When Giancarlo Esposito announced in an interview that season three of The Mandalorian would release this summer, we definitely had our doubts, especially considering the season had just finished filming. Sadly, we turned out to be right. We now have confirmation that the latest adventures of Pedro Pascal’s helmeted bounty hunter Din Djarin will be coming in early 2023. As part of the Lucasfilm panel at this year’s Star Wars Celebration, series creator Jon Favreau confirmed that the new season hits on Disney+ in February 2023.
Even better, the announcement came with a teaser trailer that hints at the next season’s arc. Although Lucasfilm is not yet making the trailer available online, several reports have come in from those in attendance. One of the major plot points in the teaser deals with the fallout from Din’s decision to remove his helmet in the episodes “The Believer” and “The Rescue” from season two. To deal with his unmasking, Din must visit Mandalore to be, as he puts it, “forgiven for his transgressions.”
Footage also suggests that the series will be building off of the standout episode of Book of Boba Fett, in which Din and Grogu reunited after the latter began training with Luke Skywalker. The trailer offers glimpses of Grogu back in his familiar floating crib, but that does not mean that he’ll be stuck in a subservient role. Shots of Bo-Katan Kryze with Grogu have led some to speculate that the season will feature a team-up between Baby Yoda and the Clone Wars favorite.
In fact, Bo-Katan appears to be a much bigger player in the next season, as the trailer includes a shot of her sitting on what one reporter calls an “epic throne.” This tracks with previous comments from the cast and crew, including Bo-Katan actor Katee Sackhoff. In a 2021 interview, Sackhoff explained that her character had “unfinished business,” including a quest for the Darksaber that is curently held by Din. As you might recall, Bo-Katan needs the Darksaber to rule Mandalore.
Also featured in the teaser was Carl Weathers’ Greef Karga. Weathers previously confirmed he was in the new season. Teaser footage shows him wearing a pretty swanky new outfit. And another associate of Din Djarin’s also pops up, but not in the way you think: one shot reveals a statue commemorating IG-11, the brave assassin droid that helped Mando and friends fight off the Empire in the season 1 finale.
As of this writing, we don’t know what other characters, including Esposito’s Moff Gideon or Bo-Katan’s fellow Nite Owl Axe Woves (Simon Kassianides), are up to. We know that both of these characters will be in the third season, but it doesn’t sound like they were featured in the teaser shown at Star Wars Celebration.
While some fans may be disappointed with the confirmation that The Mandalorian won’t be coming this summer or even this year, the February release date gives hope that delays are at an end. While an official air date had never been announced, filming on the series was completed in March of 2022, which led many to believe that the season would debut during the holiday season, following the lead set by seasons one and two. But between COVID-19 and scheduling challenges, Favreau and Clone Wars creator Dave Filoni had to delay the start of production. Hopefully, the February announcement means that we won’t have to wait much longer.
You can check out a full schedule of upcoming Star Wars movies and TV series here.