Star Wars’ New Movie Is Returning To The Entire Point Of A New Hope After 47 Years

Summary

The Mandalorian & Grogu will go back to Star Wars basics in a thrilling way.
The film will see non-Jedi like Grogu and Din Djarin fighting against Imperialists.
Just like A New Hope, The Mandalorian & Grogu centers on boots-on-the-ground fighters vs. the Empire without a major Sith presence.

The Mandalorian & Grogu is going back to the Star Wars basics established in A New Hope in the best way. Star Wars movies and TV shows have undergone a number of changes since the original trilogy was released nearly fifty years ago. However, as much as the Star Wars timeline has been updated, the general formula hasn’t changed all that much.

In fact, all of Star Wars’ best movies tend to center on the same things: the Jedi, the Sith, and the Force. Even movies that aren’t in the Skywalker Saga and aren’t explicitly about the Jedi, such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story exist in the context of that saga and the reigns of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, two of Star Wars’ most powerful Sith. However, that is about to change in The Mandalorian & Grogu, which will return to A New Hope’s form in a thrilling way.

Everything We Know About The Mandalorian & Grogu Movie

The Mandalorian’s story will continue with a Star Wars movie. Here’s everything we know about the project, including cast, release, and timeline.

The Mandalorian & Grogu Focuses On Heroes Versus The Empire

Although details about The Mandalorian & Grogu remain limited, the basic plot is confirmed to involve Din Djarin and Grogu helping the New Republic tackle the growing threat posed by the Imperial remnants and Grand Admiral Thrawn. While neither Palpatine nor Vader is truly alive at this time (although Palpatine’s story is a bit more complicated), this means that The Mandalorian & Grogu will see Star Wars’ heroes facing off against the Empire once again. This is particularly thrilling because this version of the Empire has never been seen before; for once, it won’t be the Sith at the helm.

Moreover, neither Grogu nor Din Djarin is a Jedi. Grogu is Force-sensitive, but he chose to abandon his Jedi path in The Book of Boba Fett, and he became Din Djarin’s Mandalorian apprentice in The Mandalorian season 3 finale. Din Djarin is also quite a unique hero, as he is not only a Mandalorian but also a bounty hunter. In fact, footage of The Mandalorian & Grogu shared at D23 revealed that Din Djarin will double down on being a bounty hunter in the movie. Given that, The Mandalorian & Grogu will specifically see non-Jedi fighting the Imperialists.

The Mandalorian & Grogu
will specifically see non-Jedi fighting the Imperialists.

This Is The First Star Wars Movie To Do So Since A New Hope

As mentioned, there have been a number of movies outside the Skywalker Saga that have theoretically not focused on the Jedi and the Sith. Specifically, both Rogue One and Solo focus on non-Jedi who are fighting the Empire. Even so, though, from The Empire Strikes Back on, Star Wars movies have all been intrinsically tied to the Sith. Even without Jedi at the forefront, Palpatine’s Empire was built on a Sith versus the Jedi structure.

That wasn’t yet true in A New Hope, though. Yes, Luke Skywalker learned about the Jedi and the Force from Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Vader was the movie’s villain. However, Star Wars hadn’t yet established the Sith. In fact, Palpatine was not even present in A New Hope. That movie was much more focused on the people versus the Empire—now, The Mandalorian & Grogu will repeat this formula.

Star Wars A New Hope Emperor Palpatine Leia

Where Emperor Palpatine Was During A New Hope

Emperor Palpatine is featured in every movie from the original and prequel Star Wars trilogies except for A New Hope – here’s where he was.

The Mandalorian & Grogu, like A New Hope, will center the fight between the boots-on-the-ground fighters and an Imperial institution. Even more excitingly, this plot will happen without Palpatine and Vader being the major players for once. Instead, Thrawn and his lackeys will take center stage, representing a brand-new threat. While much of this movie remains to be seen, it seems The Mandalorian & Grogu will return to a perfect formula established in Star Wars’ very first movie.

Star Wars’ Sith Focus Was In Danger Of Getting Old

Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious

In truth, this is exactly the move that Star Wars needed to make at this point in the franchise. Sadly, the Sith story was becoming a bit redundant, especially following the sequel trilogy. At first, it seemed as though the sequels were on the right path. Yes, they were following the arc of the original trilogy a bit too closely, but Kylo Ren was a compelling villain, and it seemed as though he might become more evil with time, as essentially an inverse of Darth Vader (Adam Driver has since even confirmed this was the original plan).

Sadly, in the end, the sequels opted for a recycled storyline, with Palpatine making a bewildering and sudden turn in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Many viewers were disappointed by this decision, and it remains a sore point in the franchise. In part, this was because it felt rushed, underdeveloped, and a bit like a last-ditch effort to improve the reception of the sequels by bringing back a villain who had already been successful before. However, it also disappointed viewers because it simply wasn’t new.

In fact, Star Wars has consistently struggled to incorporate new villains throughout the Skywalker Saga. Although new Sith were introduced in the prequel trilogy—namely, Darth Maul and Count Dooku—in the end, it was Vader and Palpatine who were the trilogy’s main villains, just as they had been in the original trilogy. While the sequels deviated from this very slightly, ultimately, Kylo Ren ended up feeling like a second Vader, and, as mentioned, Palpatine returned.

This Jedi versus the Sith story was beginning to feel overdone.

Even with shows like The Acolyte introducing new Sith, this Jedi versus the Sith story was beginning to feel overdone. Star Wars is an incredibly expansive universe, full of many different villains, Force-sensitive and otherwise. It’s more than time for the franchise to begin focusing on new villain stories beyond the Sith. Now, thankfully, it seems The Mandalorian & Grogu will do exactly that.