The Mandalorian And Grogu Super Bowl Trailer Is The Worst Star Wars Spot We've Ever Seen

Mando and his pal Grogu are making the jump from the small screen to the big screen. Lucasfilm and Disney have released a brand new trailer for "The Mandalorian and Grogu" tied to the Super Bowl. Big game, big movie. This marks the first "Star Wars" movie to hit theaters since "The Rise of Skywalker" made $1 billion and left behind a complicated legacy nearly seven years ago. This time around, the franchise is turning to already-beloved characters in the hands that have proved to be steady within a galaxy far, far away. Check it out for yourself.

Jon Favreau, who has largely guided "The Mandalorian" on Disney+, is in the director's chair. Pedro Pascal returns as Din Djarin, aka Mando, with other familiar faces along for the ride as well. There are new ones too, with sci-fi legend Sigourney Weaver ("Alien") joining the "Star Wars" galaxy. It's the start of a new era.

"The Mandalorian and Grogu" hits theaters on May 22, 2026.

Far be it from us at /Film to complain about trailers trying to do things differently. Still, "Star Wars" is a special case because of how the franchise has always presented itself. "Star Wars" movies are all about evoking imagery of the galaxy far, far away and its many strange residents, and their trailers have historically followed the trend. For instance, say what you want about the prequel trilogy, but it had its trailer game on point: The opulent planetary landscapes, wild alien creatures, lightsabers, and space battles made it immediately clear that these could only be "Star Wars" films.

Not so with "The Mandalorian and Grogu." The "Big Game" trailer seems to assume that the audience is particularly exhilarated to see the two characters riding a wagon together, which is a big ask considering the three seasons "The Mandalorian" has already spent confirming that these two characters indeed enjoy traveling together. This is simply a slice-of-life moment, which is cute enough ... but a very weird stylistic choice, as trailers go. 

In truth, this appears to be a parody spot of Budweiser ads, not an actual look at the movie itself. The whole trailer might be intended as a symbolic passing of the torch as Din Djarin hands the reins of the wagon to Grogu, but in practice, the whole thing comes across as a throwaway scene from one of the weaker "The Mandalorian" episodes. It remains to be seen how the actual film measures up to some of the best "Star Wars" movies, but the trailer certainly fails to communicate anything about things to come. 

"The Mandalorian and Grogu" hits theaters on May 22, 2026.