When will The Mandalorian Season 4 take place? Will it pick up straight after Season 3, or many years later?
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For some time now, many Star Wars fans have been wondering whether or not The Mandalorian (2019) will ever perform a time-jump.
And Season 3 certainly lends to these theories, especially when you consider just how much foreshadowing there is about Grogu's future.
Not only that, but the season leans heavily into Sequel Trilogy territory, despite the first sequel being 25 years away along the Star Wars timeline.
While the words "First Order" are never uttered, it has become clear that the Imperial remnants are the early foundation of the Empire's successor.
There are also subplots involving clones, which echoes that of Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and Emperor Sheev Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).
General Hux's father even made an appearance in the Season 3 finale! So, needless to say, The Mandalorian definitely has the sequels on its mind.
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While the sequels weren't a huge hit with fans (despite each being box office successes), it's clear that Disney and Lucasfilm aren't done with them.
At this year's Star Wars Celebration, it was even confirmed, much to everyone's surprise, that a new Sequel-era film is in the works.
This will see the return of Daisy Ridley as Rey Skywalker, and will take place 15 years after Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
But let's not get too ahead of ourselves, because right now we're far more interested in the gap between the Mando-Verse and the Sequel Trilogy.
Of course, The Mandalorian isn't the only Mando-Verse show - there's also The Book of Boba Fett (2021), and soon Ahsoka (2023).
These shows - perhaps more, with the upcoming Jude Law-led Skeleton Crew (2023) also being a possibility - will culminate in a huge crossover event.
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The Mando-Verse crossover movie is yet another upcoming Star Wars theatrical release, and will be directed by none other than Dave Filoni.
But this will undoubtedly take place within the Mando-Verse timeline, which kicked off five years after Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983).
With that said, time will, of course, have naturally moved on by then (The Mandalorian is also more than likely to be around six years at this point).
But when will The Mandalorian Season 4 take place? Will the creators only allow the show to move forward at a steady pace, just as it has been?
Well, that all depends on how much creativity is allowed. And it also depends on how much the showrunners want The Mandalorian to survive.
It's no mystery that Season 3 saw a huge decline in viewership. While Season 4 is already confirmed, they'll need to pull something special out of the bag.
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As such, a leap forward in time would allow for some much-needed change of scenery, as well as some more dynamic storytelling.
Not only that, but it would give us the chance to see an older Grogu, whether it's a couple of years, or five or 10.
Sure, it's always sad when the kids grow up, but Grogu is already 50 years' old - like Yoda, he ages around 10 times slower than humans.
This means that even a 10 or 20 year jump into the future wouldn't see him appearing that much older, although he would be able to talk by then.
Either way, if The Mandalorian is still on its Sequel Trilogy-trajectory by the time Season 4 comes out, it will need to start closing that 25-year-gap.
But couldn't the show simply go on for many years, and therefore be free to take its time in reaching Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)?
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Well, not so fast - no pun intended. Creator Jon Favreau himself has said that he plans to do at least five seasons of The Mandalorian.
While "at least" means there could always be more, given the decline in viewership, we wouldn't be surprised if the show will end in the next few years.
Either way, The Mandalorian Season 4 has the perfect opportunity to finally start answering some pretty important questions.
For example, how did the First Order come into power? On the other hand, this might be something Ahsoka will be more equipped to answer, given the fact it will feature "Heir to the Empire" Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).
But then there's Grogu. Where Is Grogu During the Sequel Trilogy? Again, it's likely the new Sequel-era film will answer this, but there's nothing stopping The Mandalorian from jumping forward in time and shaking things up a bit.
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Check it out the official trailer for The Mandalorian Season 3 below:
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As per StarWars.com, here's the official synopsis for The Mandalorian:
After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe.
The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order.
We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.
The Mandalorian Season 3 stars Pedro Pascal (Din Djarin/The Mandalorian), Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon), Carl Weathers (Greef Karga), Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze), Emily Swallow (The Armorer), Omid Abtahi (Dr. Pershing), Amy Sedaris (Peli Motto), Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Carson Teva), Simon Kassianides (Axe Woves), Mercedes Varnado (Koska Reeves), Tait Fletcher (Paz Vizsla), Ahmed Best (Kelleran Beq), Jack Black (Captain Bombardier), Lizzo (The Duchess of Plazir-15), Christopher Lloyd (Commissioner Helgait), Tim Meadows (Colonel Tuttle), and Grogu as himself.
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The Mandalorian Seasons 1, 2, and 3, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), and Andor (2022) are now streaming on Disney+.
Star Wars Rebels (2014), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2022), and Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021), and all 12 Star Wars movies, are also streaming.
Upcoming live-action shows are Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 (2023), Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures (2023), Ahsoka (2023), Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (2023), The Acolyte (2024), Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi Season 2 (TBA), Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 (TBA), and Andor Season 2 (TBA).
There are also a number of new Star Wars films in development; a Sequel-era film, a Mando-Verse crossover, and a stand-alone film from James Mangold.