Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Charles Murphy

  • Marvel Confirms Fourth Season of Streaming Hit

    Marvel Confirms Fourth Season of Streaming Hit

    Fresh off the blockbuster trailer drop for Season 2, an exclusive Entertainment Weekly interview with the creators behind X-Men ’97 has revealed that a fourth season of the animated revival is already well in the works.

    Executive Producer and legendary X-Men: The Animated Series veteran Larry Houston has officially confirmed that X-Men ’97 has already secured a commitment for Season 4 at the very least—and Marvel is fixing its biggest release schedule problem.

    The most frustrating aspect of the X-Men ’97 phenomenon has been the agonizing two-plus year between the 2024 debut and the upcoming July 1, 2026 Season 2 premiere. According to Houston, Brad Winderbaum’s new animation framework has officially corrected the course to ensure mutants dominate Disney+ every single year.

    Jean Grey (voiced by Jennifer Hale) and Cyclops (voiced by Ray Chase) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97 Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel. © 2026 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

    They want everyone to know it’s only gonna be a year now between seasons, not two-and-a-quarter years. It’s gonna be a year until the next one and a year until the next one [after that]. They are on schedule now

    -Larry Huston

    While fans are counting down the days to the July premiere, the creative brain trust is already living in the late 2020s. Houston revealed that the team has already approved, reviewed, and finalized all the scripts and animatics for Season 3, which is being spearheaded by new head writer and Marvel Television vet Matthew Chauncey. The team hasn’t stopped there. “We are in season 4 giving script notes,” Houston added. “So that’s how deep they are into the development.”

    With Season 2 locked for July 1, 2026, Winderbaum’s annual mandate means Season 3 will arrive in Summer 2027, and Season 4 will land in Summer 2028.
    (L-R): Beast (voiced by George Buza), Bishop (voiced by Isaac Robinson-Smith), Rogue (voiced by Lenore Zann), Professor X (voiced by Ross Marquand), Magneto (voiced by Matthew Waterson), and Nightcrawler (voiced by Adrian Hough) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97 Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel. © 2026 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

    Animation takes an incredibly long time to produce, and nothing kills momentum like a two-year hiatus. By greenlighting and scripting Season 4 before Season 2 even hits Disney+, Winderbaum is treating X-Men ’97 like a traditional, high-output network television show rather than a sporadic streaming novelty. It provides job security for the creative team, structural consistency for the animators, and a guarantee for fans that the soap-opera cliffhangers will get resolved on a strict, dependable schedule.

    Between the live-action X-Men movie currently being penned by Lee Sung Jin and Joanna Calo, and an uninterrupted four-year block of X-Men ’97, the Children of the Atom have officially reclaimed their throne as the flagship priority of the Marvel brand.

    Source: EW

  • Disney Sets Streaming Date for Pixar Hit ‘Hoppers’

    Disney Sets Streaming Date for Pixar Hit ‘Hoppers’

    Per an official press release, Pixar’s Hoppers will be available to stream on D+ beginning June 3rd.

    Experience the wonderful and wild animal world that exists in your own backyard – from the comfort of home – when Disney and Pixar’s outrageously original, adventure-packed comedy Hoppers premieres June 3 on Disney+.

    The wildly imaginative animated adventure follows animal lover Mabel as she uses a groundbreaking technology to “hop” her consciousness into a lifelike robotic beaver, uncovering a hidden animal world shaped by its own rules.

    Alongside charismatic beaver King George and an unforgettable community of local wildlife, Mabel embarks on an action-packed mission that invites audiences to experience nature like never before.

    Certified Fresh™ and Verified Hot by Rotten Tomatoes®, Hoppers features Pixar’s signature blend of inventive humor, heartfelt storytelling and surprising discoveries, delivering a viewing experience that the entire family can enjoy together again and again. 

    Hoppers is directed by Daniel Chong and produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle, p.g.a., with an original score by Mark Mothersbaugh and a screenplay by Jesse Andrews.

     

    Pixar’s thirtieth feature film didn’t just break the studio’s recent original box office curse when it landed on March 6, 2026; it practically vaulted over it. Hoppers signaled strong audience favorability right out of the gate, capitalizing on excellent critical reviews (sitting at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a coveted “A” CinemaScore.

