The Mandalorian Movie Will Make 1 Key Change to Grogu (Confirmed)

Director Jon Favreau teased a massive upgrade for Grogu in The Mandalorian Movie. 

Pedro Pascal's chrome-domed bounty hunter and his adorable Force-wielding sidekick will return in 2026's The Mandalorian & Grogu; however, this time, the characters will make their comeback on the big screen for the first time. 

The last time fans saw the pair of Star Wars characters, they were setting off on their own after helping Bo Katan reclaim the long-lost planet of Mandalore, and Grogu was coming into his own as a young Jedi learner who is now battle-ready fighting inside the body of a retired IG-88 unit.

Grogu Gets a Big-Screen Upgrade

Grogu is getting an upgrade in The Mandalorian & Grogu movie, according to director Jon Favreau. 

Speaking with Collider at Star Wars Celebration, Favreau revealed that Mando's Force-sensitive sidekick will have progressed in his abilities by the time the events of the film come around:

"You wanna have progression, so it's not just the same situation over and over again. So, on one front, the relationship between Mando and Grogu has evolved. He's now an apprentice. Now he's a family member and adopted by him."

"Grogu is becoming more comfortable" with his powers, Favreau teased, adding that the fan-favorite character will continue to walk "the path of the Force" and there will be an "evolution" as the story gets bigger:

"And now, as they go off, as it said at the end of the last season, it's his job to train him. And they have to go out on adventures and they have to work together. And so there's apprenticeship that's happening between the two of them. But also, Grogu is becoming more comfortable as– remember, he was trained by none other than Luke Skywalker. And the path of the Force is a lifelong path, and so, we wanna have evolution, and as the story gets bigger, the screen gets bigger, we wanna have Grogu grow into that."

This upgrade in power will be an exciting prospect for the film to explore on-screen, as Grogu goes from dabbling in The Force to fully embracing mysterious intergalactic energy and the powers that come from it.

How Will An Upgraded Grogu Look?

Even though Grogu will get a quote/unquote upgrade in The Mandalorian & Grogu, he will still be his adorable self when he makes his big-screen debut. 

A few lucky fans have already gotten the chance to see what this power upgrade could mean for the young Padawan learner.

In footage debuted at Star Wars Celebration 2025 (read about the biggest announcements from Star Wars Celebration here), Grogu could be seen wielding The Force in an epic fight sequence that saw Mando and his adorable co-pilot breaking into a former Empire-operated AT-AT. 

What fans should be on the lookout for, though, is whether the upgrades stop there for the pint-sized protagonist. 

Some have speculated that The Mandalorian & Grogu could culminate in Grogu taking the next steps in his journey as a Jedi and crafting his own appropriately tiny lightsaber. 

Of course, this would not likely take place until late in the film (probably heading into the third act); however, it would make sense, seeing as the Jedi is already walking the path.

Another upgrade the character could potentially get at some point in the movie is leaning into the other half of his intergalactic heritage, the Mandalorian side. 

Perhaps the upcoming film could see the character become a fully initiated member of the Mandalorian creed, getting a suit of armor to match his adopted Aq Vetinian father (aka Mando).