43 years have passed since Star Wars: Return of the Jedi hit theaters in 1983, and this year's The Mandalorian & Grogu will be its true theatrical sequel. Of course, Disney and Lucasfilm already offered up a whole sequel trilogy that leaped forward many years in the timeline, by which time the First Order had already risen to power, and the New Republic was promptly devastated in The Force Awakens.
Starring Pedro Pascal's Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin and his Yoda-esque baby buddy Grogu, the upcoming Star Wars flick is picking up from the events of Disney+'s The Mandalorian, which ended in 2023 after Season 3.
The Mandalorian began five years after Episode VI, meaning that, assuming its three seasons span two to three years and The Mandalorian & Grogu picks up shortly after, the movie should be set around eight years after the original trilogy.
The Mandalorian & Grogu offers the first theatrical peek into the fallout from Return of the Jedi, partly by exploring the status of the New Republic and its efforts to confront the surviving Imperial remnants plaguing the galaxy.
Several years ago, Pedro Pascal proclaimed on Late Night with Seth Meyers that Return of the Jedi is his "favorite" Star Wars movie, even saying it is "because of the Ewoks," its lovable yet controversial furry creatures (via CBR).
The Mandalorian & Grogu Connects to Return of the Jedi Through 'Central' Hutts
Perhaps the greatest way that The Mandalorian & Grogu is acting as a sequel to Return of the Jedi is through its major Hutt presence. The original trilogy's concluding chapter marked the slug-like crime lords' true introduction in Star Wars through the infamous Jabba the Hutt, who was promptly slain by Leia Organa.
While Jabba is, of course, dead by The Mandalorian & Grogu, his son will be "running around" with Din Djarin as his newest sidekick in the 2026 flick. The Star Wars galaxy has even picked up an acclaimed actor to voice Rotta the Hutt in The Mandalorian & Grogu: Jeremy Allen White, star of Shameless and The Bear.
The notion of a Hutt running may sound strange to most moviegoers, given Jabba's giant, slug-like appearance, but Rotta is no ordinary Hutt. In fact, Mando's Hutt sidekick will be jacked and muscly, allowing him to wield giant axes in a gladiator arena, a far cry from his obese, slow-moving father.
Pedro Pascal recently made an appearance on the BBC's The One Show to promote The Mandalorian & Grogu. In turn, he recalled his own experience with Return of the Jedi as a child and finding Jabba to be a "terrifying creature" before hinting that the Hutts are "central characters" in the movie:
"For someone my age, 'Return of the Jedi' was probably the movie that I got the most excited ever to have finally gotten tickets for, which is where Jabba the Hutt made his first appearance in the first act of the movie. It's this terrifying creature, and yet at the same time, you're fascinated by him, and it's a wonderful imprint. I think it's so brilliant and original that [director Jon Favreau] and [executive producer Dave Filoni] are making them... maybe... central characters."
A CinemaCon screening of The Mandalorian & Grogu's opening scene revealed that Din Djarin has been sent by the New Republic to rescue Rotta. In return for Rotta's safe return, the Hutts have agreed to hand over key information about a mysterious Imperial remnant figure, who is presumably the movie's main villain.
However, there may be more to The Mandalorian & Grogu's Hutts than meets the eye, as the sluggy crime syndicate will also be among the movie's main villains. Whatever the case, fans won't have long to wait to uncover the truth about the Hutts' role, as The Mandalorian & Grogu hits theaters on Friday, May 22.
