Summary

• The Mandalorian is a massive success for Star Wars, earning constant views and revenue through merchandise.
• The Mandalorian is Star Wars' only strong brand right now, suring other TV shows.
• Star Wars is banking on The Mandalorian to bring success back to the box office, learning from Solo's failure.

A fascinating analysis on data from Disney+ explains why The Mandalorian & Grogu is Star Wars' best choice to bring the franchise back to the movie theater. Ever since its debut in November 2019, The Mandalorian has proven itself to be a massive success for both Star Wars and Disney+ itself. Serving as the flagship TV show of both the franchise and its streaming platform, The Mandalorian has continued to draw in massive audiences and brand-new viewers with each new installment - even the somewhat controversial The Mandalorian season 3.

There are a few reasons why The Mandalorian has achieved such success, many of which have helped to contribute to its cinematic future. The biggest contributor is no doubt Grogu, known to many simply as "Baby Yoda." Despite hiding his existence at first to maintain the surprise, Grogu has earned The Mandalorian both plenty of views and plenty of dollars, as any Star Wars enthusiast knows that Grogu is constantly plastered across any and all merchandise. There is, however, a more important reason why The Mandalorian has been chosen to bring Star Wars back to the silver screen.

The Mandalorian Is Star Wars' Only Strong Brand Right Now

From the Show Itself to Merchandise & More, The Mandalorian's Brand is Unbeatable

An analysis done by Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, it's easy to see that The Mandalorian has certainly succeeded as a brand.

In comparison, other Star Wars TV shows have failed to accomplish the same feat. Though shows such as Andor have become revered and beloved by audiences, they have failed to recreate the same kind of branding that is organically a strong part of The Mandalorian. Any Star Wars TV show that takes place simultaneously with The Mandalorian, such as The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka, is simply placed under The Mandalorian's umbrella. The Mandalorian is easily Star Wars' most recognizable property outside the movies.

Star Wars Needs A Strong Brand To Have Box Office Success

Star Wars Cannot Afford Another Situation Like Solo

This is no doubt the biggest reason why The Mandalorian has been chosen to take Star Wars back to the theater. Star Wars has infamously scrapped countless movie projects over the years, particularly following Solo: A Star Wars Story's box office failure in 2018. After concluding the Skywalker saga with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, Star Wars all but ran away from the movie theater and honed in on the success that The Mandalorian brought to Star Wars TV.

Star Wars is clearly hoping that The Mandalorian will have the same positive effect on their movie theater legacy.

Now that its brand is strong enough, Star Wars is clearly hoping that The Mandalorian will have the same positive effect on their movie theater legacy. This is an extremely smart move for the franchise; these characters alone will be a strong draw for audiences of all kinds to go to the big screen. It promises both a fresh story and a continuation of what viewers have been waiting for after The Mandalorian season 3's ending. The Mandalorian & Grogu will no doubt deliver that and prove exactly how it's become Star Wars' biggest Disney+ brand.

The Mandalorian & Grogu hits theaters May 22, 2026.

Source: The Town with Matthew Belloni