Dave Filoni's update on The Mandalorian Season 4 is problematic

The 2024 Saturn Awards were held this past Sunday and Star Wars came out a big winner at the ceremony, picking up awards for shows like Andor, The Bad Batch, and more. Lucasfilm's Chief Creative Officer and Director, Dave Filoni, was in attendance as he was honored with the George Pal Memorial Award. He was asked about whether or not the upcoming film The Mandalorian & Grogu replaces Season 4 of The Mandalorian.

Filoni avoided answering the question, saying, "There's so much spinning in the galaxy right now and you know me better than to commit to one thing."

Filoni also praised Jon Favreau and said that he's excited about the movie as Jon is so "well studied in Star Wars now." The noncommital response isn't surprising coming from Filoni, as he and Jon Favreau are well known for keeping big secrets from the audience. After all, they were able to sneak in a Luke Skywalker cameo in The Mandalorian Season 2 without anyone having a clue.

"There's so much spinning in the galaxy right now and you know me better than to commit to one thing."

- Dave Filoni on The Mandalorian Season 4

However, the secrecy in this case is very confusing and, in some ways, frustrating for fans. Most fans are wondering about the status of Season 4. Even from a writing standpoint, you have to wonder what will make the fans who watched the show on Disney+ flock to theaters to see it made into a movie. The ending of The Mandalorian Season 3 didn't set up any big adventures. It would be much better if Season 4 came out before the movie and ended on a cliffhanger that made audiences curious to see the movie.

Season 4 could perfectly set up a movie event in an exciting way with a suspenseful ending, but if not, then the last impression fans have is that Din and Grogu are living happily ever after. On the surface, this isn't the best foundation for a big movie event that fans will have to wait so long for.

The long wait is also problematic, as Season 3 was released last year, and The Mandalorian & Grogu won't release until 2026. That's a wait of over 3 years, and many fans could lose interest in the meantime. It would be better if Season 4 came out sometime in 2025 and made a good case for a movie.

However, for now, there's no news about Season 4, and Filoni's statement regarding it can be interpreted in several ways. Perhaps the door is still open for a Season 4, and Lucasfilm wants to surprise fans with it. Only time will tell, and it may be a long time till things begin to get clearer. At the moment, the next Mandalorian and Grogu content doesn't drop until 2026.

The Mandalorian is streaming on Disney+.