    (L-R) Dr. Sam and Nisha in Pixar’s HOPPERS. Photo courtesy of Pixar. © 2025 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

    In this animated comedy adventure, animal lover Mabel seizes an opportunity to use a new technology to “hop” her consciousness into a lifelike robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals. As she makes amazing discoveries, Mabel befriends a charismatic beaver and must rally the entire animal kingdom to face a major, imminent, human threat.

    -Official synopsis for Hoppers

    The Key Numbers

    • Worldwide Gross: $386.4 Million
    • ​Domestic Gross: $165.9 Million (42.9% share)
    • ​International Gross: $220.5 Million (57.1% share)
    • Production Budget: $150 Million

     

    Against its standard $150 million Pixar production budget, Hoppers pulled in roughly 2.6 times its cost globally. While it faced a massive competitive wall in its fifth week against The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the film’s steady international performance—particularly across Europe and Latin America—guaranteed it a highly profitable theatrical lifetime before making the jump to digital PVOD.

  • ‘Daredevil:Born Again—BTS Photos Reveal Bullseye’s Ultimate-Inspired Costume

    ‘Daredevil:Born Again—BTS Photos Reveal Bullseye’s Ultimate-Inspired Costume

    When Daredevil: Born Again star Wilson Bethel took to social media to tease his character’s new Season 3 costume, fans were giddy at the thought of a more comic-accurate look for the villain. And now it’s clear they’ll be getting it.

    Just hours after Bethel‘s Instagram post, the actor was seen on set in New York City sporting his new costume which comes complete with a Bullseye-logo on the forehead of his cowl!

    While it’s not a one-to-one adaptation (nothing in the MCU ever really is), the new costume seems to draw heavy inspiration from the Earth-6160 version of the character by artist Marco Checchetto that appeared in the recent Ultimate Spider-Man run.

    Following a an attempt at redemption in Season 2, the chaotic wild card’s journey took a turn as he found himself working for Matthew Lillard‘s Mr. Charles which means he’s serving the interests of Valentine Allegra de Fontaine…which in the scene in question appear to be a bit concerning for some of the Defenders.

  • ‘X-Men ’97’ Season 2 Trailer Reveals Release Date, Cross-Time Showdown with Apocalypse

    ‘X-Men ’97’ Season 2 Trailer Reveals Release Date, Cross-Time Showdown with Apocalypse

    Marvel Animation struck mutant gold with the first season of X-Men ’97. The revival of the original X-Men: The Animated Series captivated fans and concluded with the core team scattered throughout time, teasing a second season showdown on multiple fronts with En Sabah Nur/Apocalypse. We’ve known for some time that it was next up for Marvel, and now, thanks to a new trailer, they know when to mark their calendars for the Season 2 debut.

    Season 2 of the nostalgia-laced will debut on D+ on July 1st. It was also revealed that the sophomore season will consist of 9 episodes.

    X-Men ’97 Season 2 continues with the heroic mutant team of X-Men, divided and thrown across different eras in time as they struggle to navigate their return home. Meanwhile, back in the 1990s, suspicious foes and new strains of mutant intolerance are on the rise in the wake of the X-Men’s absence.

    -Official Synopsis, X-Men ’97 Season 2
    Jean Grey (voiced by Jennifer Hale) and Cyclops (voiced by Ray Chase) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97 Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel. © 2026 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.
    (L-R): Beast (voiced by George Buza), Bishop (voiced by Isaac Robinson-Smith), Rogue (voiced by Lenore Zann), Professor X (voiced by Ross Marquand), Magneto (voiced by Matthew Waterson), and Nightcrawler (voiced by Adrian Hough) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97 Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel. © 2026 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.
    En Sabah Nur (voiced by Cal Dodd) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97 Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel. © 2026 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.
    Storm (voiced by Alison Sealy-Smit) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97 Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel. © 2026 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

    Per an official press release, “the second season of the original animated series features 9 episodes, and the voice cast includes Ross Marquand as Professor X, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, Lenore Zann as Rogue, and George Buza as Beast.“

    Despite significant turnover in the writers’ room, the studio plans to continue the animated series for four or more seasons with annual releases.

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Star Teases Revised Season 3 Look

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Star Teases Revised Season 3 Look

    Benjamin Poindexter’s evolution into Marvel’s definitive sharpshooter is officially hitting its final stage. Following his chaotic, narrative-shattering role in the Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Wilson Bethel took to social media to drop high-concept tease of his upgraded Season 3 costume.

