Review
There is perhaps no better time to be a fan of The Mandalorian than now, just a year away from the story’s big-screen debut in The Mandalorian and Grogu, but I’m still disappointed that the TV show has likely come to a definitive end. The Mandalorian kicked off an unexpected golden age for the Star Wars franchise, lifting the spirits of the fanbase after a rather lackluster conclusion to the sequel trilogy with 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
After so many years of divisiveness within the Star Wars fandom, seemingly everyone agreed that The Mandalorian had «saved» Star Wars. Seasons 1 and 2 proved to be nothing short of revolutionary for the franchise, succeeding massively not only in their own right, but also permitting other shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor, the latter of which is now regarded as Star Wars’ very best, to be greenlit. Unfortunately, however, the tide turned with season 3.
Now, The Mandalorian franchise has shifted, setting its focus on the big screen instead of the small screen. The fate of The Mandalorian season 4, which was previously confirmed by showrunner Jon Favreau himself among others, is uncertain, with creatives still choosing to dodge direct answers about whether it will eventually happen or not. I’ve come to terms with the fact that it more than likely won’t, but I’m still very disappointed in that decision for one key reason.
The Mandalorian TV Show Will Never Get Its Proper Closure Without Season 4
It Didn't End On The Best Note
The Mandalorian season 3 was controversial among most viewers for several reasons, though most of the problem boils down to Din Djarin and Grogu being reunited far too quickly in the spin-off show The Book of Boba Fett and then being put aside in favor of portraying Bo-Katan Kryze’s key leadership arc. It strayed far from the Western episodic adventures that viewers fell in love with during the first two seasons, and it was ultimately a miss for the show as a whole.
Additionally, The Mandalorian season 3 was never advertised as the final season of the TV show, which is more than likely due to the fact that the creators and executives themselves didn’t know their plans would pivot into a big-screen adventure. Much of that decision reportedly had to do with the Hollywood strikes in 2023, which undoubtedly altered plans for production on The Mandalorian season 4. This is when rumors of the movie first began to swirl.
Still, however, it seems unfair to have a TV show like this one end without any real type of closure. It wouldn’t be the only Star Wars show to have this problem — The Book of Boba Fett and Skeleton Crew have both run for a season without any indication of the story continuing or ending, and The Acolyte was outright canceled after season 1 last year — but to do so with a TV show as massive and successful as The Mandalorian just seems that much more unfair.
Unfortunately, The Mandalorian Can't Easily Go Back To TV After The Movie
It Needs To Continue Growing In Scale
Of course, there isn’t much Star Wars can really do at this point. The last thing I would ever expect them to do with The Mandalorian after it hits the big screen in 2026 is return to its original TV format. Should The Mandalorian and Grogu movie prove to be a massive success for Star Wars, which it undoubtedly will, then that makes its odds of going back to Disney+ seem even less likely. This means The Mandalorian‘s true justice will never be served.
Any good fan wants more for the story and its characters, but change definitely takes getting used to.
This is certainly understandable, and I would never be one to hinder the growth of a story I love as much as The Mandalorian, but it’s still a shame to face the reality that the TV show is more than likely done for good. Any good fan wants more for the story and its characters, but change definitely takes getting used to. The continued outcry for The Mandalorian season 4 that continues to resound from fans of the show is proof of that very sentiment.
The Mandalorian TV Show Really Did Deserve Better
It Should Have Gone Out On A Higher Note
Overall, it’s just a shame that The Mandalorian had to end the way it did. It left off on a not-so-great note; although season 3 was a major success as far as viewership and the like goes, it continues to struggle in terms of overall audience reception even two years later. It wasn’t the best the TV show had to offer, and after two slam-dunk seasons, that ultimately made it fall short. The Mandalorian TV show deserved to finish off on a more triumphant note.
All of this being said, the true fate of The Mandalorian season 4 remains open-ended, even if it may seem final. Showrunner Jon Favreau and executive producer Dave Filoni continue to play coy when asked about season 4 and the future of the show, which means they intend on keeping that option open for now, even if it seems unlikely that they will continue to take it.
Regardless, The Mandalorian truly did deserve a better fate, because even if season 4 happens, its story will have been disrupted by the movie. This is the best kind of disruption, no doubt, but it still isn’t quite the same. There’s no denying that it was time for The Mandalorian to expand onto the big screen, but selfishly, I’m still disappointed by the way in which the TV show’s legacy has ultimately come to an end.
The Mandalorian and Grogu premieres May 22, 2026.
