The Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter: May 17, 2026

It's Grogu's world. We just live in it.

Hello there

We are less than a week away from The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first new Star Wars movie since 2019. This is not a drill, people. I hope everyone has their tickets and their favorite Star Wars t-shirt or cosplay or beskar helmet picked out for the movie. Me? I’ll be rocking what I call Star Wars Texas couture. A t-shirt of Mando pushing Grogu in a paleta cart.

It doesn’t look like they’re making new ones, but if you want an extra-small or small version of the shirt, you can find it here. It also looks like there’s an updated design if you want to rep El Paso, Texas (an extremely underrated city) and Mando at the same time.

I’ve somehow turned the opening paragraph into Great Moments in Star Wars Merchandising. Not my intention, but they are cool shirts.

Also, next week there will not be a Death Star HR on Friday morning, although you should be used to that by now. Reason being is I am seeing The Mandalorian and Grogu Friday morning. I’ll probably do an instant reaction video, so keep an eye on the YouTube and the Instagram (links below) then probably get the newsletter out Friday evening or Saturday.

As always, thanks for reading Death Star HR. If you’re reading this and you’re not a subscriber, I’d love it if you entered your email below and smashed that subscribe button. There’s also an official Death Star HR Instagram and an official Death Star HR YouTube page as well and I’d love it if you subscribed there as well.

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This Is Where The Fun Begins

Disney really is starting to pull out all the stops for The Mandalorian and Grogu. Even getting the San Diego Padres involved.

Would I prefer to see Grogu helping out my beloved Detroit Tigers? Obviously. Especially considering the pitching staff has been decimated with injuries. The Motor City Kitties could use Grogu doing the magic hand thing to get the ball over the plate. Mason Miller is throwing gas this year, he doesn’t need any help. But the Tigers could really use Grogu coming out of the bullpen to pitch the 9th.

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This Is Where The “Fun” Begins

I ordered my tickets for myself and Emperor Palpatine’s #1 Fan to see The Mandalorian and Grogu in IMAX. It came with this warning.

At the risk of sounding like Grandpa Simpson, I am old enough to remember when before the movie it was 3-4 previews and maybe an ad to go buy something at the concession stand. But no. Now we have to pay more money to sit there and watch ads before the movie starts. This is my Joker origin story.

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So Close You Can Taste the Nevarro Nummies

By the time you read this, we’re less than a week away from the premiere of The Mandalorian and Grogu. I have tickets Friday and then again on Sunday. Like I said, my plan is do an instant reaction Friday morning, and then full write-up later in the weekend. I’m not sure there’s anything more that can be said at this point.

But even if there’s nothing more than can be said, that’s not going to stop me. First up, May 14th was the World Premiere of The Mandalorian and Grogu at the Gauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

Everyone from the show and in the greater Mando-verse was in attendance. But of course, Grogu stole the show.

While Kylo Ren isn’t part of The Mandalorian and Grogu, although I guess there’s nothing stopping a toddler Ben Solo from having a cameo in the movie, the Kylo Ren fans were out at the premiere as well. The Save Ben Solo movement was out at the premiere as well.

Disney really has been pulling out all the stops for the promotions. Not quite to the level of The Phantom Menace, because we won’t ever see anything like that again. But in the last week or so I feel like they’ve really turned the promo dial up to 11. A fun little video that longtime real-life and Death Star HR friend B-W1L sent me, Jon Favreau who played a chef in the aptly named Chef teams up with actual chef Roy Choi to make the sandwich Martin Scorsese makes in the movie. That was quite the sentence to type.

Favreau and Choi had a show on Netflix called The Chef Show. Never seen it, but I might look it up. Favreau and Choi have good chemistry together and I really do enjoy a cooking show that actually teaches you how to make something. Once Food Network switched from cooking shows to competition/reality shows, I lost interest. But that’s a whole other topic.

Also, early reviews are starting to trickle out. I am avoiding them since my goal is to go into the movie on Friday without knowing anything more than I already do. So pretty sure I’ll have to do an internet embargo starting maybe Wednesday night. If you are so inclined to read the early reviews, Variety has a roundup. But the only review you’ll need, the one from the Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter, will be next week.

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The Maker Makes Another Rotation

Normally birthdays go in the On This Day In Star Wars History section, but considering that Uncle George had a birthday last week, I think that deserves its own entry. Lucas turned 82 on May 14th. As Lucas is a pretty low key guy, I couldn’t find any news if he actually did anything for his birthday. So happy belated birthday, George!

Not to get too morbid, we’re celebrating The Maker here, but there is going to be a time in the not to distant future, 10 - 15 years maybe, where all the main players from the Original Trilogy are no longer with us. Lucas is 82. Harrison Ford is 82, