New THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU Stills Tease Imperial Villain’s Return and a Shocking Situation for Grogu
A batch of new stills from The Mandalorian and Grogu has surfaced online, giving fans a fresh look at the upcoming Star Wars adventure and hinting at some intriguing story developments. The images come from the latest issue of Empire magazine,
While most of the photo simply showcase Din Djarin and Grogu continuing their journey across the galaxy, one shot in particular has sparked a lot of discussion among fans.
The image in question shows Grogu trapped in a cage and in the custody of an Imperial Warlord played by Jonny Coyne. The character previously appeared among the scattered remnants of the Empire during a meeting with Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian episode “Chapter 23: The Spies.”
At the time, the mysterious figure was one of several warlords plotting their next moves in a galaxy that had supposedly moved past Imperial rule. Now it looks like he could play a much bigger role in the story of The Mandalorian and Grogu.
Seeing Grogu captured immediately raises questions about what exactly is going on. There’s always the chance that the scene is a bit of narrative trickery.
One popular theory is that Din may have allowed Grogu to be captured on purpose as part of a larger plan to help the New Republic take down one of the Empire’s remaining leaders. After all, Grogu is now officially a Mandalorian foundling, and the duo has already proven they’re willing to get creative when tracking down Imperial threats.
The movie takes place during a time when the Empire has fallen but its influence hasn’t completely vanished. Imperial warlords remain scattered across the galaxy, trying to rebuild power in the shadows while the New Republic works to maintain peace.
The film will follow Din Djarin, played by Pedro Pascal, and his young apprentice Grogu as they assist the fledgling government in dealing with those lingering Imperial forces.
That setup naturally raises another big question fans have been debating for years. Will these Imperial remnants eventually evolve into the First Order seen in the sequel trilogy?
The Mandalorian has already teased that possibility through Moff Gideon’s experiments connected to cloning Emperor Palpatine. However, other tie-in stories have suggested the First Order formed far away in the Unknown Regions, leaving the door open for multiple paths leading to that future.
Another interesting detail about the upcoming film involves Din Djarin himself. Director Jon Favreau confirmed that the story will once again find ways for the Mandalorian to remove his helmet without undermining the character’s creed.
Favreau explained, "It’s a tricky thing, because you want to see his face, but the archetype is that of the helmet. How do we find a way to do it without undermining everything that we developed about the Mandalorian Creed?"
The filmmaker also revealed that this shift meant Pascal spent significantly more time physically performing on set while wearing the armor.
"You’ll see [Pedro] in the armour, both with and without the helmet. He’s a pretty physical performer. So we pushed a little further than we have in the past, as far as what he’s doing, helmet-off."
Pascal was clearly happy with how that evolution plays out in the story.
"When we got to that part, all I can say is that it made perfect sense, and it was what I was hoping would be the reason. If I were to pitch something, I would say, 'The only thing that makes sense is...' And that’s exactly it. He filled that blank. I said immediately, 'Jon, that’s exactly what I was hoping to hear!'"
The Mandalorian and Grogu continues the story that began in the hit Disney+ series and brings it to the big screen. The film also stars Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White, with production by Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, and Ian Bryce. The score will once again be composed by Ludwig Göransson.
With Imperial warlords plotting their comeback and Grogu apparently landing in serious trouble, the movie looks ready to deliver another intense chapter in this corner of the Star Wars galaxy.
The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters on May 22.
