Jon Favreau Teases Bigger Role for Zeb Orrelios in THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU - "We Get to Really Have Fun with Him"

The Mandalorian and Grogu movie is bringing one fan favorite along for the ride and director Jon Favreau is opening up about how Star Wars Rebels hero Garazeb Zeb Orrelios fits into Din Djarin and Grogu’s first big screen adventure, and it sounds like audiences are in for something pretty awesome.

Favreau confirmed that Zeb, who popped up briefly in Season 3 of The Mandalorian, will have an expanded presence in the film. Speaking with Empire he shared:

"Now we get to really have fun with him. He’s such a compelling character, even if you’ve never seen Rebels, between the voice, the swagger, and the physical ability."

For anyone who might not know Zeb’s backstory he’s a former Lasat Honor Guard who joined the Ghost crew after the Empire wiped out most of his people.

In Star Wars Rebels he was voiced by Steve Blum, who also return to play him in The Mandalorian, so I imagine he will also play him in the movie, but clearly Favreau sees a lot of potential in bringing Zeb fully into live action.

Favreau also touched on where Din Djarin’s headspace is going into the movie noting a shift that came late in the third season.

"The Mandalorian has changed his priorities. One of the last things we say [in season 3] is, like, 'I don’t want to go out there and just be a hired gun. I want to work for the good guys.'"

That motivation sets the stage for a story that moves beyond simple bounty hunting and into something more heroic that still stays true to the character.

The movie brings back Pedro Pascal as Din and of course Grogu while introducing new additions including Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt and Sigourney Weaver as the New Republic’s Colonel Ward.

Weaver recently spoke about jumping into this universe and seemed genuinely energized by it. "[With] The Mandalorian and Grogu, it was not my intention to find a fourth franchise.

“I didn't ever imagine that I would enter the Star Wars world. But what's interesting about Star Wars now is they're no longer trying to do the Star Wars to end all Star Wars. They're letting the universe exist, and tell[ing] really interesting stories within that."

Fans will get to see Zeb, Din, Grogu, and the rest of the crew when The Mandalorian and Grogu lands in theaters on May 22, 2026.