    For anyone who thought Dex’s tactical blue threads in Season 2 were the peak of his comic adaptation, Bethel is warning fans: Season 3 is stripping away the anti-hero gray and unleashing a comic-accurate monster.

    While the actor’s social media post was playfully obscured to keep Marvel’s spoiler police at bay, it clearly showcased a refined, darker pivot for the iconic Bullseye logo.

    “To be fully honest with you, I still don’t 100% know where it goes. Daario [Scardapane] basically told me that Dex is now working for the government. He’s now a G-man,” said Bethel of Bullseye’s Season 3 appearance. “That’s what he pitched me, but I’ve only read the first two scripts of season three. I’m only in them a little bit so far.“

    Now under the employ of Mr. Charles, on behalf of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Dex will be reformatted into a black-ops asset in Season 3 and has been teasing a new, comic-accurate suit for some time.

    Yeah, I’m a big advocate for [a comic-accurate costume]. And I will tell you this without giving anything away. There’s a new there’s a new suit in the works. I won’t say anything beyond that, but there’s definitely a new costume next season.

    Bethel recently emphasized that audiences shouldn’t get comfortable with the version of Dex they saw in Season 2, who believes he’s one of the good guys. “One of the things that’s so much fun to play… is that there is a certain kind of capriciousness to where his mind or his emotions might be at. This is a deeply unstable person.” Fans have been hoping and theorizing that Bullseye will eventually join Yelena Belova, John Walker et Al on the New Avengers/Thunderbolts and while there’s no evidence of that at the moment, it’s only one degree of separation away from reality.

  • Sentinels, Symbiotes, and Succession — What to Expect From Marvel Animation’s 2026 Slate

    Sentinels, Symbiotes, and Succession — What to Expect From Marvel Animation’s 2026 Slate

    While the live-action side of the MCU is currently dominating the headlines, Marvel’s streaming skipper, Brad Winderbaum, is quietly prepping the studio’s secret weapons.

    Following the massive critical acclaim of X-Men ’97 and the stylistic swing of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Marvel Animation is dropping its sophomore seasons for both flagship shows back-to-back in the second half of 2026. If you thought the live-action slate looked heavy, the animated side is about to match it with sheer emotional devastation and high-stakes power struggles.

    Here is exactly what to expect from Marvel’s remaining 2026 animation slate.

    X-Men ’97 Season 2 — July 1, 2026 (Disney+)

    The mutants are coming back, and according to the cast, “a lot of people die.” Following the explosive, time-shattering finale of Season 1, the uncanny team has been split across the timestream. Marvel is kicking off the hype train with a world premiere event at New York’s Tribeca Festival in June 2026, paving the way for a full streaming debut later this summer.

    • The Timestream Split: The season will actively manage three distinct timelines.
    • The “Very Dark” Return: Voice actress Jennifer Hale (Jean Grey) has warned fans to brace themselves, noting that Disney greenlit an incredibly dark and mature narrative for the sophomore outing. With Bastion’s legacy still lingering, a new, massive cosmic entity is rumored to target the remaining mutants left in the present day.
    • The Comic Prelude: To bridge the gap, Marvel has launched an official X-Men ’97: Season Two comic prelude series, which lays the groundwork for how the remaining team members on Earth are operating without their core leadership.

    Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 — Fall 2026 (Disney+)

    The alternate-universe Peter Parker, voiced by Hudson Thames, who caught everyone by surprise with his cell-shaded, retro style is sliding straight into his second year. Showrunner Jeff Trammell is expanding the writing room for a massive 56-page narrative arc that changes the entire power balance of this universe.

    • The Succession Dynamic: Winderbaum dropped a fascinating comparison for Season 2, stating that the character interactions and political power struggles within the Osborn-funded ecosystem will mirror the prestige drama Succession. Expect power scaling and intense psychological warfare as characters challenge Norman Osborn’s grip on the city.
    • Enter Gwen Stacy & Venom: The official casting roster for the fall return has officially confirmed the introduction of Gwen Stacy/Ghost-Spider and the arrival of Venom, bringing two of the most iconic pieces of the Spider-Verse into Peter’s localized, alternate MCU timeline.
    • The Returning Heavy Hitters: Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Hugh Dancy’s Otto Octavius are both locked in for major roles, ensuring that the intersection of street-level vigilantes and high-tech supervillains continues to test Peter’s neighborhood loyalties.

