It is a tall order anytime a film composer takes on the music for a Star Wars film. The legacy of John Williams and the rich music he provided for the Skywalker Saga is a huge part of the franchise. Michael Giacchino and John Powell both took on the music in Rogue One and Solo respectively.
Now, with the next film, The Mandalorian and Grogu, set to be released in 2026, there may be questions as to who will be the composer. Let's speculate who could score the next Star Wars film.
Who will be the composer for The Mandalorian & Grogu?
Ludwig Goransson is an obvious choice first choice. He composed the music for the first two seasons of The Mandalorian and several high-profile films. He's won two Oscars for Black Panther in 2019 and Oppenheimer in 2024. The musician provided a unique style to a galaxy far, far away and is one of the most sought-after composers in the industry.
His work on The Mandalorian series ushered in a new era and set the tone for each one of the Disney+ series, from the main theme to certain other motifs he used. One of his more powerful pieces was his work in the Season 2 episode, "The Jedi," where he incorporated the use of Ahsoka Tano's theme by Kevin Kiner from previous animated series.
Goransson has said he would be interested in returning to the universe. "I did see The Mandalorian movie announcement – that would be great to work on. I just saw the news the other day and that's so fun," he told Games Radar+.
Joseph Shirley scored the third season of The Mandalorian and could also be asked for the film.
Shirley also helped compose the score for The Book of Boba Fett and films such as The Comeback Kid and Creed III. With his work on Creed III and in the Star Wars universe, he replaced Goransson on both. It would demonstrate a seamless transition.
His work on Season 3 of The Mandalorian was extremely strong and provided many strong motifs for characters and planets such as Mandalore. On The Book of Boba Fett, he demonstrated youthful pieces especially involving the Mods and their story. He also may be more readily available for the project with Goransson in such high demand. The vinyl score for Season 3 has been well received and has been available for purchase since last year.
Another option could be Giacchino who has scored other high profiles such as many Pixar films and the Jurassic World trilogy. His work on Rogue One demonstrated that a composer could do a good job with a Star Wars film outside of Williams. Perhaps he could team up with his son Mick Giacchino, who tackled the music for Skeleton Crew.
A huge part of the franchise is the music. Whoever does score the film will be able to add more to the rich legacy of Star Wars themes and motifs.