In Defense Of ‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu’

BusinessMediaIn Defense Of ‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu’ByRick Ellis,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. The global media business, from streaming to linear TVFollow AuthorMay 26, 2026, 11:42pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 21: Pedro Pascal (C) attends a photocall for Disney's "The Mandalorian" Season 3 in Piccadilly Circus on February 22, 2023 in London, England (Photo by Dave Benett/WireImage)Dave Benett/WireImageDealing with passionate fanbases can be challenging in the best of circumstances. But fans of the Star Wars universe can be especially prickly, particularly when it comes to what has happened to the franchise over the past decade or two.Discussions about Star Wars have inevitably gotten tangled up in complaints about diversity and whether recent TV shows drawn from the movies were somehow too “woke.”Some fans want the theatrical films to concentrate on familiar characters and others want to break entirely with the cinematic universe established in the original three films. And then there are people like myself who continue to wait in vain for a movie that reveals Jar-Jar Binks to be the Sith Lord we all know him to be.All of these discussions have converged with the release of Star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu, the new theatrical film drawn from the Disney+ TV series The Mandalorian.The movie opened in movie theaters this past weekend, and it had an opening of $165 million worldwide. Which is a solid opening for a film that costs less than $150 million after California tax credits are applied. And yet, while audiences seem thrilled by the film, the majority of television and movie critics are treating Star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu as if it were at the very least a modest financial and creative disaster. Industry reporters compared the performance of this movie...