Jon Favreau Teases the Next Era of Star Wars After The Mandalorian and Grogu

So, The Mandalorian and Grogu just put Star Wars back on the big screen for the first time since 2019, and surprise: Jon Favreau is already talking about what comes after. The movie opened May 22, 2026, Grogu is once again doing numbers (and memes), and the conversation has immediately jumped to where Mando and the little green chaos engine head next.

Favreau on the future: wide open, plenty of room to play

Favreau told Entertainment Weekly he is thinking well beyond this movie, and he is not shy about how many directions Din and Grogu could go from here. He framed the whole Star Wars sandbox as a place where storylines grow and cross-pollinate, and he is clearly plotting next steps for the duo.

"I think about it creatively, and so for me it's like a garden or a greenhouse with all the different storylines and characters. I see opportunity in all of them, because these storylines have taken on a life of their own, and I love the progression of these characters, and I like to think forward as to what's the next step for both of them."

Translation: he has ideas, plural. After everything these two have already survived — Dejarik showdowns, AT-AT-sized problems, and a brush with dragonsnake poison — Favreau thinks the canvas is still wide open. Also, if your feed is full of that bit where Grogu taps the back of Din's helmet, you are not alone. The fandom has latched onto that moment like it is Baby Yoda Sipping Soup 2.0.

Who is steering the ship now?

Short answer: Dave Filoni has the big-picture map. Favreau says Filoni is charting how major players like Ahsoka and Thrawn factor into the larger plan. Favreau, meanwhile, is keeping a notebook full of specifics for Mando and Grogu's corner of the galaxy. When Variety pressed him on what comes next on Disney+, Favreau did not confirm anything — and he punted, with a grin:

"It's a good question. You should talk to Dave Filoni over there because he's running the show now."

What happened to The Mandalorian season 4?

This is where it gets very behind-the-scenes, but here is the clean version of a messy timeline:

• Before season 3 even wrapped, Favreau wrote scripts for season 4 of The Mandalorian, designed in part to help set up Ahsoka season 2.
• Then the Hollywood strikes scrambled calendars and priorities. Lucasfilm pivoted: instead of rolling straight into a Disney+ season, the story shifted to a theatrical feature — The Mandalorian and Grogu — which started production in California in 2024.
• Favreau has since said those season 4 scripts could not just be squeezed into one movie. They leaned on interlocking Disney+ arcs and bigger crossover threads tied to Ahsoka season 2 and Grand Admiral Thrawn's growing threat.

So if you are wondering why no one will say the words "season 4 is happening" out loud: the creative pieces exist, but how they get delivered — movie, series, or some combo — is now Filoni-era strategy talk.

Meanwhile, the movie is doing what it needed to do

Box office-wise, The Mandalorian and Grogu has already passed $165 million worldwide on a reported $165 million budget. Domestically, it pulled $102 million over the 4-day opening frame, topping early industry projections. Not a bad relaunch for Star Wars on the big screen.

So, what is next for Din and Grogu?

Favreau says he has a lot of notes, Filoni is plotting the galaxy-wide chessboard with Ahsoka and Thrawn, and the duo's future is still a "wide open canvas." The format of the next chapter is the only real mystery. Given how fast this movie reignited Mando-fever, do not be shocked if the next mission comes together sooner rather than later.