    Marvel Animation is no longer treated as a side project; under Winderbaum’s new corporate umbrella, it is acting as the premier destination for long-form character drama. Whether you are looking for the devastating, apocalyptic opera of the X-Men this summer, or the corporate, street-level chess match of Spider-Man this fall, the animated slate is locked, loaded, and ready to dominate your screen.

  • Marvel TV Reportedly Restarts Development of Forgotten Follow-Up Project

    Marvel TV Reportedly Restarts Development of Forgotten Follow-Up Project

    The Multiverse Saga has often been criticized for introducing characters and concepts only to leave them on the shelf for years. But according to a new report making the rounds, Marvel Studios is finally looking to capitalize on one of its undisputed Phase 4 triumphs: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

    A new report from industry insider Daniel Richtman suggests that a dedicated spin-off project tracking the shadow empire of the Ten Rings organization is actively in development once again, breathing new life into a corner of the MCU fans have been begging to revisit since 2021.

    When we last saw the Ten Rings, Shang-Chi’s sister, Xu Xialing, had taken the throne of her late father’s global criminal empire. Despite promising her brother she would dismantle it, the post-credits scene revealed she was rebuilding the fortress with a new generation of female warriors.

    In December 2021, following the success of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, it was announced that director Destin Daniel Cretton was working not only on a sequel to the film but also a spinoff streaming series for Disney +. Though pretty much everyone at the time believed that spinoff was a Ten Rings-centric show led by Meng’er Zhang‘s Xialing, it turned out to be Wonder Man.

    If the rumor pans out, perhaps could this project serve as the narrative runway leading directly into Shang-Chi 2. Cretton has Spider-Man: Brand New Day set for this July and Season 2 of Wonder Man on deck, so a spin-off allows Marvel to keep the Shang-Chi franchise warm without waiting for a full theatrical sequel.

  • The Monsters Return —James Gunn Reveals Release Window for ‘Creature Commands’ Season 2

    The Monsters Return —James Gunn Reveals Release Window for ‘Creature Commands’ Season 2

    The animated corner of the DCU is locking in its future. In a fresh update, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has officially confirmed that Creature Commandos Season 2 will serve as the immediate next project to release following his highly anticipated theatrical film, Man of Tomorrow, in 2027.

    While fans initially expected a quicker turnaround for the black-ops monster squad, the 2027 window establishes a highly specific roadmap for Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters as it transitions into its next phase.

    Gunn has been active on social media dropping updates from the set of Man of Tomorrow, confirming that DC’s animation slate is moving forward aggressively. Season 2 of Creature Commandos is being positioned exactly how Season 1 was—acting as the narrative bridge. Where Season 1 launched the DCU before the first Superman film, Season 2 will drop “shortly after” Man of Tomorrow to deal with the cosmic and political fallout of that movie. Interestingly, Gunn previously confirmed that he did not write the scripts for Season 2 due to his intense directorial duties on Man of Tomorrow, handing the creative reins over to a trusted room of writers to keep the fast-tracked production moving.

    Showrunner Dean Lorey has already teased what fans can expect from the return of Task Force M.

    • More G.I. Robot: Lorey explicitly stated that the team lineup from the Season 1 finale will remain “at least somewhat accurate,” but promised that his primary goal for the sophomore outing was to deliver a “beefed-up G.I. Robot” arc.
    • The Salvation Run Theory: Following Peacemaker Season 2, fans are already speculating that Season 2 could adapt elements of the Salvation Run comic storyline, featuring Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) and the Commandos hunting down rogue metahumans to exile them to a prison planet.

    Creature Commandos won’t be lonely in 2027. Gunn hinted that more television projects are coming that year, with the animated Mister Miracle series (adapting Tom King’s run) and Blue Beetle‘s animated continuation tracking closely behind.

    Hype for Creature Commandos has remained high because it proves Gunn‘s commitment to treating animation as an equal pillar to live-action. By scheduling Season 2 to immediately follow Man of Tomorrow, DC Studios is ensuring that the overarching narrative of the DCU remains fluid across mediums. The monsters aren’t just filler; they are the connective tissue of this universe.

