The first trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu has been released, offering our best glimpse into what to expect from the upcoming movie. The film has a lot riding on it, with it marking Star Wars‘ return to theaters for the first time since 2019. It also needs to prove that The Mandalorian is viable as a cinematic franchise, not just a TV one. The footage tries to sell us on that idea, with shots of an AT-AT being destroyed, Stormtroopers in action, and plenty of “Baby Yoda” to get excited about.

The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer has several moments that have already attracted attention. The Razor Crest is back, replacing the Naboo Starfighter that Din Djarin had used in The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian Season 3, and that’s not the only notable ship, with the appearance of a U-Wing as well. There’s also the live-action debut of Rotta the Hutt, son of Jabba (and voiced by The Bear‘s Jeremy Allen White), as well as some teases of the New Republic plot with Sigourney Weaver’s Colonel Ward and the return of Adelphi Base. But among all of those, there were a few great, smaller details, alien species, and Easter eggs.

7) Star Wars’ Galactic Starcruiser Is Referenced

The Galactic Starcruiser was an ambitious attempt at delivering an immersive experience for Star Wars fans: a hotel stay at Walt Disney World Resort that aimed to make people feel as though they were truly living in a galaxy far, far away on a cruise through space. Unfortunately, it only operated for a little over one year – from March 2022 until its closure in September 2023 – but its legacy lives on, and is now Star Wars canon. Among several neon signs glimpsed on one planet in the trailer is an advertisement for the Halcyon (the name of the Starcruiser hotel) in Aurebesh, reading: “Halcyon: See the Galaxy.”

6) The Iktotchi Return

As The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer moves into a bar setting, alongside some action beats, we also get a familiar species. Cantina-type scenes have been a way for Star Wars movies to include dozens of aliens ever since 1977, and this is going to be no exception, as we see an Iktotchi back in live-action. The most notable member of the species was the Jedi Master Saesee Tiin, who first appeared in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

5) Star Wars Rebels’ Zeb Comes To The Movies

Zeb made the leap from Star Wars Rebels to live-action in The Mandalorian Season 3, and now he’s coming to the movies with what’s likely an expanded role in The Mandalorian and Grogu. He only has a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo in the trailer, where he can be seen fighting against a Stormtrooper. Given that he works for the New Republic, that suggests he’s going to be alongside Din and Grogu on their mission. Also worth noting is that Zeb is still using his bo-rifle, the trusted weapon of the Lasan Honor Guard.

4) An Amani – Is It Return Of The Jedi’s Bounty Hunter?

During one of the trailer’s water scenes, we see a reptilian creature poking its head above the surface, quite possibly on the hunt for Mando and Grogu, with bounties perhaps still out for them. This is another familiar species: an Amani. They first appeared in Return of the Jedi, where the character Amanaman was among the bounty hunters gathered in Jabba’s Palace. Given he worked for Jabba the Hutt, and the family is still operating as of The Mandalorian‘s timeline, it’s even possible this is the very same character returning over 40 years later.

3) The Hutt Cartel Insignia

Speaking of the Hutts, while the most notable reference to them is the gladiatorial presence of Rotta, the family’s presence is felt in other ways, with their logo seen on a door in the trailer. Jabba may be gone, but The Book of Boba Fett previously established that the Hutts still have some power and influence in the Outer Rim, and with multiple members of the family also appearing on the movie’s official poster, they’ll have a bigger role to play beyond Rotta fighting.

2) Din Djarin’s Pulse Rifle Is Back

The Razor Crest isn’t the only thing destroyed in The Mandalorian Season 2 that’s coming back, as Din Djarin has one of his favorite weapons again. Like the ship, the pulse rifle was destroyed by the Empire, but he clearly still favors it and has managed to get his hands on a new one, as seen when he’s facing off against some droids. The combination of the rifle and the ship could be telling, suggesting the movie is aiming for a more back-to-basics approach after the divisive third season of the show.

1) A Creature From Dejarik

An appearance almost 50 years in the making, one of the creatures from the game dekarik, which was first seen aboard the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars (or A New Hope), is seen in The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer. This is a Mantellian Savrip, which hails from the planet Ord Mantell, and will be among the beasts fighting in the arena.

The Mandalorian and Grogu will be released on May 22nd, 2026.

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