Why the ‘Mandalorian & Grogu’ Super Bowl Spot Felt So Familiar. The Mandalorian and Grogu officially made their Super Bowl debut last night, but it wasn’t just the Star Wars icons that had fans talking. In a 37-second spot for the upcoming feature film, Disney and Lucasfilm leaned into Super Bowl nostalgia with a cinematic nod to advertising history.
Speaking with Variety, Disney’s executive VP of creative marketing, Jackson George, emphasized that the goal was emotional resonance. “Grogu is more than a character; he’s a pop culture phenomenon,” George said. “This spot celebrates how deeply we connect with these characters and offers a promise of the experience audiences will get on the big screen.”
Lucasfilm’s marketing brand lead Ryan Stankevich said they wanted a Super Bowl spot that felt “instantly iconic, cinematic, and quintessentially ‘Star Wars.’” “Our creative and marketing team landed on a unique concept that gave a nod to classic Big Game spots of years past,” Stankevich said. “It captured the warmth, humor, and emotional connection between these two beloved characters and was the perfect next step for our campaign as we lead up to their big screen debut this summer.”
Ryan Stankevich is right, it did capture the moment. Fans of the Super Bowl commercials were quick to point out the similarities to the Budweiser Clydesdale Horse commercials that have been shown. The Budweiser Clydesdales have been shown during the Super Bowl since 1975. We even made mention, when the commercial started, that we would finally see them during this year’s Super Bowl LX.
The core question for Disney and Lucasfilm is whether this “throwback” marketing strategy will translate into ticket sales. It has been over six years since a new Star Wars film was in movie theaters. The last being 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. While the brand remains relevant, this long theatrical drought has left the fanbase in a state of “cautious optimism.” For many, the transition from a Disney+ series to a feature film is a high-stakes gamble that requires more than just familiar imagery to succeed.
Much of this criticism centered on the absence of a “full” trailer, despite the fact that an initial teaser had already debuted back in September. This disconnect suggests that while the Super Bowl spot succeeded in reaching a massive mainstream audience, Lucasfilm still has work to do in satisfying the core fans who are hungry for more details.
The Super Bowl LX commercial served its primary purpose: it got the world talking about Star Wars again during the biggest television event of the year. Whether the film can overcome the “weary” sentiment of the fanbase remains to be seen, but by leaning into the shared language of Super Bowl advertising history, Disney has ensured that The Mandalorian & Grogu is back in the cultural conversation ahead of its May 22, 2026, release.
Why the ‘Mandalorian & Grogu’ Super Bowl Spot Felt So Familiar
