For the last few years,The Mandalorianshowrunner Jon Favreau and executive producer (and Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer) Dave Filoni have been on the receiving end of some pretty heavy criticism, but after getting the chance to speak with them myself, I’m convinced fans have them all wrong. We live in a time when it’s very easy to offer harsh criticism without having to put a face or an actual voice to the words, and theStar Warsfandom is certainly a prime example of that.
Ever since the release ofThe Book of Boba Fett, it’s Favreau and Filoni who have been the main focus of criticism for many fans, something that intensified after the releases ofThe Mandalorianseason 3 andAhsoka. Starting as the pair who “saved"Star WarswithThe Mandalorianseasons 1 and 2, the tide suddenly turned with just one lackluster story. I watched in real time as this shift happened and continued to get even more extreme.
While criticism is certainly a part of the job, and it’s an important part of consuming any kind of media, the kind of criticism this duo has been receiving has always seemed especially harsh to me. Fans have often accused Filoni of favoring his own originalStar Warscharacters, such as Ahsoka Tano andBo-Katan Kryze, over newer characters, and have insisted that the duo in general utilizes too many cameos and “fan service” moments. After meeting them, however, I’m convinced this isn’t the truth.
Jon Favreau & Dave Filoni Both Truly Care About What They’re Creating
There’s Nothing Fake About Them Or Their Approach
The first thing I need to establish as clearly as I can is that both Favreau and Filoni are extremely passionate about what they’re creating. I had the opportunity to meet them after the panel forThe Mandalorian and Groguat Star Wars Celebration Japan, and the entire time they worked their way among us reporters,their true passion for what they were talking about never faltered. Sure, they’re media-trained, but nothing about it seemed practiced or fake to me.
Favreau was the first of the two I met and spoke with, and upon asking him about the helmet rule he created forThe Mandalorian, I was blown away by how genuinely passionate he was in our discussion. It wasn’t just a “cool” or “different” thing he added, or even a way to help star Pedro Pascal act in more projects alongsideThe Mandalorian. This wassomethingFavreau had intentionally created to honor other iconicStar Warscharacters, like Boba Fett and Darth Vader.
Upon asking my second question for Favreau, he opted to rope in Filoni, who was just beside us at the time, in the hopes that he would answer the question as accurately as possible, which really goes to show how much they value the lore they have created together. Filoni provided excellent in-universe explanations that proved to me just how much they have thought these kinds of things through. The entire time, I could tell how much they enjoyed discussing what they had created together.
Any “Mistakes” Derive From A Genuine Goal To Deliver On The Fans' Passion
It All Comes From A Real, Meaningful Place
Of course, this doesn’t mean everything Favreau and Filoni have done is perfect, as everyone makes mistakes from time to time. What I’ve found with Favreau and Filoni, however, is that a lot of, if not all of, the decisions they have made withThe Mandalorianfranchise that are marked as “mistakes” by fans come from a true desire to deliver on what they think fans want. This can be a danger for sure, as the audience doesn’t always know best, but it comes from a genuine place.
For example, the controversialdecisions made inThe Mandalorianseason 3 were made to reward fans ofStar Wars: The Clone WarsandStar Wars Rebels, who watched Bo-Katan struggle to find her place as a leader of Mandalore for years - and also latched on to the greater Mandalorian culture. Even their decision to reuniteDin Djarinand Grogu inThe Book of Boba Fettwas a result of them wanting to relieve the ache they left viewers with after their separation inThe Mandalorianseason 2.
I would much rather see mistakes that come from a good place rather than a bad one, especially from people who really do care about the stories they’re telling and the characters.
That doesn’t mean these decisions were ultimately correct, but it does prove thatthey don’t have intentions bad enough to warrant the harsh level of criticism they have received as of late, at least in my opinion. I would much rather see mistakes that come from a good place rather than a bad one, especially from people who really do care about the stories they’re telling and the characters. If we don’t give them the room to make mistakes, too, then they can never properly learn.
I Have Full Faith In The Story They’re Telling On The Big Screen In 2026
I’m Definitely Not About To Doubt Them
Over the years, I’ve seen dwindling faith in Favreau and Filoni and their ability to takeThe Mandalorianto the big screen in 2026 withThe Mandalorian and Grogumovie, but after my conversations with both of them,I have no doubt they’re ready to deliver a truly incredibleStar Warsstory. Favreau is simply a legend in the movie realm, and this allows him the opportunity to show that under his own direction.
Jon Favreau’s only directorial episode ofThe Mandalorianis season 2, episode 1 “Chapter 9: The Marshal,” which has arguably been the TV show’s most cinematic episode to date.
This will be Filoni’s first live-action movie endeavor on such a big scale, but I have full confidence in him as well. At Star Wars Celebration Japan, I watched the final four episodes ofThe Clone Warson a big screen in a way Filoni had envisioned while creating the iconic arc, and it proved that he certainly knows how to craft a story for the big screen. Despite what criticisms the creative duo behindThe Mandalorianhave received over the years, I wholly believe they’re more than capable of delivering in 2026.
The Mandalorian and Groguhits theaters May 26, 2025.
