Recent comments from Giancarlo Esposito confirm that The Mandalorian's 2026 sequel will replace his character as the franchise's main villain. The Mandalorian & Grogu is the feature film follow-up to the three-season Disney+ series, effectively acting as the fourth season of The Mandalorian. The Star Wars movie will retain the same characters and canon as the Disney+ show, but will also introduce some new characters to Din Djarin's (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu's adventure.Esposito starred in The Mandalorian as Moff Gideon, a warlord representing the Imperial agenda following the fall of the Galactic Empire. After serving as The Mandalorian's main antagonist for three seasons, Gideon's fate was left unanswered at the end of Season 3, but an interview with Esposito suggests fans won't be getting answers in The Mandalorian & Grogu. While speaking to Empire Magazine, Esposito said that he wouldn't be appearing in The Mandalorian & Grogu, but "[hopes] to be able to join that franchise again:"Giancarlo Esposito: "There is a big movie coming out that’s focusing on Mando and The Child. I can’t say it’ll be that. But I hope to be able to join that franchise again, because I think there’s more road for Moff Gideon." Read full article on The Direct.