Star Wars Celebration Japan – The Mandalorian and Grogu Panel Discussion

It’s 10 am in Chiba, Japan. I woke up bright and early (6 am) to catch an overcrowded train and make my way towards Star Wars Celebration Japan to attend the The Mandalorian and Grogu panel, which will discuss the highly anticipated film, which will be released on 22 May 2026.

Starting with a hype package showcasing clips from most, if not all, of the Star Wars TV shows and films, C-3PO and R2-D2 took the stage to introduce Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni. Thanking the fans and the crew, they quickly discussed that James Mangold, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and Taika Waititi are all working on feature films, and Simon Kinberg is working on a trilogy of films. However, the title that garnered the most attention was the heavily rumoured Shawn Levy film.

As Shawn made his way on stage, he didn’t go into much detail about what we should expect, but we got a glimpse of some information. This project will be set after Episode 9, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and will be an entirely standalone film. It will star Ryan Gosling, who also briefly talked about what attracted him to the project: he said the script was filled with so much heart and adventure.

The film starts shooting in the fall, with a release date set for May 28, 2027, and it will be titled Star Wars: Starfighter. As Ryan and Shawn left the stage, we got a little tease of the Starfighter that will be featured in the film. For many Star Wars fans, this title has instantly skyrocketed to the top of the most anticipated list.

We then moved on to discuss The Mandalorian and Grogu, which I truly feel was not panel-worthy. This year, we missed the signature Lucasfilm panel, and I think it would have been more appropriate to title it that way, as the Mandalorian and Grogu part was slim.

Dave and Kathleen returned to the stage with the film’s director, Jon Favreau, following shortly behind. As always, and as could be seen as a recurring theme throughout all the panels, was the discussion around the significant influence of Japanese media on Star Wars, which is appropriate, given that we are in Japan.

To kick things off, we saw some behind-the-scenes stills from The Mandalorian and Grogu, showcasing the inside of an AT-AT walker, which features prominently in a key action scene highlighted in the trailer. We also saw a picture of Din Djarin and Garazeb from Rebels at what seems to be a New Republic base.

In the background of that picture, new droids could be seen, and they actually appeared on stage, waddling with cute sound effects. Seeing real practical effects is always a treat; what was showcased alongside them was the practical sets with a blue screen in the background. The Volume (LED backgrounds) was never mentioned during this panel, which could suggest a move back to partially real sets enhanced with CGI.

Next on stage was Sigourney Weaver, making her debut in a Star Wars project, as well as Pedro Pascal, the Din Djarin himself, who received the loudest cheer of the panel. Pedro briefly talked about how, when he saw the storyboards, he knew viewers would connect with The Mandalorian season 1, which made him confident the show would be successful. Sigourney then expressed how amazing it was to work with Pedro and how Grogu had stolen her heart. Sigourney appears to be playing a New Republic character. We don’t know much about her character, but in one of the behind-the-scenes pictures, we see her in a pilot’s outfit, so hopefully, she’ll be seen flying an X-Wing.

Grogu appeared on stage, radiating his adorable charm as he waved to the crowd. Jon then discussed that we still have a year to go before we see a final product, which is scheduled for May 2026. However, we did get to see a quick teaser of what to expect.

We open inside a Walker as Imperial Troopers prepare for battle, having just been attacked. A moment later, Din Djarin breaks in and starts an impressive one-take action scene, making his way from the back of the Walker to the cockpit. The action sequence ends with the cockpit sealing, transitioning to an AT-AT explosion, cutting to different footage of Din Djarin and Grogu flying, riding a speeder bike, and Grogu swimming. During the trailer, we hear a voice-over of Sigourney telling Din Djarin he works for them, suggesting that Din Djarin is collaborating with the New Republic. The trailer wraps up with the reveal of Jabba’s son, Rotta, in an arena.

With the panel clocking in at just over 40 minutes, the first panel of Celebration Japan was a disappointment. While the trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu was enjoyable to watch, and the Starfighter announcement was exciting, it felt half-baked. There wasn’t enough new content to justify a Lucasfilm panel, nor enough Mandalorian coverage to warrant that focus. However, what was made clear is that while we may get some live-action Star Wars shows here and there, theatrical experiences are the new top priority

It was a weak start for Star Wars’ biggest convention.