It’s fair to say that The Mandalorian has us very excited, with the trailer from D23, which you can see above, showcasing an epic expansion of the Star Wars universe.
The show will be one of the key elements in the upcoming Disney Plus streaming service, and buzz is strong enough about the series that it’s already been renewed for a second season. As fans digest the trailer though, theories are starting to emerge about what some of the footage might mean in terms of bringing back characters or settings. And one theory thought up by EpicStream is that The Mandalorian preview hinted at Jabba the Hutt being part of the show. Or at least, the Hutts.
According to the theory, there are two shots in the trailer that imply the presence of the crime lord or his followers, notably a Twi-lek shooting a wink at the camera. The alien species was associated with Jabba in the Original Trilogy, both as one of Jabba’s slaves and via his advisor Bib Fortuna. While this is something of a tenuous link, it’s also arguable that any series focusing on bounty hunters could involve some crossover with Jabba the Hutt and his habit of hiring mercenaries.
The second part of the theory is a brief shot of an alien encased in carbonite, having suffered the same fate as Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back. Again, this may be a common practice for transporting prisoners in the Star Wars universe, but its iconic association with Jabba’s palace does raise further questions about the series tying into the events we saw on Tatooine.
Of course, the theory doesn’t quite hold up if you consider The Mandalorian‘s setting after Return of the Jedi and before The Force Awakens, with Jabba almost certainly killed in the Original Trilogy. However, it’s not out of the question that his criminal empire continued without its figurehead, and that one or more of the Hutts stepped in to assume power and continue the traditions we saw in earlier periods of Star Wars history.
Jabba or no Jabba, The Mandalorian is shaping up to be a treat for fans of the franchise when it lands on Disney Plus on November 12th. Along with the confirmed Obi Wan Kenobi series, we’re quite keen to see how the live-action Star Wars show will take a familiar world into new areas, albeit still with some familiar faces.
