One major character is confirmed to meet their end, as shown in early released footage from The Mandalorian and Grogu. Star Wars will be back in theaters for the first time in seven years with The Mandalorian and Grogu, adding the next chapter in the story that started on Disney+. While it is confirmed to be one of the shorter movies in Star Wars history, this will not stop Lucasfilm and Disney from making history with its plot.
Disney shared the first 18 minutes of footage from The Mandalorian and Grogu during its presentation at CinemaCon 2026, for which The Direct was in attendance. The footage included a major death early in the film, which will be the first time an important character has been killed off at the start of a Star Wars movie.
The film opens in a meeting room with surviving Imperial leaders, who say in unison, "Long live the Empire." After an Empire loyalist declares that he will raise tributes due to operating at a loss, others in the group object, which the leader takes as an insult. From there, he shoots the naysayer on sight, with five others remaining around him at the table.
This leads to alarms sounding in the base, as Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin comes into play and rips through snowtroopers before getting to the Empire meeting room. Igniting the ground with his flamethrower, the Empire leader escapes down an elevator shaft and orders his subordinates to lay down and cover fire. However, they lay down their arms and surrender, while Mando throws a bomb down the elevator shaft towards the Imperial leader.
As Grogu uses his new Jedi powers that he honed in The Mandalorian, Mando takes out a snowtrooper on top of an AT-ST and steals it, charging down a mountain with Grogu. Running under and avoiding multiple AT-ATs, he uses his jetback to escape while holding Grogu and takes out one of the walkers at the ankles.
The Imperial leader who fled earlier is on board the last AT-AT standing, as Mando takes control of the machine. The antagonist finds his way out of the AT-AT in an escape shuttle, but Mando shoots down the pod and takes him out.
Other Villains Appearing in The Mandalorian and Grogu
Embo
Making his way over to live-action from the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the villainous Embo will be the main antagonist in The Mandalorian and Grogu. This will be his first time appearing in a live-action Star Wars project, although the actor playing him has not been announced.
In this movie, Embo is hired by the Hutt clan to kill Jeremy Allen White's Rota the Hutt, which immediately puts him in Mando and Grogu's crosshairs. Due to Mando and Grogu being sent on a mission to protect and rescue Rotta, they are sure to have plenty of scary interactions with Embo across the film's runtime.
Janu
The Mandalorian and Grogu's second villain, apart from Embo, will be a Shadow Council leader played by Jonny Coyne. For now, Coyne's character name has not been revealed, although director Jon Favreau has teased that fans will "like his character name" when it becomes public.
After this council was first introduced in The Mandalorian Season 2, Coyne's character is confirmed to be coordinating the group behind the scenes. While part of the plan is to kidnap Grogu, some theories have also pointed to him hoping to reignite the cloning plans that will be used for Emperor Palpatine's return at the end of the Sequel Trilogy.
The Twins
Coming back from the first two Star Wars movie trilogies and the animated shows, the Hutt Clan will play a major role in The Mandalorian and Grogu. Specifically, two new members of this clan will play important roles as supporting antagonists, but they are only known as "the twins" ahead of the film's release.
Based on reports, the Hutt Twins could wind up hiring Embo to track down Rotta the Hutt, and they could also be in pursuit of Mando and Grogu when they come on the radar as well. However, details on the pair are quite scarce ahead of their live-action debut.
The Mandalorian and Grogu will be the next chapter in the story laid out in Disney+'s MandoVerse, and it will be Star Wars' first movie release since 2019's Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker. Starring Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, and Sigourney Weaver, the story will show Mando and Grogu on a new mission to protect White's Rotta the Hutt, putting them in more danger than they have ever faced before. The Mandalorian and Grogu will debut in theaters on May 22, 2026.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
