Jeremy Allen White is swapping the kitchen for Tatooine as Disney casts him in the upcoming Star Wars movie The Mandalorian and Grogu. Directed by Jon Favreau and co-written with Lucasfilm creative director Dave Filoni, the movie will bring the characters of one of the best Disney Plus shows – The Mandalorian – to the big screen on May 22, 2026.
Following the success of his role in FX’s The Bear, White will be making his feature franchise debut in The Mandalorian and Grogu as the son of intergalactic crime boss Jabba the Hut. But whether or not he’ll be in human-form or voicing a CGI reptilian-like creature like his father is still in question.
According to Deadline, his role appears to be integral to the plot, starring alongside core cast members Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, The Last of Us) and Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Ghostbusters).
When it comes to the movie’s plot, details are still under wraps, however, Variety’s report of White’s casting states that it “provides the first real glimpse for what could be in store for the titular bounty hunter”. In The Mandalorian series, its events take place following Jabba the Hut’s demise in The Return of the Jedi (1983) while miniseries The Book of Boba Fett delves into the underworld where its titular character fights for Jabba’s old territory. From Variety’s point of view, it hints at a possible return of Boba Fett in Favreau’s upcoming feature.
As it stands, neither Lucasfilm nor White have provided comment on the latest casting addition, nor have they spared any details regarding plot – despite the movie being announced at the D23 Expo 2024 back in August. If anything, we should give White the benefit of the doubt as he has been working non-stop since his Emmy win for his role as Carmy in one of the best Hulu shows, The Bear. Just yesterday (December 9) he received another acting nomination for the 2025 Golden Globes, all while filming for the upcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere where he’s playing the role of Springsteen.
Since Disney Plus became the home of all things Star Wars, the franchise has been enriched with spin-off series one after the other – more recently Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. However The Mandalorian and Grogu marks the first feature movie in the franchise since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, which wasn’t a particularly well-received final insert to the franchise. Hopefully, Favreau and Filoni’s experience with creating successful Disney Plus series will be an advantage to the movie franchise’s next steps.