Ahsoka Season 2 Confirms The Biggest Problem With The Mandalorian & Grogu

Published Sep 4, 2026, 11:52 PM EDT Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero. With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention. Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise. Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Mandalorian & Grogu The Mandalorian & Grogu is now streaming on Disney+ following a fairly underwhelming box-office performance, leading many to wonder if The Mandalorian's fourth season-turned-movie should have just remained a series as originally intended. Now, Ahsoka season 2's first trailer has highlighted this argument even further. Having been released during Disney's D23 Fan Expo, the first trailer for Ahsoka season 2 teases an epic continuation of the story from the first season while also ramping up the galactic stakes. As such, it's pretty difficult not to wonder if the wrong Star Wars project was given a major pivot to the big-screen. This isn't to say that Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian & Grogu is a bad movie. On the contrary, it's an incredibly fun adventure and a great new chapter of Din Djarin and Grogu's journey as father and son. However, the events of the latest Star Wars movie don't really shake the foundations of the galaxy in the way Ahsoka season 2's new trailer is promising. Ahsoka Season 2's New Trailer Feels Worthy Of The Big Screen Without a doubt, the latest Ahsoka season 2 trailer immediately establishes some pretty massive stakes. Building off the events of the first season, Grand Admiral Thrawn has finally returned to the main Star Wars galaxy after nearly a decade in exile, now rallying the surviving Imperial Remnants while allied with the deadly Force witches known as the Nightsisters. Additionally, the trailer sees Thrawn openly declaring war on the "Rebel Alliance" in the name of the glorious Empire, proving that he does not recognize the New Republic and its authority. As such, it's obvious that the major threat here is the risk of a second Galactic Civil War breaking out across the galaxy. At the same time, Ahsoka Tano and her apprentice Sabine Wren are still on the extragalactic world of Peridea. Receiving guidance from Anakin Skywalker's Force ghost, Ahsoka and Sabine are searching for a mysterious power to "end all wars" before Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati, surpassing the kinds of typical Jedi/Sith conflicts we've seen before. As such, there's an awful lot that will be going on in Ahsoka season 2, and all of it looks to have some pretty big galaxy-shaking stakes. In Comparison, The Mandalorian & Grogu's Stakes Aren't As Big Image courtesy of Nicola Goode/Lucasfilm/Disney By comparison, The Mandalorian & Grogu is deliberately much smaller. Its story is primarily about Din and Grogu, with the Hutt conflict and their latest adventure providing the backdrop for their continued development as a family. That smaller scale isn't inherently a problem. In fact, it is one of the movie's biggest strengths. Din and Grogu's relationship remains the emotional center of the story, and their evolution from protector and child into genuine partners is one of the most satisfying parts of their journey. The problem is that The Mandalorian & Grogu wasn't simply another streaming episode. It was the first new Star Wars movie in seven years. Naturally, many fans expected the return to theaters to come with something that felt larger and more consequential for the galaxy. Instead, the movie's stakes remain mostly personal. Din and Grogu survive another adventure and head back into space together, but the broader Star Wars status quo isn't dramatically transformed. That can work perfectly well for a television season, but it feels somewhat underwhelming as the franchise's major theatrical comeback. That makes the contrast with Ahsoka season 2 particularly funny. The story that actually went to theaters is comparatively contained, while the Disney+ series appears to be dealing with Thrawn's return, a potential new galactic war, mysterious Force powers, and the possible consequences of whatever Baylan discovers on Peridea. Of course, Ahsoka season 2 still has to deliver on all of those promises. A trailer can make a story look enormous without guaranteeing that every storyline will pay off. Still, based purely on what Disney has shown so far, it is hard not to think that this is the kind of sweeping Star Wars adventure that would have felt right at home on the big screen. Ultimately, that may be the biggest problem with The Mandalorian & Grogu. It successfully proves that Din and Grogu can carry a theatrical adventure, but Ahsoka season 2 is showing just how much bigger a Star Wars movie could have been. The Mandalorian & Grogu is now streaming on Disney+. Ahsoka season 2 premieres January 20th on Disney+. Release Date May 20, 2026 Runtime 132 minutes Director Jon Favreau Writers Noah Kloor Producers Ian Bryce, Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, Karen Gilchrist, John Bartnicki Prequel(s) The Mandalorian Sequel(s) Dave Filoni's Untitled Mandalorian Movie Franchise(s) Star Wars