The Mandalorian & Grogu will break a standard Star Wars rule when it releases in Summer 2026. The next film from the galaxy, far, far away, marks the big screen debut of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young companion Grogu, who were first introduced to audiences in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. The Mandalorian & Grogu also marks the first Star Wars film release since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, but it will differ significantly from that film and all previous Star Wars movies in a key way.
Since Star Wars began over 47 years ago in 1977 with Episode IV: A New Hope, it has consistently remained relatable by placing human faces at the center of its stories. Unlike other major sci-fi franchises, such as Star Trek or Avatar, extraterrestrial species, although featured heavily in Star Wars films, have never been the face of the franchise. Over the subsequent 11 live-action films, keeping human characters at the forefront of the narrative has become a core rule of Star Wars, maintaining an element of accessibility for the franchise's massive audience.
This rule will be broken when The Mandalorian & Grogu is released. The trailer for Jon Favreau's new Star Wars prominently featured Grogu (an alien species) and the Mandalorian/Din Djarin (a human whose face is hidden behind his helmet), highlighting a noticeable lack of human faces for audiences to connect with.
While The Mandalorian series included many human series regulars, such as Carl Weathers' Greef Karga, Gina Carano's Cara Dune, and Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon, human faces are absent in The Mandalorian & Grogu. The trailer mainly highlights a variety of alien species the duo will encounter on their adventures.
One of the only prominent humans featured in The Mandalorian & Grogu trailer is Sigourney Weaver's Ward, a New Republic leader and brand-new character. However, despite Ward's focus in the trailer, Weaver revealed she was only The Mandalorian & Grogu set for a few days, suggesting her character won't have a huge presence in the film.
There are, of course, likely to be some human characters appearing in The Mandalorian & Grogu who haven't been marketed yet. Some human faces were also spotted in the crowd scenes in the trailer, suggesting a significant presence of people in the new Star Wars film. However, The Mandalorian & Grogu will still differ significantly from past Star Wars movies by placing these characters in the background.
Starting with the original trilogy, the three key faces at the front of the Star Wars franchise were all human: Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), and Han Solo (Harrison Ford). These characters had notable non-human companions, such as Chewbacca and Yoda, but these extraterrestrial species were often relegated to supporting roles, allowing the audience to identify with the human characters at the heart of the story.
This principle continued into the Star Wars prequel trilogy, which featured human main characters Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), and Padma Amidala (Natalie Portman). The diversity of non-human species in the Star Wars galaxy persisted, with characters like General Grievous, Jar Jar Binks, and Darth Maul among the notable introductions.
Similarly, in the sequel Star Wars films, the trilogy was pinned on a group of new human faces, including Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe (Oscar Isaac), alongside the likes of BB-8, Maz Kanata, and Captain Phasma. Even in the few spin-off films that Lucasfilm produced, they have been marketed with a human face at the centre, such as Felicity Jones' Jyn Erso and Alden Ehrenreich's younger Han Solo.
Throughout all of Star Wars' mainline films, humans have been at the forefront, with a vast array of alien or non-human characters filling out the supporting ranks. However, for Lucasfilm's next release, it appears this rule will be flipped, with the main lead characters in The Mandalorian & Grogu being non-human (or hiding their human faces) and allowing a mix of human and alien species to build up the supporting cast.
The Mandalorian & Grogu is scheduled for release in cinemas on May 22, 2026. The film is directed by Jon Favreau, creator of The Mandalorian, and co-written by Favreau and Dave Filoni. The Mandalorian & Grogu continues the journey of the main duo in place of a Season 4 of the Disney+ show.
How The Mandalorian & Grogu Breaking a Trend Benefits Star Wars
The Mandalorian & Grogu's decision to relegate human characters to the background is a big change for the sci-fi franchise, although not an unwelcome one. Lucasfilm's primary IP encompasses a diverse range of species, and allowing some of these characters to take the limelight for the first time in 11 movies may serve as a welcome and fresh change for the series.
Not to mention, The Mandalorian already proved its worth with audiences on Disney+, with both Din Djarin's helmeted hero and his adorable young ward becoming two of Star Wars' most beloved characters. Despite not having human faces (or at least a scarce amount of Pedro Pascal without the helmet), The Mandalorian was a hit, indicating that human characters aren't always needed to carry the story. A similar argument can be made for Ahsoka on Disney+, which Rosario Dawson leads as the Togruta, Ahsoka Tano.
As Star Wars enters a new era, it will undoubtedly continue its blend of human and alien characters. However, shifting the focus to some of the franchise's lesser-known extraterrestrial species could be an option for the franchise to explore new storytelling avenues and gain renewed traction with audiences.
