Season 4 of the flagship Star Wars Disney+, The Mandalorian, was assumed to be in the works, with series creator Jon Favreau confirming that he finished writing the scripts months ago while Season 3 was in post-production.
However, plans may have changed as Favreau (and The Mandalorian team) set their sights on the upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu blockbuster film.
When Will The Mandalorian Season 4 Release?
Disney has not indicated when Season 4 of The Mandalorian could hit Disney+
The original plans for Season 4 were to begin the production process in late 2023. However, that was before the Writers Guild of America (WGA) began striking in May of that year.
Coming out of the strikes (which ended in late 2023), it was announced Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau would instead set his focus on a theatrically released movie titled The Mandalorian and Grogu instead of getting back behind the camera for The Mandalorian Season 4.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is reportedly set to start production by the end of the year, with a release coming on May 22, 2026 (via Variety).
Since the new film's announcement, word on Season 4 has gone. This has made some question if Season 4 will happen at all, or if Favreau's Mando movie will take the place of more streaming adventures for Pedro Pascal's helmeted hero.
It is also important to note that the writing for Season 4 is already technically finished, as Jon Favreau confirmed that he started writing the episodes for the upcoming installment back in May 2022 and then confirmed in February 2023 that he was finished.
So, there is a very real chance that Season 4 will either be refashioned into The Mandalorian and Gorgu movie or will come sometime after the film hits theaters in 2026.
The Mandalorian Season 4 Cast: Who Will Return?
A majority of the original cast that was introduced in Season 1 of The Mandalorian returned for other past seasons, and Season 4 will also see many of them come back into the fold.
Below are the major characters and actors that are likely to return for Season 4:
Pedro Pascal - The Mandalorian (Din Djarin)
The Mandalorian's titular hero is Din Djarin, and he is played by top-billed actor Pedro Pascal.
Din's father-to-Grogu character arc wrapped up at the end of Season 3 when he officially adopted Grogu as a Mandalorian foundling, but the two will likely face new dangers in Season 4 as they continue their journey together.
Katee Sackhoff - Bo-Katan Kryze
Katee Sackhoff was introduced in live-action for the first time in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, and Season 3 saw her play just as major a role as anyone. The last time fans saw Bo-Katan she was assuming her role as ruler of Mandalore and uniting all of the clans. She, along with the rest of Mandalore, may need to come together in the future.
Emily Swallow - The Armorer
Many fans theorized that Emily Swallow's character was working for Moff Gideon at the end of Season 3. However, she proved her loyalty by helping defeat Gideon and his Imperial remnant, and even officially gave Grogu the Din family name.
Carl Weathers - High Magistrate Greef Karga
Between Seasons 2 and 3, Greef Karga worked hard to rebuild the town of Nevarro and eventually became its High Magistrate. He and Din Djarin came into contact with one another a couple of times during Season 3, and with Din and Grogu now living back on Nevarro, fans may get to see Greef in a greater role in Season 4.
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee - Carson Teva
Carson Teva has been a recurring character in The Mandalorian, but the ending of Season 3 teased that he will have more screen time shortly. He and Din built a fairly strong relationship and trust with one another, and he may need Din's help in Season 4 if the New Republic gets into some trouble.
Giancarlo Esposito - Moff Gideon
It is important to note that the chances that Giancarlo Esposito will return as Moff Gideon in Season 4 are around 50/50. It appeared as though Gideon was finally defeated for good at the end of Season 3, but if Disney and Lucasfilm want him to return, they could easily say it was one of his clones that was killed and not the real Moff.
It is also worth noting that Esposito publicly stated his desire to come back, and even specifically said he "would love to keep dying and coming back."
What Will Happen in The Mandalorian Season 4?
Season 3 of The Mandalorian ended in an extremely series-finale kind of way with Din Djarin and Grogu looking into the Nevarro sunset just before the credits rolled.
That may not give away any plot details of Season 4, but it does make it seem as though the first chapter in the book of Din Djarin and Grogu is now closed.
Din accomplished what he set out to do in Season 1, and that was to find Grogu's home - he just didn't know that the foundling's home was with him at the time.
With the closure that was provided in Season 3, it can be inferred that Season 4 will start an entirely new arc for all of the characters involved in the show.
It actually wouldn't be that far out to theorize that there will be a time jump at the start of Season 4, and fans may even be greeted in the first episode's cold open with a talking Grogu.
However, the meat of Season 4 will likely serve as a sort of intermission for the story of the MandoVerse before all of the interconnected shows start building toward Thrawn and the Heir to the Empire-esque feature film that Dave Filoni will be directing.
It wouldn't be surprising if the first 75% of Season 4 is just Din and Grogu working bounty missions for the New Republic before a massive plot twist happens near the end of the installment to set up Thrawn and tie in Ahsoka to The Mandalorian.
Some of Ahsoka's characters could even work their way into the very end of Season 4 to prove that all of these shows are building toward the same goal, and that would push fan anticipation through the roof for the upcoming film.
Jon Favreau even teased that Season 4 could feature a major crossover with some of the characters from the upcoming Skeleton Crew series, and if that is the case, then the universe will be expanding soon.
Will Pedro Pascals' Face Be Shown in Mandalorian Season 4?
As new seasons of The Mandalorian come out on Disney+, fans wonder more and more if Din Djarin's helmet will come off and Pedro Pascal's face will be shown.
While it would be an excellent marketing strategy to have Pascal's face on-screen due to how popular the actor is, it would almost diminish the show's quality and the previous times that Djarin's helmet was removed.
The only times that Pascal's face was shown in the first three seasons came at moments of great importance.
In Season 1, he was gravely injured and had to remove his helmet to be healed by IG-11. This was an important moment because he traditionally has not let anyone see his face, and he needed to be healed to live and help save the day.
In Season 2, Djarin removed his helmet in front of an entire room of Imperials so he could figure out where Grogu had been taken, and then Pascal's face was shown one more time in the Season 2 finale to allow Grogu to see his face.
With all that being said, there would have to be an incredibly important and emotional moment in Season 4 to justify showing Pascal's face.
Due to just how heavy the other moments were where his face was seen, it would be hard to think of anything that would elevate the show as a whole.
However, if Pascal's schedule is fairly clear while Season 4 is filming and can afford to be on-set for a significant amount of time, his face will likely be shown at least once as he is so recognizable and loved by fans.
Is The Mandalorian Season 4 The Final Season?
In short, it is easy to say that Season 4 of The Mandalorian (if it does happen) will not be the final installment.
The characters of this spin-off are way too popular and are too connected to a larger universe for their adventures to just end, and Jon Favreau stated on many different occasions that there are "a lot more stories to tell" with Din Djarin.
As previously mentioned, it is also important to remember that The Mandalorian is the central part of a larger universe called the MandoVerse.
Other series such as The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew are also a part of this interconnected universe, and The Mandalorian is where they all connect.
Given the introduction to the Mandalorian and Gorgu film into the equation, there is a possibility fans may have already seen the last Mandalorian season on streaming.
If the upcoming blockbuster is a major success, Disney may look to keep the characters of Grogu and Din Djarin going on the big screen, producing more feature films centered on The Mandalorian's central duo.
How Many Episodes Will The Mandalorian Season 4 Have?
Sometimes it can be confusing trying to predict how many episodes an upcoming TV series will have because they all seem to be different.
All three Seasons of The Mandalorian had eight episodes, The Book of Boba Fett contained seven episodes, Andor had the most with 12 episodes in its first installment, and Ahsoka is set to have six.
It is a little odd that all of the Star Wars shows have a different number of episodes, but since the first three seasons of The Mandalorian all have eight episodes, it is safe to assume that Season 4 will be the same.
The formula of eight episodes per season worked for the first three installments and seems to be a number that Jon Favreau is comfortable with, so any seasons that come in the future will probably all have that number as well.
The first three seasons of The Mandalorian are available to stream on Disney+.
