The first official trailer for The Mandalorian & Grogu has finally been unveiled by Lucasfilm. The film marks the faraway galaxy’s first theatrical release since 2019’s Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker. It also breaks new ground for the franchise by being the first big-screen adaptation of a television series, as it’s based on Disney+’s The Mandalorian (2019).
But while many fans are expecting it to serve as a replacement for Season 4, The Mandalorian & Grogu is also shaping up to be a “reset” of sorts. Watch the trailer below:
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Will The Mandalorian & Grogu Replace Season 4?
We know that the film is a continuation as it picks up where Season 3 left off, with Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) offering his services to hunt down Imperial remnants for the New Republic.
The synopsis on StarWars.com also supports this: “The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu (as himself).”
However, while the story is set to continue, the film has seemingly dropped many supporting characters. The likes of Mandalorian regulars Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), The Armorer (Emily Swallow), Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris), and IG-11 (Taika Waititi) are nowhere in sight. Not even Bo-Katan Kryze is anywhere to be seen, despite almost replacing Din Djarin in Season 3. Recently, actress Katee Sackhoff talked about how she’s been unable to find work since starring in The Mandalorian, which strongly suggests she won’t be returning for the film.
But what about Cara Dune, who was played by Gina Carano in seasons one and two?
Gina Carano’s Future in Star Wars
It’s no mystery to Star Wars fans that Gina Carano was fired by Disney and Lucasfilm in 2021 for sharing divisive tweets. Recently, however, she reached a settlement with The Walt Disney Company after filing a wrongful termination lawsuit.
Now, with the water seemingly under the bridge, speculation has already started about whether Carano could return as Cara Dune in some shape or form.
With that said, Dune was written out of the show, with Greef Karga (the late Carl Weathers) telling Din Djarin in Season 3 that she had been “recruited by special forces” following Moff Gideon’s arrest — and she hasn’t been seen since. Dune, with Carano in the role, was supposed to headline her own show, Rangers of the New Republic, but that project was thrown on the scrapheap by Lucasfilm following the actress’ dismissal.
Related: ‘Star Wars’ Officially Debuts Gina Carano’s Cara Dune Replacement
Cara Dune Replacement Unveiled
Now, it seems that Dune’s duties are no longer needed, as there’s a new Ranger of the New Republic in town. Sigourney Weaver, known for her iconic roles in Alien (1979) and Ghostbusters (1984), stars in The Mandalorian & Grogu as a new character. And, until now, her role has remained undisclosed.
Weaver will be playing Ward, a colonel and leader of the New Republic’s Adelphi Rangers, who previously served as a pilot for the Rebel Alliance.
She appears in the trailer, during a scene in which Din and Grogu are sat with her at a table — presumably, the bounty hunter is offering his services to bring in an enemy.
While the Aliens (1986) icon isn’t exactly “replacing” Gina Carano, her role does seem to fill a void left behind by the ex-MMA fighter. Still, here’s hoping that Carano gets a brief appearance. The Mandalorian & Grogu wrapped filming some time ago, but studios are always shoehorning new scenes in at the very last minute — especially where cameos are concerned.
The Mandalorian & Grogu stars Sigourney Weaver (Ghostbusters), Jeremy Allen White (The Bear), and Jonny Coyne (The Nun), and Pedro Pascal (The Fantastic Four: First Steps).
The film lands in theaters on May 22, 2026.
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