Recent comments from Giancarlo Esposito confirm that The Mandalorian's 2026 sequel will replace his character as the franchise's main villain. The Mandalorian & Grogu is the feature film follow-up to the three-season Disney+ series, effectively acting as the fourth season of The Mandalorian. The Star Wars movie will retain the same characters and canon as the Disney+ show, but will also introduce some new characters to Din Djarin's (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu's adventure.
Esposito starred in The Mandalorian as Moff Gideon, a warlord representing the Imperial agenda following the fall of the Galactic Empire. After serving as The Mandalorian's main antagonist for three seasons, Gideon's fate was left unanswered at the end of Season 3, but an interview with Esposito suggests fans won't be getting answers in The Mandalorian & Grogu. While speaking to Empire Magazine, Esposito said that he wouldn't be appearing in The Mandalorian & Grogu, but "[hopes] to be able to join that franchise again:"
Giancarlo Esposito: "There is a big movie coming out that’s focusing on Mando and The Child. I can’t say it’ll be that. But I hope to be able to join that franchise again, because I think there’s more road for Moff Gideon."
During The Mandalorian's three seasons, Gideon was intent on capturing the Child, aka Grogu, and harnessing his force abilities for an army of clones. The villain was also in possession of the Darksaber, the legendary blade that symbolized the ruler of Mandalore, which he had unjustly acquired during the Great Purge of Mandalore.
Ultimately, Gideon was defeated in the Season 3 finale of The Mandalorian as he was engulfed in an inferno. However, the character's body was never found, and he was wearing Dark Trooper armor forged from Beskar, which may have helped him survive the blast, opening the door for future appearances from Moff Gideon.
With Esposito seemingly out of the picture for The Mandalorian & Grogu, this means the 2026 Star Wars film will need to introduce a new villain in Gideon's place. Several new characters have already been confirmed for The Mandalorian & Grogu, including antagonistic figures like Rotta the Hutt and the Hutt Clan, but it's unclear who will be the overarching villain of the film at this stage.
The Mandalorian & Grogu continues the stories of Mando and Grogu during a period of change in the galaxy, taking place after Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, when the Galactic Empire has fallen, and the fledgling New Republic is fighting for a foothold. The Mandalorian co-creator Jon Favreau returns to direct the film, which will be released in cinemas on May 22, 2026.
Who Will Be The Mandalorian & Grogu's New Villain?
Disney is keeping plot details of The Mandalorian & Grogu close to the chest, but there are several candidates for who could be the Star Wars film's new villain.
One rumor that emerged earlier in the year (via Bespin Bulletin) suggested that the bounty hunter Embo would be the film's major antagonist. Embo, a Kyuto from the Outer Rim planet of Phatrong, became well-known in Star Wars: The Clone Wars for his pan-shaped hat, which could double as a shield or a throwable weapon. The character sometimes worked alongside fellow bounty hunter Cad Bane, who appeared in The Book of Boba Fett.
Introducing a bounty hunter as the main villain would be a neat way to tie The Mandalorian & Grogu's story back to Din Djarin's bounty hunter roots, and could open up avenues for the Star Wars film to delve further into the underworld themes of Lucasfilm's sci-fi franchise.
Alternatively, The Mandalorian & Grogu could lay the groundwork for a larger crossover between the world of the Mando-Verse, which includes storylines and characters from Star Wars: Rebels, The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and The Book of Boba Fett. Ahsoka Season 1 did some heavy lifting in the sense that it set up Grand Admiral Thrawn's return to the central galaxy. With Thrawn expected to be an overarching villain for this era of Star Wars storytelling, his presence in The Mandalorian & Grogu could continue to set up that interweaving narrative.
