During an interview with co-creators of The Mandalorian, Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, Favreau revealed the reason behind the decision to include Grogu and Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin in The Book of Boba Fett.
At the end of The Mandalorian season 2, Grogu and Mando have gone their separate ways, with Grogu going to train with Luke Skywalker and Mando contemplating his next steps after becoming the rightful owner of the Darksaber and losing his companion. Since the first two seasons had focused almost entirely on their journeys and relationship, fans of the show wondered how The Mandalorian season 3 would operate following Grogu and Mando's separation. The answer to this question was found in an unexpected place - season 1 of The Book of Boba Fett.
In an interview with Empire, Favreau explained why it was necessary to dedicate a portion of The Book of Boba Fett to Mando and Goru's story. "We couldn’t just hit a hard reset. It’s going to be interesting to see how this unfolds for people who may not have seen The Book Of Boba Fett. But I think The Book Of Boba Fett offered time to pass," he said. "You saw what Mando was like without Baby Yoda and we saw what Grogu was like without the Mandalorian and neither of them was doing too good. So them coming back together was a really good plot point that allows us to jump back into Season 3 while maintaining the central relationship."
While The Book of Boba Fett primarily focused on the journey of its titular character - played by Temuera Morrison, a long-time Star Wars actor - the second half of the season features Mando and Grogu, both of whom become tied up in the events of The Book of Boba Fett's season finale. Audiences got to see not only Grogu's training with Luke but his decision to forego the life of a Jedi in favor of a life with Mando. After aiding Boba Fett in his battle to claim the seat of power in Mos Espa, Grogu and Mando depart together, ready to face whatever comes next as a team.
This revelation from Favreau clarifies the storytelling decisions of The Book of Boba Fett's first season and cements that Grogu and Mando are central to The Mandalorian's story. While having the two apart gave the characters a chance to explore their own goals and priorities, playing out that storyline in The Mandalorian could have slowed the show's pace and left less time for the upcoming liberation of Mandalore. By injecting this story into The Book of Boba Fett, the creators saved valuable screen time for The Mandalorian's third season and ensured that loyal Mandalorian fans would watch the newer installment in the Star Wars franchise
Integrating the two shows' plots also helps to achieve a sense of connectivity in this new era of Star Wars content. The Star Wars universe is vast, and the lineup of Disney Plus Star Wars shows suggests that rather than focusing on any one group of characters as the main protagonists, the franchise will take advantage of the universe's reach and diversity. While not guaranteed, it's certainly possible and almost inevitable that the plots of future Star Wars shows will be interconnected in ways that allow one show's story to progress inside another show's season.
The Mandalorian season 3 premieres on March 1st, 2023 on Disney Plus.
Source: Empire