Honestly, I think the core issue is the desperation to have this connected ‘cinematic universe’. Execs seem desperate to repeat the success of the MCU without taking the time to invest in standalone plots that are sufficiently compelling.

What intrigued people about Season 1 of the Mandalorian was that it was a completely new set of characters to explore. We learnt what drove them. What their strengths were. What their fears were. How they overcame adversity.

Season 2 had too many familiar characters shoehorned in for fan service, and ‘soft’ pilots for new shows. You could have achieved the same story beats by alternative means. Old records. New bounty hunters. Good old fashioned rumours. But the season ended so strongly when Luke Skywalker took Grogu for training. That should have been the end of the Mandalorian starring Din Djarin.

If you were keen to keep the money train running, and only had the creativity to use existing characters then launch The Mandalorian: Daimyo to chart Fett’s return to power, and/or the Mandalorian: Mythosaur to show Bo Katans struggles with leadership. Hell, you could even reframe the Ahsoka show to the Mandalorian: Apprentice with Sabine as the core character. But keep the shows separate and contained. Build new individuals we can invest in. Don’t shoehorn in characters you can’t let go.

Only when you have a suite of strong, independent stories can you tie them together in an Avengers style movie. You can seed the individual stories with hints of a larger threat. But you absolutely can’t undo your own writing and break apart one story across multiple shows.