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Despite the rough commercial and critical reception to its big movie, The Mandalorianis returning on July 22nd for a new one-shot special. Though the weeks leading up to the release have been relatively quiet, the next big Mandalorian story appears to be making some big changes to the sub-franchise's tone. While that difference could be written off as stemming from the new special's status as a spin-off, the changes have implications for the broader Mandalorian series.
Releasing on July 22nd from Papercutz, Lucasfilm Publishing, and comics publisher Mad Cave, STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU — DANGER IN THE DARKis the next official chapter in Din and Grogu's story. The comic from Delilah S. Dawson, Arianna Florean, Mario Del Pennino, and Gaia De Bernardini will see the titular Mandalorian and his adopted son Grogu tackle a dangerous threat lurking beneath their home base on Nevarro.
While that sounds like a fairly standard, even typical, adventure for the series, what makes this different is that Din is letting Grogu take charge of the mission, putting the iconic character in the metaphorical driver's seat. Based on the released covers and the available plot summary, it's clear that Danger in the Dark is going to be much more kid-friendly.
While this lighter approach to the franchise is unlikely to stick around for a hypothetical Mandalorian season 4, the fact that it's positioning Grogu front and center could foreshadow a new direction and focus for the series going forward.
Danger In The Dark's Genre Change Hints At Grogu's Mandalorian Future
While Grogu has played an important role in The Mandalorian's story since the first episode, he has largely been a passive character until very recently. Despite being set up as one of Star Wars' most powerful Force users, Grogu's young age means that he often wasn't given agency in the first two seasons of The Mandalorian.
However, that has changed more recently. Season 3 of The Mandalorian saw Din make Grogu an actual Mandalorian apprentice. Additionally, Grogu has been growing more confident with his Force abilities, leading to him playing a pivotal role in several fights.
This development came to a head in The Mandalorian and Grogu. After Din is poisoned and nearly dies in a swamp, Grogu takes care of his unconscious father. Here, Grogu is left to his own devices and though he still can't talk, he proves to be quite the capable survivalist. Though The Mandalorian and Grogu's ending doesn't significantly advance the characters, it is still clear that Grogu is growing as a person and is learning a great deal from Din.
Now, with Danger in the Dark, fans are seeing a bit more of Grogu's increasing independence. The comic is set between The Mandalorian season 3 and The Mandalorian and Grogu, so it will help further establish the plot thread of Din learning to trust his apprentice and adopted son.
All Signs Point To Grogu Taking Din's Place As The Mandalorian
Given Danger in the Dark and The Mandalorian and Grogu's increased emphasis on Grogu, it's reasonable to think that theoretical seasons 4 or 5 of the series would further the character's development. Up until this point, Star Wars has been very cagey about what the future holds for Grogu and Din. It's unclear where the Mandalorian and his apprentice are in the sequel trilogy timeline, if they're alive at all.
Putting everything together, it seems like the most likely possibility for Grogu's future is that The Mandalorian ends with Din making some sort of sacrifice to save Grogu, leading Grogu to take up his father's mantle.
While Danger in the Dark's big genre change to a kid-friendly adventure is probably not representative of a broader strategy for the franchise, there's a high likelihood that Grogu taking charge is hinting at bigger things. When The Mandalorianfinally does return for a fourth season, Grogu may finally get to take charge and begin the slow crawl toward his bigger destiny.
