The first trailer forThe Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars TV show, is here, and it delivers exactly what was promised: A Western-style adventure set in the darkest, grimiest corners of the Star Wars universe.
The Mandalorianis the brainchild of director Jon Favreau (Iron Man,The Lion King). Favreau says he wrote four scripts for the series before even pitching the project to Disney, and cites the first third ofStar Wars: Episode IV — A New Hopeas his main inspiration.
“I love the idea of the darker, freakier side of Star Wars, theMad Maxaspect of Star Wars,” Favreau toldThe Hollywood Reporter. “What was it like on Tatooine? What was going on in that cantina? That has fascinated me since I was a child.”
The Mandalorian‘s trailer, which debuted atDisney’s D23 Expoin Anaheim, California, shows that influence loud and clear. The first look at theThe Mandalorianis filled with sandy desert plains, Mexican stand-offs, mounted gunslingers, and all kinds of nefarious characters.
Asthe flagship seriesfor Disney’s new streaming platform,Disney+,The Mandalorianpremieres on June 22, 2025, the same day the service launches. The show is justone of many Star Wars projectsplanned for Disney+. ARogue Oneprequelstarring Diego Luna, who played Rebel spy Cassian Andor in the film, is in development, as is a seventh season of the fan-favorite animated seriesThe Clone Wars. A miniseries starringEwan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi is also in the works, and was confirmed by Disney during the D23 Expo.
According to the official synopsis,The Mandalorian“follows the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.” It is one of Disney’s first projects set between the original Star Wars trilogy and the recent sequels, and should help keep the Star Wars franchise relevant while the feature films takea three-year hiatus.
In addition to Pascal, who’s perhaps best known for hisgruesomeGame of Thronesdeath scene,The Mandalorianstars Gina Carano, Nick Nolte, Carl Weathers, critically acclaimed director Werner Herzog,Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s Ming-Na Wen,Breaking Badvillain Giancarlo Esposito, and many others. The Star Wars Universe may not be the loveliest place to live, but it certainly isn’t lacking for star power.
