You might be wondering about The Mandalorian season 4 after the surprise announcement that a movie is in the works. Star Wars has revealed that Mando and Grogu will be hitting the big screen, and, at the moment, it's unclear just what that means for the next installment of the hit Disney Plus TV show.
We're here to explain all, as well as keep you updated on everything we know so far about The Mandalorian season 4, should it go ahead. That includes our best guess at when we might see the new episodes, as well as the lowdown on what the plot might cover. So, if you're looking to get up to speed on the adventures of Din Djarin and Baby Yoda, look no further than the below. This is the Way!
Is The Mandalorian movie replacing season 4?
Star Wars made the surprise announcement that a movie titled The Mandalorian & Grogu is in the works, going into production this year.
While nothing has been officially revealed just yet, Deadline reports that the movie won't be replacing season 4 of the show, meaning there are even more Mando and Grogu adventures to look forward to. But, complicating things is a newsletter from The Hollywood Reporter, which says season 4 is "definitely not a given."
Per THR, before the WGA writers' strike and SAG-AFTRA actors' strike, season 4 was written and ready to go. But, when the strikes stopped Hollywood in its tracks, Lucasfilm went back to its plans and switched things up to a Mando movie. "If the movie is a success, it could lead to [the] next phase of Mando storytelling becoming movie sequels. Box office and fan reaction would determine that," the newsletter says.
So, for now, we just don't know if The Mandalorian season 4 will happen or not.
The Mandalorian season 4 release date is unconfirmed
We know next to nothing at this stage about The Mandalorian season 4 release date, should a new season be in the works. In February 2023, Jon Favreau confirmed that he’d mostly written it, which is a good clue that production wouldn't be too far away.
It does seem that The Mandalorian & Grogu movie will be out first, though, considering it's set to go into production this year. But, one of the physical performers for Din Djarin, Brendan Wayne, said back in November 2023 that season 4 is being "ramped up" – so it's not totally clear at the moment which will be released first or if he was referring to the movie.
Pedro Pascal is also a busy guy thanks to roles in new movies and The Last of Us season 2.
Looking at past release dates doesn’t give too much information either. There was a one-year gap between the first two seasons in November 2019 and October 2020, but then about two and a half years before the third season arrived in March 2023.
What we do know is that it will likely come out before Dave Filoni’s Star Wars movie, which is set to tie up all of the Disney Plus shows. Again, we don’t have a release date yet for that, but a report in The Hollywood Reporter suggested Lucasfilm is aiming for 2026, a year from the Rey-fronted film.
We'll just have to wait and see for now when The Mandalorian season 4 arrives, then, though it seems very unlikely to be 2024 (if it happens at all).
The Mandalorian season 3 recap and ending explained
The Mandalorian season 3 ended with a big hero moment for Grogu as he helped save Din Djarin from Moff Gideon. The pair, helped by Bo-Katan and the rest of the Mandalorian fleet – went up against him in a showdown on Mandalore. While the Darksaber was destroyed, Axe Woves' masterful tactic of crashing their cruiser into the base finished Gideon off, and luckily Grogu used his Force powers to protect Djarin and Bo from harm.
After the battle, the Mandalorians retook Mandalore and restarted the Creed ceremony in the Living Waters. Djarin announced he would take on Grogu as his apprentice and son as he was adorably christened Din Grogu. As the pair planned to head back off on their adventures, they stopped to talk to Carson Teva and land some work with the New Republic. The season finished in a wholesome set-up as Mando and Grogu kicked back at their new cabin on Nevarro.
The Mandalorian season 4 story details
Given how neatly the finale tied up most of this season’s stories, it’s not immediately clear where the story will be heading next. There are already a few theories concerning Gideon’s cloning practices, and, thanks to the Ahsoka finale, we know that Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger are both major players in the galaxy once more.
Speaking about the show’s future, Favreau told us: "I think the beauty of this is that it's a middle chapter of a much larger story. And though we'll have resolution over time with these characters, I think that how these characters fit into the larger scope and scale, but it's not like there's a finale that we're building to that I have in mind. Quite the contrary, I love for these stories to go on and on. And so these characters potentially could be with us for a while, and I really love telling stories in their voice, and I love the way the adventures unfold and I'm looking forward to doing much more."
The Mandalorian's story could also factor into co-creator Dave Filoni's upcoming movie, announced at Star Wars Celebration, which is set to tie the Disney Plus Star Wars shows together in a "cinematic event."
Of course, without knowing more about what The Mandalorian & Grogu movie will cover, or whether it's coming before or after the new season, or even if the new season is actually happening, it's hard to speculate about season 4's plot.
There's no The Mandalorian season 4 trailer yet
Unfortunately, we’ll be waiting a while longer to see any new footage from the show as production has yet to start. Lucasfilm is notoriously secretive, too, so it’s likely we’ll only get some new clips close to the air date of the new season.
While we wait for more The Mandalorian, check out our breakdown of the Star Wars timeline, what episodes of The Clone Wars and Rebels to watch before Ahsoka, and all of the new Star Wars movies and shows on the way.
