Star Wars Day has become a lot like Halloween or Christmas. Inspired by the iconic phrase “May the Force Be With You,” every year, May the 4th sees fans gather to celebrate the franchise, whether at movie marathons, special screenings, or official events hosted by Disney and Lucasfilm. But the 2026 festivities could be a huge disappointment for many.
It's no mystery that the faraway galaxy is in yet another slump. But this one might be the hardest for the franchise to climb out of. For many fans, the sequel trilogy ruined Star Wars, but in 2019, there was a renaissance of sorts when The Mandalorian, AKA Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), entered our lives on the then-new streaming service Disney+, alongside “Baby Yoda”, one of the cutest mascots the Star Wars franchise has ever introduced.
When The Mandalorian premiered in 2019, it revived excitement for a galaxy far, far away, despite the fact that, that same year, The Rise of Skywalker was due to hit theaters.
Baby Yoda became a cultural phenomenon, Disney+ had its breakout hit, and the show looked like the future of Star Wars. Now, nearly three years after the latest season, the franchise will bet on that same duo to carry its next film — but it could be a huge misfire.
Directed by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian & Grogu is scheduled for May 2026. The recently unveiled trailer offers the first glimpse at Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu’s big-screen adventure, but it really doesn't look any different from its Disney+ counterpart.
As such, the reaction has been incredibly mixed. Many fans complain that it feels visually indistinguishable from the series that spawned it, and with The Mandalorian season 3 widely considered a huge dud, doubts also linger about whether audiences still care about this corner of the Star Wars franchise. Watch the official trailer for the film below:
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This is unfamiliar territory for Lucasfilm. Every mainline trilogy installment has been a guaranteed draw, regardless of reviews. Spinoffs were riskier, but even Rogue One (2016) cleared a billion dollars. If The Mandalorian & Grogu fails financially, it would be the clearest evidence that oversaturation and uneven storytelling — which also owes thanks to other disappointing Disney+ shows such as The Book of Boba Fett (2021) to The Acolyte (2024) and almost everything in between — have well and truly damaged the brand.
Looking beyond The Mandalorian & Grogu, the more hopeful project is Starfighter, set to release in May, 2027. Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine) is at the helm, with Ryan Gosling (Barbie) leading the cast. Though it's only set a few years after The Rise of Skywalker, Disney has described it as a standalone film, a departure from the interconnected saga entries.
Either way, what happens next depends on these two films' box office performances. If The Mandalorian & Grogu struggles, Levy’s project could carry the weight of redefining Star Wars for theaters. Its success would prove that new characters and stories still have power to draw crowds. Failure for that film too, on the other hand, could confirm what fans have been saying for years: that the galaxy far, far away really has lost its way.
While the Star Wars Day 2026 celebrations will undoubtedly get underway as per usual on May the 4th, we'll get a better sense then as to whether The Mandalorian & Grogu has managed to generate any kind of buzz — especially seeing as it will only be a few weeks out — or if most fans really are feeling nothing but apathy towards this once beloved franchise.
The Mandalorian & Grogu releases on May 22, 2026.
Starfighter releases on May 28, 2027.
Would you like to see Rey appear in Starfighter? Let us know your thoughts!
For me, it had everything to do with the time they started the party (8:00) and the fact that each year they had less and less perks for forking out the money. When they first started, they started at 6:00 (you could go in at 4:00). That was a reasonable time for the party, but each year they made the time later and later. At at start time of 8:00 for current parties, I’m ready to go home by the time it starts. As for perks, they started out with collectible lanyards and credentials, but now all you get is a wrist band. One early year they gave out small buttons on the way out, but they don’t do that anymore either. I have gone to all the Star Wars nights up to last year. The price was really expensive, and the perks not worth it. I hope someday they listen to fans, and bring back the earlier time start and at least the collectible credential. I always love this, I hope they bring it back with some perks in the future so I will want to come back.