  • Web-Slinging, Weirdness and Doom — What to Expect From Marvel’s Remaining Blockbuster 2026 Slate

    Web-Slinging, Weirdness and Doom — What to Expect From Marvel’s Remaining Blockbuster 2026 Slate

    The first half of 2026 has already been an absolute gauntlet for Marvel Studios. We kicked off the year with the Hollywood-satire experiment of Wonder Man, witnessed the landscape-shifting fallout of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, and just recently watched Frank Castle paint D+ red in The Punisher: One Last Kill.

    But Kevin Feige and the newly promoted Brad Winderbaum aren’t letting up on the gas. The remaining live-action slate for 2026 is arguably the most consequential six-month stretch in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, bridging the gap between grounded street-level grit and a multiversal apocalypse.

    Spider-Man: Brand New Day — July 31, 2026 (Theatrical)

    The highly anticipated fourth solo outing for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker isn’t just a sequel; it’s a total system reset. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi), Brand New Day is pulling directly from the classic comic book status quo while throwing Peter into a dark, isolating new era.

    • The Four-Year Gap: Following an opening act that picks up nine months post-No Way Home, the film utilizes a massive four-year time jump, dropping audiences directly into the year 2028. Peter is now 21/22 years old, completely erased from the memories of his loved ones, and scraping by as an isolated, DIY hero.
    • The Tonal Whiplash: Fresh off his brutal solo special, Jon Bernthal’s Punisher serves as a primary supporting player. Bernthal has teased that Frank Castle acts as a grim reaper on Peter’s shoulder, offering a violent, uncompromising contrast to Spider-Man’s traditional idealism.
    • The Monster Within: With Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner returning to the fold, rumor has it that Peter’s mysterious headaches are reportedly tied to a terrifying physical mutation arc, forcing a veteran, resource-less Spider-Man to protect a city that has entirely moved on without him.

    ViSiONQUΞST — October 14, 2026 (Disney+)

    Serving as the definitive conclusion to the trilogy that began with WandaVision and Agatha All Along, this 8-episode event series is taking a hard sci-fi, psychological approach to the synthetic soul of the MCU. Showrunner Terry Matalas (Star Trek: Picard) is leaning heavily into philosophical horror for the spooky season.

    • The Return of the Maker: The Disney Upfronts blew the doors off this project by confirming James Spader’s return as Ultron in both human and murder bot form. Paul Bettany has teased that Ultron acts as the “architect of Vision’s trauma,” appearing in a chilling “human form” to taunt White Vision as the android searches for a soul and pieces together his inherited memories.
    • The Children’s Crusade: The series will officially introduce a grown-up Tommy Maximoff (played by Ruaridh Mollica), reuniting the twins on the physical plane after Billy’s journey in Agatha.
    • The Multiversal Anchor: Bettany has teased that VisionQuest is the direct launchpad for his role in the next two Avengers films, with Vision’s analytical mind perhaps becoming crucial to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes staying in the fight.

    Avengers: Doomsday — December 18, 2026 (Theatrical)

    The main event. The crown jewel. The return of the Kings. Joe and Anthony Russo step back behind the camera for a film that has fundamentally rewritten the rules of the Multiverse Saga.

    • The Rule of Doom: Robert Downey Jr. returns to the MCU, not as Iron Man, but as Victor von Doom. The narrative focuses on the responses of the  heroes of different Earth as Doom unleashes “a cascading crisis across the entire multiverse.”
    • The Universal Collision: This film is a massive collision of eras. We already know the Fantastic Four are central to the plot, but Alan Cumming recently let it slip that his OG Fox-verse Nightcrawler is back—and actively throwing hands with Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards. And, of course, Steve Rogers, Thor and other heroes from Earth-616 will factor heavily into the plot as well.
    • The Fluid Script: Production in London has been characterized by absolute secrecy. Joseph Quinn recently revealed that early scripts didn’t even have an ending, as the Russos and writer Stephen McFeely treat the film as a living document, utilizing “secret names” to hide massive legacy cameos until the cameras roll.

    Marvel’s remaining 2026 lineup is all about consequence. The Marvel Spotlight experimentation of the year’s first half is giving way to projects that will drive the narrative of the main cinematic line. Peter Parker is being forced to grow up, White Vision is facing his literal demon creator, and the entire Multiverse is marching toward a date with Doctor Doom on December 18.

