Summary
- The Mandalorian & Grogu should avoid including Grand iral Thrawn to prevent over-reliance on the villain and allow for a focused story on the main characters.
- The film could feature other of The Mandalorian season 3's Imperial Shadow Council as primary antagonists, such as Captain Pellaeon or Brendol Hux.
- This approach would save Grand iral Thrawn for his big-screen debut in Dave Filoni's movie, ensuring his importance is not diminished.
If Lucasfilm is smart, the newly-announced Star Wars movie. Jon Favreau announced that the scripts for The Mandalorian season 4 had been written as far back as February 2023 before season 3 had even been released, though the delay in confirmation for the fourth outing can now be attributed to the reworking of the story as a feature film.
Star Wars' New Republic timeline, while the Jon Favreau-directed The Mandalorian & Grogu is another stepping stone on the journey. Given this, it would be smart of The Mandalorian & Grogu to avoid the inclusion of Star Wars' Grand iral Thrawn, the theorized and likely villain of Dave Filoni's New Republic theatrical release.

Who Is Grand iral Thrawn? Star Wars Villain Origin & Future
Featured as the major villain of Ahsoka, Grand iral Thrawn will define the Mandalorian era. Here's all you need to know about the Empire's heir.
Star Wars Could Overdo It With Grand iral Thrawn If He's In The Mandalorian & Grogu
The reason as to why The Mandalorian & Grogu should arguably not feature Grand iral Thrawn lies in the confirmation of Ahsoka season 2 and the reaffirmation that Filoni is still working on his New Republic film. Given that Thrawn is heavily expected to be involved in both projects after Ahsoka season 1 introduced the character to live-action Star Wars, the franchise could risk over-relying on the villain should he also be included in The Mandalorian & Grogu. Therefore, utilizing The Mandalorian & Grogu as exactly what the title promises - a story centered squarely on the two titular characters - is undoubtedly the better course of action for Lucasfilm.
Who Could The Villain Of The Mandalorian & Grogu Be Instead?
This raises the question then, of who the villain could be in The Mandalorian & Grogu. Regarding the film's story, it will undoubtedly carry on from where The Mandalorian season 3's ending left off. At the end of the duo's most recent Disney+ journey, Mando and Grogu began living peacefully on Nevarro in an official adoptive father-son relationship. What's more, Din unofficially pledged himself to the New Republic's cause, offering his services to Carson Teva in hunting down Imperial remnants in the Outer Rim. With that in mind, it is expected that The Mandalorian & Grogu continue this journey of Din and Grogu's Imperial bounty-hunting exploits.
This all but proves that The Mandalorian & Grogu has several villain candidates besides Grand iral Thrawn...
This means that the film could include other of The Mandalorian season 3's Imperial Shadow Council as its primary antagonists. One such example is Captain Pellaeon, the man steadfastly loyal to Grand iral Thrawn whom Din and Grogu could target to put a dent in Thrawn's plans. Another potential villain is Brendol Hux, the man responsible for working on Project Necromancer and an instrumental figure in the First Order's rise to power. This all but proves that The Mandalorian & Grogu has several villain candidates besides Grand iral Thrawn, saving the latter for his big-screen debut with Dave Filoni’s movie.