'This is not the way': Unimpressed Star Wars fans react to 'terrible' new Super Bowl TV spot for The Mandalorian and Grogu movie

• A new TV spot for The Mandalorian and Grogu was shown during the 2026 Super Bowl
• It's a parody of old Budsweiser Clydesdale adverts
• Star Wars fans have largely reacted negatively to the movie's latest teaser

A new teaser for The Mandalorian and Grogu has been released online – and it seems most Star Wars fans are unimpressed by what they've seen.

The 30-second TV spot initially aired during one of the 2026 Super Bowl's many ad breaks before being uploaded to Star Wars' various social media channels. And, while it's supposed to parody those Budweiser Clydesdale adverts narrated by actor Sam Elliot, who returns to voice this teaser, it hasn't been received well by sections of the sci-fi franchise's fanbase.

The Mandalorian and Grogu | A New Journey Begins | In Theaters May 22 - YouTube

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Amusing and arguably creative though this TV spot is, long-time fans of the Lucasfilm property have had a lot to say since it dropped, with threads on r/StarWars and r/StarWarsLeaks, plus a quick scan on social media platforms like X/Twitter, showing a swell of negative reactions to the teaser.

Why are Star Wars fans so annoyed by The Mandalorian and Grogu TV spot?

For starters, the movie, which picks up some time after The Mandalorian's third season ended on Disney+, will be out soon.

First announced as a big-screen sequel to The Mandalorian in mid-2024, the Pedro Pascal-starring flick is set to land in theaters on May 23, 2026. However, despite the fact that it's out in just over three months, we've only seen one main trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu – and that came out last September.

You can understand why, then, when Deadline reported that Disney would show new footage for it during this year's Super Bowl, that fans were relieved and/or excited – at least until many of them saw the aforementioned TV spot, which reportedly cost $10 million to show at Super Bowl LX.

Comment from r/StarWarsLeaks

"What's going on with Lucasfilm marketing team?" X/Twitter user Shawn Nicholson wrote. "They're gonna have another Solo on their hands if they don't correct this soon. No one is talking about this, and those that are refer to it as Mando season 4. They need a proper trailer out and one that gets people hyped!"

"The first Star Wars film in 7 years is coming out in three months and this is what they drop during the Superbowl?" Redditor SWFT-YouTube opined, "Like, yeah, it's a funny ad, but come on."

"I like the #TheMandalorianAndGrogu Super Bowl ad," @OutlawNoah mused. "But, it is worrying that they really don’t seem too anxious to reveal more footage. They’re promoting this movie like it’s a Disney+ series. That is NOT the way."

"Well the marketing for this movie continues to be terrible," Reddit user vader602 said, before fellow Redditor billyb311 added: "Movie comes out in 3 months and this is the best we get?"

Back over on X/Twitter, Tom Bacon wrote: "Do Lucasfilm believe Grogu is so big #TheMandalorianAndGrogu is a guaranteed hit, or is the marketing team just asleep at the wheel? SERIOUSLY concerned about that ridiculous Super Bowl slot", while Max Kirchi said: "I don't know what to make of it. It's creative, but it's not something that really sparks hype. As with everything Star Wars, I'll go in with an open mind, but I don't have a good feeling about it [Star Wars:] Starfighter would probably have been the better choice for the Star Wars return."

Comment from r/StarWarsLeaks

There were some who took the teaser at face value and had more pleasant things to say about it, though.

Redditor Acceptable-Slide9024 wrote: "I thought it was funny and was gonna be the Budweiser commercial with the horses", while taco-force said: "I'm kinda here for the audacity of this ad." Meanwhile, on X/Twitter, @ManaByte defended Lucasfilm and Disney, saying: "Jon Favreau directed an original 30-second commercial for #TheMandalorianAndGrogu that references some of the most famous Super Bowl commercials of all time, and Disney spent $10 million to air it during the game. Marketing 'experts' on social media: 'Disney doesn’t know what they’re doing.'"

Summing up those who viewed the ad for what it was, Reddit user macmillianwinduarte simply added: "You guys will hate anything lol."

Want to know what Lucasfilm has in the pipeline after The Mandalorian and Grogu? Read our guide on every new Star Wars movie and TV show in development. Then, check out my thoughts on whether Star Wars' new leadership team can save the spluttering sci-fi franchise.

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