    Buckle up. The summer belongs to the web-slinger, the autumn belongs to the synths, and this winter, there is only Doom.

  • Review: ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’

    Review: ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’

    A long time ago, in a galaxy not too far away, Lucasfilm published and snail mailed Bantha Tracks, fka The Official Star Wars Fanclub Newsletter, which was essentially the ultimate lifeline for the first generation of Star Wars fans.

    When Star Wars exploded in 1977, Lucasfilm was utterly overwhelmed by fan mail. Charles Lippincott, Lucasfilm’s head of marketing, realized they needed a centralized way to communicate with their rapidly growing fandom. The fan club was officially formed in 1978. When the newsletter first launched, it had a highly literal, uninspired title: The Official Star Wars Fan Club Newsletter. Looking for something with more personality, the club ran a contest in Issue #2 asking fans to submit a better name. A teenager from Ohio named Preston Postle won with the suggestion Bantha Tracks—a clever nod to the massive Tatooine beasts. The new banner debuted on Issue #5 in 1979 which also marked the first mention of something called Imperial Shock Troopers.

    In 1982, the Imperial Shock Troopers morphed into Mandalorians in the pages of Star Wars #68, which expanded on the history of Boba Fett. Though those original Star Wars comics aren’t canon–which means the world building done within them doesn’t hold water–the interest built because of them continues to be crucial to the current New Republic Era stories being told, primarily, by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. On occasion, chapters of The Mandalorian have felt like Favreau was furthering the fantasy inspired in young fans by the original Star Wars films and the insider tidbits delivered in Bantha Tracks.

    (L-R) Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu in Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU. Photo by Nicola Goode. © 2025 Lucasfilm Ltd™. All Rights Reserved.

    Over three seasons of The Mandalorian, Favreau made nothing into something…and something substantial and beautiful at that. Favreau found a corner of Lucas’ lived-in universe and, expanding on the foundation Filoni poured in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, built a post-Imperial saga skyscraper that stands tall among the tales spun by The Creator and his legacy. And in The Mandalorian and Grogu, Favreau spins not only a worthy new chapter to his own story but one steeped in everything Lucas meant Star Wars to be and always wanted to tell himself.

    Mandalorians are stronger together.

    Bo-Katan Kryze

    It seems clear that the primary objective of the film is to establish Din Grogu as a full-fledged Mandalorian. Though he could not speak the words, Din Djarin’s foundling took the Creed in Chapter 24 of The Mandalorian and now walks the way of the Mandalore. Now partnered with his father as an independent contractor for the New Republic, Grogu finds himself on a mission that ultimately serves as an opportunity for The Child to prove his worth as the apprentice of Din Djarin.

    The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Dragonsnake in Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU. Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm. © 2026 Lucasfilm Ltd™. All Rights Reserved.

    And in that pursuit, The Mandalorian and Grogu reveals it’s as Star Wars as Star Wars gets. Full of high stakes, exotic locales, larger-than-life heroes, weird and menacing monsters and relentless momentum, Favreau‘s film fits perfectly in the seams of the larger Star Wars universe Lucas imagined and outlined but was never able to attend to, despite his best intentions. Mando’s mission, assigned by New Republic Colonel Ward, takes him and his apprentice to the noxious Nal Hutta and the noir-inspired Shakari where they find themselves in the midst of a classic gangster double cross involving Rotta the Hutt and Janu Coin, an Imperial warlord first seen in Chapter 23 of The Mandalorian.

    Droid Mercenary Guard, Sister Hutt, Brother Hutt and Droid Mercenary Guard in Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU. Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm. © 2026 Lucasfilm Ltd™. All Rights Reserved.

    While the film is full of fantastic action sequences, a top notch score and some incredible visuals, it’s also full of the familiar archetypes Lucas built the franchise around. Good and evil. Fathers and sons. Choices and consequences. Betrayal and redemption. Though it may not feel like an overly impactful chapter in the New Republic saga, The Mandalorian and Grogu does just enough on that front to tie into the ongoing narrative and make it clear that the conflict between the Adelphi Base crew and the Imperial Remnant is coming to a head. But what it really is, for the first generation of fans, is the kind of story that only existed in the corners of our minds or non-canon novelizations now brought to life on the big screen. A Star Wars film made for Star Wars fans by Star Wars fans. It’s a Bantha Tracks fever dream and one of the best non-saga projects made to date.