With the start of a new year, The Mandalorian and Grogu seems much closer than it did when announced by Lucasfilm a year ago.
As the movie premieres next year, and its production has reportedly wrapped, it's natural for people to speculate on its plot. Although any plot details have yet to be confirmed officially, recently, rumors emerged that the movie would focus on Rotta the Hutt. A few sources confirmed this, and the latest rumor suggests Rotta is the prime target of a well-known bounty hunter from The Clone Wars.
According to Kristian Harloff via Bespin Bulletin, Embo is the main villain of The Mandalorian and Grogu. Interestingly, Embo was voiced by Dave Filoni, who's a co-writer on the Mando movie with Jon Favreau. Bespin Bulletin confirmed that their sources back Harloff's claim regarding Embo being the movie's main villain, which doesn't necessarily make it true. However, it raises the possibility that Embo will feature in a prominent role.
Harloff believes the movie's plot is similar to The Clone Wars arc in which Rotta the Hutt was kidnapped and needed to be rescued. According to Harloff, the movie will repeat the scenario, but this time, the Hutts or the New Republic will task Din Djarin and Grogu to save Rotta.
Bespin Bulletin supports these claims based on insider information and adds, "I believe that Embo is hired by some Hutts, possibly the two featured in The Book of Boba Fett. I had heard conflicting things on who hired Din; I was told once that it was the Hutts that hire Din and another time I was told it was the Republic. I don’t know which one is correct..."
While I believe Embo and Rotta the Hutt will be a part of The Mandalorian and Grogu, it is unlikely that the entire two hours or so will be spent on Din Djarin and Grogu's mission to save Rotta. In my opinion, these leaks are strategic. At least, I hope they are for Lucasfilm's sake because if this is what the whole movie is about, then Jon Favreau should be livid. The plot has already been leaked. There's still over a year before The Mandalorian and Grogu premieres, so it's upsetting that possible plot details have already begun to circulate.
Another possibility is that these leaks are strategic, and Lucasfilm is behind them as a way of throwing fans off, and the real plot of the movie is quite different. It's possible a mission to save Rotta the Hutt will lead to something much bigger and, hopefully, a lot more serious due to higher stakes. Perhaps Din has to save Rotta, and in exchange, the Hutts will provide him with sensitive information which he will deliver to the New Republic.
It's all speculation and rumors at this point, but I don't think a live-action replica of a Clone Wars arc can be Jon Favreau's best bet at pulling audiences to theaters. We know he's capable of more, and hopefully, there's a lot more to this than we think. I doubt a movie that's been shot in complete secrecy can have such a simple plot, and even if these rumors are factual, it's not a good look for Lucasfilm if plot details of their upcoming movie have already leaked with over a year to go.
The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters on May 22, 2026.