Star Wars’ upcoming film, The Mandalorian and Grogu, featuring bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his companion Grogu, is edging closer and closer. We’ve had a Super Bowl trailer, a teaser spotlighting director Martin Scorsese as an alien, and an image shared of a seriously jacked Rotta the Hutt. What’s next? An answer to a burning question for Grogu fans: whether the little guy will speak more than baby babble in his big-screen debut.
Speaking to Variety, Kathleen Kennedy, former president of Lucasfilm and legendary producer of films such as E.T. and The Goonies, talked about how it felt to pass the reins to current chief creative officer of Star Wars, Dave Filoni, and current president and general manager of Lucasfilm Business, Lynwen Brennan. She also spoke about her tenure as the head of Star Wars, which will wrap up with The Mandalorian and Grogu as well as next year’s Star Wars: Starfighter.
But the biggest news for avid fans of the spunky little green guy is this: Grogu will not be speaking in anything but babble during The Mandalorian and Grogu.
“[Grogu is] another perfect example of a character that has to emote and you have to feel connected to, and he never speaks a word,” Kennedy shared with Variety when asked about what it was like to hear Grogu speak for the first time. The former president went on to confirm that Grogu will not “gain the power of speech” in the film releasing in May.
Grogu not being able to speak in the same way as other characters, like Din Djarin, isn’t necessarily a surprise. Star Wars has long included characters who, despite our not being able to understand what they’re saying, are emotive through their sounds and expressions, making them memorable. Just look at astromech droid R2-D2, or the grunts and shouts of Han Solo’s partner-in-crime, Chewbacca. Considering how much Grogu merchandise is set to be released alongside the film, it’s no surprise that Lucasfilm wants to lean as hard as it can into the cute babbling.
Still, it’s a disappointing turn for Star Wars fans who wanted Grogu to speak so we could learn more about what he thinks and feels, making him more of a character and less of a mascot.
Yet while Grogu may not have the power of speech in his film, it doesn’t look like it will prevent him and Din from taking on crime lords and Imperials. And really, isn’t that what matters the most?
The Mandalorian and Grogu debuts in theaters on May 22.
