The highly anticipated Star Wars Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, will soon bring Season 3, and its premiere is reported to be a surprising length.
The last time fans saw a new episode of The Mandalorian, not including those installments of The Book of Boba Fett, was all the way back in December 2020. Din Djarin's jaunt with the legendary bounty hunter is likely to inform the third season though, with several plot lines expected to be followed up on.
Other surprises are surely in store too, including the possible return of the previously mentioned Boba Fett as well as the appearance of a certain sequel trilogy villain.
Star Pedro Pascal has previously teased "how much the world opens up" for Mandalorian mythology and that the many episodes are "so big" and "so bold."
How Long Is The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 1?
According to the reliable @Cryptic4KQual on Twitter, who has shared accurate runtimes in the past, The Mandalorian's upcoming Season 3 premiere will be much shorter than many expect.
Currently, it's reported that the installment will be 35 minutes and 16 seconds. This makes it the shortest premiere yet for any Star Wars project.
The runtimes of previous Star Wars Disney+ projects' premiere episodes, which include their core credits, can be found below:
- The Mandalorian Season 1: 38 minutes, 46 seconds
- The Mandalorian Season 2: 51 minutes, 47 seconds
- The Book of Boba Fett: 37 minutes, 39 seconds
- Obi-Wan Kenobi: 52 minutes, 26 seconds
- Andor: 39 minutes, 9 seconds
A full clip from an upcoming episode of The Mandalorian Season 3 has been released ahead of the show's return, though it's unclear whether it will be included in the premiere.
This information has not been confirmed by Disney or Lucasfilm.
Why Is Mandalorian Disney+ Premiere Shorter Than Expected?
The initial reaction many will likely have is disappointment. After all, shorter does mean less time with Pedro Pascal's leading hero.
However, it's the quality of the final product that matters. After all, wouldn't it be better to have a perfect 30-minute story instead of a meandering, unfocused 60-minute one?
The Mandalorian isn't the only popular project to be getting surprisingly short episodes. HBO's The Last of Us has a finale that sits at 43 minutes long compared to its usual hour or longer runtimes.
When it comes to the Star Wars Disney+ series outing, the short length is admittedly unexpected. Given the many rumors and story beats the show is likely to cover, such as the possible introduction of Sabine Wren, one would think these installments would be as long as possible. This is particularly true after Season 2 was gifted a whopping 52 minute premiere, starting off its run of episodes with a bang.
The Mandalorian's Season 3 premiere will debut on Wednesday, March 1, only on Disney+.
