One question no one anticipated asking themselves: Are Tauntauns native to Hoth, or were they brought there by the Rebel Alliance? The reason for this query is straightforward. In the surprisingly new trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu, the Star Wars franchise appeared to pay homage to Budweiser commercials featuring Clydesdale horses by showcasing what’s essentially the Star Wars galaxy’s version of Clydesdales—the Tauntauns. In this new, decidedly quirky Super Bowl trailer, Mando and Grogu are seen riding a sleigh-like vehicle, pulled by a group of Tauntauns.
Is this a genuine scene from the film? If so, it would nearly guarantee that, for the first time since 1980, a live-action Star Wars project is returning to the Ice Planet Hoth. And if that’s the case, a clear follow-up question arises: Why?
If the latest trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu features a scene from the upcoming film, then this setting is almost certainly Hoth, not another snowy world. (Such as Starkiller Base before it was named Starkiller Base.) The reasoning behind this conclusion is clear: Tauntauns are native to Hoth, and unlike Banthas—found on various planets beyond Tatooine—there are no established references to Tauntauns existing outside of The Empire Strikes Back, which takes place on Hoth.
So, if Mando and Grogu are heading to Hoth, there’s likely a solid narrative reason for their visit. Hoth held minimal strategic significance in the classic trilogy, serving primarily as a hideout for the Alliance to evade the Empire. Classified as part of the Outer Rim, it’s exactly the type of location Mando would have sought for hiding during Season 1 of The Mandalorian.
However, the overarching story of The Mandalorian and Grogu suggests Mando is now working directly for the New Republic, so if he and Grogu are visiting Hoth, perhaps there’s something the Rebel Alliance left behind that the Republic aims to recover?
And if that’s true (a significant if), it suggests Mando and Grogu might be embarking on a more nostalgia-driven mission than initially expected. If Lucasfilm included Tauntauns in the Super Bowl trailer as an inside joke, what larger Hoth-related Easter eggs might they be keeping under wraps? Mando has already met Luke Skywalker, Boba Fett, and Ahsoka Tano. Who else could make an appearance? Beyond more Tauntauns, that is.
Well, in the Mando timeline, we’re just a few years after Return of the Jedi, making it plausible that various beloved characters and creatures from the past could appear. While some are already confirmed, the film has largely kept its Easter eggs under wraps.
Thus, even though the Tauntaun snippet wasn’t a substantial trailer, it reinforces the sense that the more this Star Wars film withholds, the more it has in store.