Jon Favreau, the director of The Mandalorian, compares creating the Lucasfilm series to playing with Star Wars action figures as a kid. “That’s how I learned how to tell stories,” Favreau stated during the launch of the campaign. “You take these characters, you’re talking with your friends, and you’re acting things out [with the toys]. My job is not that different from that.”
This comparison is perfectly fitting for his newest Star Wars venture, The Mandalorian and Grogu. As the first cinematic outing for Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his Force-sensitive ward, the film finds Favreau essentially dumping out the toy box to find fresh dangers for the duo. Enthusiasts have already spotted several familiar faces, alien races, and spacecraft in the new trailer, ranging from (a personal deep-cut favorite) to the Mantellian Savrip, a creature whose outline is most familiar as a holochess game piece. Yet more obscure references remain to be found before the movie premieres in May. Below are the three most niche Easter eggs hidden in the Mandalorian and Grogu trailer.
Cassian Andor’s U-wing
The U-wing starfighter featured in Mando & Grogu is likely not the exact one piloted by Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) in — however, its inclusion here carries weight. The U-wing was a mainstay for the Galactic Rebellion in fights against the Empire, and with the Imperial Remnant resurgent, calling back this cavalry is logical. The narrative emphasizes stopping another civil war, and while we know that conflict is sadly unavoidable, her troops could still challenge the Remnant effectively.
Weathers Apollo
The Star Wars universe mourned the loss of a cherished actor with the passing of Carl Weathers, who played Greef Karga throughout The Mandalorian‘s three seasons. While it’s difficult to picture Din and Grogu’s journey without Greef, Favreau has made sure Weathers’ presence is felt. In a later trailer scene, chaos erupts on a crowded street, and the previously mentioned Savrip rips a shop door off to throw at bystanders. The shop’s sign, written in the fictional Aurebesh script, reads “Weathers Apollo.” This serves as a heartfelt homage to Weathers, renowned for his role as Apollo Creed in the Rocky series; his performance as Greef Karga may be held in similar esteem by future Star Wars audiences.
The dragonsnake
In The Mandalorian and Grogu, Din is on the hunt for the Hutts, and the infamous crime syndicate will test the bounty hunter severely. The trailer shows Din not only confronting the extremely muscular Rotta (Jabba’s son, who debuted in The Clone Wars movie) but also having his helmet removed during a parley with the Hutt family. His problems with them escalate further when, soon after their meeting, he appears to be cast into a pit containing an albino dragonsnake.
This sequence acts as a subtle nod to The Clone Wars, where Obi-Wan Kenobi battled a dragonsnake while pursuing a different target, Ziro. It may also echo Luke Skywalker’s encounter with the rancor—while the creatures differ, the Hutts share a tendency to dispose of foes by offering them to their beasts. Din will undoubtedly emulate Luke and Obi-Wan by overcoming the dragonsnake, but this is merely one of numerous tight spots he must escape in The Mandalorian and Grogu.