Between the main returning characters and some high-profile new additions, The Mandalorian and Grogu is a star-studded affair. The movie continuation of the three-season hit Disney+ series is once again focused on Din Djarin and Grogu, and their big-screen intergalactic adventure features lots of recognizable Star Wars veterans.
This is seen most clearly with the prominent roles that Rotta the Hutt, the Hutt’s Twins, Zeb, and Embo occupy. Each of them, like Din and Grogu, has been heavily featured in previous Star Wars storytelling. Rotta was central to the 2008 film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, while Embo appeared throughout the TV show of the same name. Zeb was a main character in Star Wars Rebels, but The Twins debuted in The Book of Boba Fett.
But, the first Star Wars movie in seven years also has several cameos throughout its 2-hour and 12-minute runtime. This is nothing new for the franchise. Directors like George Lucas and Gareth Edwards cameoed in their own movies, while Tom Hardy, Daniel Craig, Karl Urban, and Jason Sudeikis had speaking roles as Stormtroopers in different productions. The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s cast has some surprise members, too.
Some of these cameos are more obvious, while others could be considered among The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s Easter eggs. By either metric, some of the most important figures in the franchise managed to sneak into the Star Wars movie, perhaps without you noticing in a few instances.
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Anthony Daniels
Anthony Daniels is Star Wars royalty with his beloved performance as C-3PO. Rather than reprise his role as the golden droid, even if it could have fit thanks to The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s timeline setting, the actor is given a voice cameo. He can be heard on Adelphi Base as one of the air traffic control droids.
This cameo keeps an unprecedented streak alive, as Daniels remains the only person to have a role in every Star Wars movie. In addition to playing C-3PO in each entry in the Skywalker Saga, as well as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Daniels played Tak in Solo: A Star Wars Story. It might not be another appearance as C-3PO, but Daniels’ cameo at least retains his droid ties.
7
Dave Filoni
Dave Filoni is now the president and chief creative officer of Lucasfilm, but the co-writer and producer of The Mandalorian and Grogu also gets an on-screen role. He reprises his role as New Republic X-wing pilot Trapper Wolf, a role that originated in The Mandalorian. Filoni played the character in four episodes of the series and can be seen in the movie hanging out at Adelphi Base and piloting his X-wing.
The cameo marks the first time Filoni has been featured in a Star Wars movie, but his history of appearances goes back much further than The Mandalorian. He voiced multiple characters on The Clone Wars, including bounty hunter Embo, and did the same on Rebels, such as voicing Chopper. Given his history as a writer, director, and producer on various Star Wars projects, cameos like this just increase Filoni’s imprint on the franchise.
6
Deborah Chow
The Adelphi Base hangar also allows The Mandalorian and Grogu to include a cameo from Deborah Chow. She reprises her role as pilot Sash Ketter, whom she briefly played in seasons 1 and 3 of The Mandalorian.
Beyond this small recurring role, Chow is best known for her directorial credits in Star Wars. She helmed episodes 3 and 7 of The Mandalorian season 1, which were both widely praised. Chow’s excellent work with those episodes led Lucasfilm to hire her to be the sole director on Obi-Wan Kenobi. Playing Ketter in The Mandalorian and Grogu keeps her part of the galaxy far, far away.
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Rick Famuyiwa
Joining Filoni and Chow in the Adelphi Base hangar is fellow The Mandalorian director Rick Famuyiwa. His character, Jib Dodger, is seen chatting it up with the other New Republic pilots. It’s the fourth time Famuyiwa has portrayed the character, following one episode in season 1 and two in season 3.
Famuyiwa’s contributions to Star Wars come as a director and producer. He directed episodes 2 and 6 of The Mandalorian season 1 and then helmed season 2’s excellent penultimate episode. Famuyiwa gained so much of Jon Favreau’s trust that he was promoted to an executive producer for all of season 3, where he directed the first and last two episodes. Filoni even entrusted him to direct Ahsoka‘s season 1 finale.
4
Lee Isaac Chung
Lee Isaac Chung is another Star Wars director who gets a cameo in The Mandalorian and Grogu. Best known for helming features like Minari and Twisters, Chung is also responsible for directing The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3, and Skeleton Crew season 1, episode 7.
However, unlike Filoni, Chow, and Famuyiwa, this marks the first time Chung has had an on-screen cameo. He portrays a pilot who is officially credited as Dok Suri and is seen flying a ship in The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s ending.
3
Doug Chiang
The Star Wars movie also provides an on-screen cameo from one of Lucasfilm’s most important creatives, Doug Chiang. He worked for George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic from 1989 to 1995 before Lucas recruited him to be the design director on The Phantom Menace and concept design supervisor on Attack of the Clones. He’s since worked on every Disney Star Wars movie besides The Last Jedi and is currently the Vice President and Creative Director at Lucasfilm.
Despite that history in the franchise, it took until The Mandalorian and Grogu to get him in front of the camera. He plays Lieutenant Blick, who is another member of the New Republic, in addition to serving as the movie’s production designer.
2
Carson Teva
The biggest on-screen cameo from a character audiences are most likely to really recognize, though, comes with the appearance of Captain Carson Teva, played by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. He’s seen flying an X-wing among the movie’s final New Republic squadron on Nal Hutta. It marks the first time Teva has appeared in a Star Wars movie.
The pilot joined the franchise in The Mandalorian season 2, making appearances in episodes 2 and 4. He then returned for an episode of The Book of Boba Fett, two episodes in The Mandalorian season 3, and three episodes of Ahsoka. While it would’ve been great to get more scenes with Paul Sun-Hyung Lee’s character in the movie, it was still fun to see him again in any capacity.
1
Sam Witwer
It should come as no surprise that Sam Witwer also has a cameo in The Mandalorian and Grogu. The actor known for his passion for and knowledge about the franchise, as well as excellent voice work, is involved in just about every Star Wars production nowadays. Part of his role in this movie comes as the voice of a snowtrooper on Hoth early in the film, but with him credited for “Additional Voices”, more roles may be sprinkled throughout.
In terms of Star Wars, Witwer is best known for his work as Darth Maul in animated shows like The Clone Wars, Rebels, and Maul – Shadow Lord, as well as for Solo: A Star Wars Story. He was also responsible for portraying Starkiller in the Force Unleashed video game series.
Overall, he’s lent his vocal cords to shows like Skeleton Crew, The Acolyte, Ahsoka, Andor season 1, The Mandalorian, and Star Wars: Resistance, as well as video games like Star Wars: Squadrons and the Star Wars Jedi franchise. Thanks to his credited work in The Mandalorian and Grogu, Witwer can officially say he’s been part of every Disney Star Wars movie.
- Release Date
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May 22, 2026
- Runtime
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132 Minutes
