The Mandalorian & Grogu has officially confirmed the secret villain of the film. The upcoming Star Wars feature film is a continuation of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, starring Pedro Pascal as the helmet-wearing bounty hunter hero, Din Djarin. Throughout its three seasons, Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon served as the major antagonist in The Mandalorian, but following his demise, the villain of The Mandalorian & Grogu remains unclear.
A new clip released by Disney ahead of The Mandalorian & Grogu's release has shed some light on who the movie's major villain may be.
In the scene, Sigourney Weaver's Colonel Ward provides the Mandalorian and Grogu with their next mission, tracking down the New Republic's missing "Ace of Staves," dubbed Commander Coin. Ward passes Mando a bounty card with a missing headshot, adding to Coin's elusive nature.
"Commander Coin, our missing Ace of Staves. No one knows what he looks like, and most believe him to be dead."
When Djarin questions how they plan to find Coin, Ward reveals that the Hutts have agreed to lead them to him, provided the Mandalorian can recover Rotta the Hutt for them, Jabba the Hutt's sole surviving heir.
The nature of Star Wars films and TV shows alike is that the villains are often key to the story, sometimes more important than the heroes. Star Wars is responsible for one of the greatest villains of all time in Darth Vader, after all. But at this point in time in The Mandalorian & Grogu, the Empire has fallen, and Darth Vader has died, so Star Wars is unable to pull that card again.
The Mandalorian & Grogu has already highlighted several enemies that Mando and Grogu will come up against, but one thing the movie is missing from its marketing is a true "main" villain, one who can rival the likes of Moff Gideon or a Sith Lord.
This clip, which takes place early in the movie, sets up the secretive Commander Coin to be that villain in The Mandalorian & Grogu's. It's easy to see why Coin hasn't been featured in the marketing, as no one knows what he looks like, which saves his identity reveal for a twist later in the movie. Coin's threat is so great, however, that it will force Mando to work for gangsters, like the Hutts, in order to track him down.
Even the villains that audiences know about have been kept in the background of The Mandalorian & Grogu's marketing. The Hutt twins, as seen in The Book of Boba Fett, are back once again, but it's clear now that they are not intended to be the major villains of the piece. The dangerous bounty hunter Embo has also started to feature in trailers and on posters since his reveal, but he appears to be working for the Hutts, relegating him to supporting villain status.
There's also the secretive Shadow Council, which comprises Imperial warlords and leaders who seek to rebuild the Empire. Moff Gideon was a member of the group before his downfall in The Mandalorian Season 3, so now it remains to be seen whether another of the council members will step forth to become the new villain.
The full clip from The Mandalorian & Grogu can be seen below:
The Mandalorian & Grogu opens in theaters on May 22. Directed by Jon Favreau, the movie stars Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, and Jeremy Allen White.
The Mandalorian & Grogu Sets Up Commander Coin as a Major Villain
With the elusive Commander Coin now primed to be The Mandalorian & Grogu's major villain, or at least Mando's prime target, there are still questions around who this secretive commander is and what he's done to get on the New Republic's radar.
There are already several theories regarding Coin's identity. Ward says "most believe him to be dead," which could correlate to several existing Star Wars villains. Many thought Moff Gideon to be dead at the end of The Mandalorian Season 3, but it wouldn't be out of the question for Star Wars to revive him, as Esposito has served as Djarin's most recognizable foe up until this point.
Another prominent theory is that Commander Coin is a cover name for Grand Admiral Thrawn, who returned to the galaxy in Ahsoka Season 1 after being exiled to Peridea. Once again, many believed Thrawn to be dead after the events of Star Wars Rebels, but Ahsoka proved he was alive. Director Jon Favreau did outline that his plans for The Mandalorian Season 4 would have dealt more with Thrawn, but he also admitted much of this was scrapped when the series switched to become The Mandalorian & Grogu.
The Mandalorian & Grogu also has an opportunity to introduce a completely new villain to the Star Wars mythos through Commander Coin, but while the character's identity is under wraps, it's difficult to know just how impactful he will be.
