Ahsoka Season 2 first footage revives The Mandalorian & Grogu debate

Lucasfilm has finally shown the first footage from Ahsoka Season 2, its Star Wars series for Disney+, ahead of the January 20, 2027 premiere. The preview puts three things front and center: major space battles, Grand Admiral Thrawn’s war against the New Republic, and Hayden Christensen’s return.

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It’s also pretty clear why this has started the Lucasfilm movie-strategy debate all over again. Ahsoka Season 2 looks bigger in scope and far more cinematic than The Mandalorian & Grogu, a film many critics and fans said felt more like an extra-long Disney+ episode than a theatrical event people had to see, even with Din Djarin and Grogu as the draw.

That argument carries more weight after what happened with The Mandalorian & Grogu. It opened on May 22, 2026, made $345.7 million worldwide against a reported $165 million budget, became the lowest-grossing live-action Star Wars movie, and then dropped 70% in its second weekend.

If you follow Star Wars closely, the Ahsoka Season 2 footage is worth a look for that reason alone: it adds to the case that Lucasfilm may have sent the wrong story to theaters, even if Jon Favreau said the jump from The Mandalorian season 4 to a feature was shaped by the end of the 2023 labor disputes and by a broader interconnected plan with Dave Filoni.

You’ll be able to watch The Mandalorian & Grogu on Disney+ starting September 2, 2026, while Ahsoka Season 2 premieres there on January 20, 2027.

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