The MANDALORIAN Trailer Might Not Be For You

It was supposed to land Friday the 19th, according to rumor, but the Jimmy Kimmel kerfuffle agitated the waters enough that Disney and Lucasfilm held off until this past Monday, when they finally released the first trailer and poster for The Mandalorian and Grogu.

It’s still a stupid title.

Initial reactions have been ... well, mixed. A lot of online chatter is of the opinion that this looks pretty much like an extended episode of the Disney+ show, and they would be mostly correct. It does look like the TV show rather than an epic theatrical blockbuster. And of course, there are the reactions and analyses from the YouTube Commentariat, many of whom have looked down on this as a project that’s DOA thanks to Kathleen Kennedy’s years-long incompetence. Favreau won’t be able to save Star Wars, they say.

But this trailer seems to me to be performing a very specific function, and if I’m right, then Jon Favreau is a savvy marketer as well as a talented filmmaker. Consider the possibility that there are at least three audiences to be considered for any upcoming Star Wars movie:

1. The General Population — the “normies” in the crowd; these are the people who have no clue about any of the behind-the-scenes drama, and they don’t care to know.

2. The Commentariat — the YouTube and Rumble personalities who have studied all there is to find about budgets and lawsuits and casting and firing and announcements and rumors.

3. The Walk-Aways — these are the ones who have abandoned Star Wars, seemingly for good.

There are certainly people that fall in between those categories. Some have been paying attention to the “inside baseball” material since Gina Carano was fired, but may not have been closely following Karen McCarthy’s lawsuit, or the budget for The Acolyte; maybe they’re aware of Mark Hamill’s public deterioration from a beloved icon to hateful anti-right troll. And some who claim to have walked away from Star Wars altogether still pay attention because it’s in the nature of their work in the online punditry. We’re paying attention because it’s the job, not because we have any real interest, of course.

Depending on which group you fall into, this particular trailer might not be for you. At least, not primarily.

What follows is complete speculative analysis on my part. I have no special knowledge, no inside sources giving me privileged information. But as I watch this trailer, I’m struck by a few key elements that have me guessing at Favreau’s strategy for getting people to the theaters on May 22, 2026. If I’m wrong, well...I lose some bragging rights. But if I’m right, then I’m a marketing genius who saw right through Favreau’s savvy plan, right?

First off, let’s address the frequent comment that this looks just like the television show. I think that’s by design. It’s my belief that this first trailer is aimed mainly at the people who watched the “Baby Yoda” show and will recognize “Hey, it’s the Baby Yoda show!” only now it’s a movie. Very cool, isn’t it? You see all of the elements of the Baby Yoda show, especially (and frequently) Baby Yoda. Isn’t he cute? He’s sure to sell some toys. And the General Population folks, who care not a whit for the backstage drama, are going to respond to Baby Yoda because they’ve done that already after season one of the show. “I want to see the baby,” they’ll say. At least, I expect Favreau is hoping that’s what they’ll say. Thus, the trailer looks like the TV show because its intent is to remind people about the show and impress them with the theatrical upgrade.

Now, I also think that Favreau is sending some signals to the Commentariat, those that bother to pay attention. If you look at this trailer with some scrutiny, you’ll see that we have a lot of elements from the first couple of seasons of the show: the Razor Crest (obviously he got another one), the rifle he got from Holiday Special animated Boba Fett, even Sigourney Weaver’s character hires him in a place very much like Greef Karga’s place in the first season. As I look at it, there’s nothing that I see from the third season. I think that’s deliberate. I think Favreau is sending a subtle message to the New Media that there’s a reset taking place. Going back to what worked prior to interference from Lucasfilm and Disney bosses.

As for the Walk-Aways, I think the message for them comes more from the poster:

There are two things I notice right from the get-go:

First, it’s very reminiscent of Drew Struzan’s art. Struzan painted all manner of movie posters back in the day, and his work is still recognized for its unique style. The Prequel Trilogy, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Big Trouble in Little China, The Goonies, and so many more... You can find his portfolio here. I haven’t been able to identify the artist on this particular poster, but he (or she) clearly studied Struzan’s work.

Second, the layout is a throwback to the films of the 1930s and 1940s. From the multiple scenes to the stylized fonts, this poster hearkens back to the era of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. Remember, George Lucas had originally attempted to remake Flash Gordon, but he couldn’t obtain the rights, so he produced Star Wars instead. And you can put a clock to that first trilogy to see the influence of the 10-minute chapters of the Saturday morning serial. (Raiders, for example: the truck carrying Marion blows up precisely at the ten-minute mark.)

This has me leaning toward an interpretation that Favreau might be sending a signal to the Walk-Aways: hey, we’re going for the same thing George did. And the stylized nature of the poster, not to mention the way the movie title appeared in the trailer, seems aimed at the people who could take it or leave it. Favs clearly wants GenPop to return to the movies, and now we have a hint that he’s trying to take us back to those thrilling days of yesteryear with a hearty “Hi-yo, Silver!”

The question remains: will the Walk-Aways come back?

And will the Commentariat be objective enough to look at The Mandalorian and Grogu and judge it on its own merits rather than filter their reviews and reactions through the “Star Wars is dead” lens many of them have? Or will they continue to decry all things Star Wars until Kathleen Kennedy officially exits? And even then, will that be enough? Yes, she needs to leave. Absolutely. No question. But in the meantime, it appears Jon Favreau is the one calling the shots, and if that’s the case, how much grace does he get from us in the New Media? Does he suffer the consequences of someone else’s actions? Does he get rewarded for trying to right the ship (if he is, indeed, doing such)? Where’s the line?

I’ll also make the prediction that the next trailer will be for the online punditry. We of the esoteric knowledge and insider information will need a trailer that has more meat on the bones, and I have no doubt the next trailer will do just that, and the third and final trailer will be aimed at .... well, everyone. What will we see? Who might still show up?

You never know....

Personally, I’m in the “Cautiously Cautious” camp. Yes, I’m among those who have looked at Star Wars with a heavily jaundiced eye since The Force Awakens hit strong and then fizzled. I was among those calling “foul!” on Rian Johnson for his nigh-blasphemous second act in The Last Jedi. I have been very vocal about the need for Kathleen Kennedy’s exit, for Bob Iger’s exit, for the removal of the entire board of directors at The Walt Disney Company.

But in the meantime, I’ll take a wait and see attitude. There may yet be some light at the end of the tunnel.

I have spoken.