take on what a bit of big game marketing can be, audiences are sharing their disdain for the tease, having hoped that a full-fledged second trailer was on the way.
It is hard to deny that the Mando Super Bowl spot is uniquely creative, but it might just not have been the right time for the brand to try to reinvent the wheel in this way.
Reviews of the first Mandalorian & Grogu trailer were mixed to say the least. With the new Jon Favreau film, marking Star Wars' grand return to theaters after nearly seven years away, audiences had been hoping whatever was coming next was going to kick the Mando Movie hype into high gear.c Sadly, that was not the case.
With just over three months before the movie's official release, The Mandalorian 7 Grogu marketing campaign needs a jolt of electricity to give audiences a reason to make it to the theater on May 22. This new look feels like it was made for a movie that was more of a sure thing.
There is no guarantee The Mandalorian & Grogu is going to succeed at the box office. In fact, there are plenty of doubters out there who think it will do exactly the opposite. Lucasfilm cannot be getting cute if it wants this movie to succeed, especially given the precarious place it currently finds itself.
