When CinemaBlend attended Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, Japan over the weekend, we had the prospect to see The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau unveil the primary footage from the film to a crowd of followers (which seemed unimaginable). Instantly after, we received to speak with the filmmaker about making his first Star Wars film, and the way its 2026 launch will mark a full circle second for him, due to Avengers: Doomsday and Robert Downey Jr.
Since The Mandalorian and Grogu launch date is over a yr away, it in all probability hasn’t occurred to most that the Star Wars film is popping out three weeks aside from Avengers: Doomsday. Once I requested Favreau about this, right here’s how he responded:
Oh yeah. It is all the time enjoyable. I am a giant fan of Robert. In fact, we have now a lot historical past collectively. Wanting ahead to seeing his work on the movie.
The Avengers: Doomsday launch date is ready for Might 1, 2026, whereas The Mandalorian And Grogu is popping out on Might 22. Contemplating Favreau helmed the primary Iron Man film with Robert Downey Jr, which successfully began the MCU, it’s form of superb that his first Star Wars film shall be sharing air with the return of RDJ.
Downey is ready to star as the subsequent large Avengers villain, Physician Doom, alongside a large forged, which was unveiled final month. This shall be his first Marvel film in years, in addition to the primary one the place he will not be enjoying Iron Man.
Favreau has been on the forefront of massive film franchises a number of instances now, not solely by way of Iron Man, however by way of his live-action The Jungle E-book film, too. After being an enormous a part of The Mandalorian sequence for 3 seasons, he additionally talked about having the prospect to make a bigger-scale story this time round. In his phrases:
So far as what the massive display affords, the larger factor is having extra time and likewise having the ability and having a much bigger canvas. Having an IMAX display with all of that side ratio versus only for house viewing, opened up quite a lot of alternatives for set constructing, for composition, cinema fashion sequences, creating an immersive expertise for sequences. So we actually filmed it with IMAX in thoughts and the whole lot from our manufacturing designers, our set builders, they had been there to assist carry a much bigger expertise that took it up a notch from what we’re in a position to do on tv.
Ever since this Star Wars TV present turned a success, we’ve been questioning whether or not The Mandalorian may turn into a film, and by way of the footage we noticed at Star Wars Celebration, the director is totally making the most of his “greater canvas.”
The footage opened with an superior combat sequence from Mando earlier than exhibiting all kinds of thrilling nuggets from the film, from tons of Grogu utilizing the pressure moments, to Sigourney Weaver’s character, to the return of AT-AT to the massive display. As Favreau additionally shared with us:
I feel it’s a [dream to have the AT-AT in his Star Wars movie]. You get to play with the toys. That’s a part of the job… And to work with Dave Filoni, who has a really deep data of it is so enjoyable to jot down with him as a result of we work out what we will current within the movies. And So the Walkers was an ideal piece of mechanics for us to make use of and present differently. Really go within them, which I feel has solely been executed in video video games. It hadn’t been executed on the massive display.
Jon Favreau has an ideal monitor document of making big-screen experiences for audiences, and The Mandalorian and Grogu shall be no exception. Whereas we look forward to the discharge, you may try different upcoming Star Wars films and TV exhibits (and extra exclusives from Star Wars Celebration) right here on CinemaBlend.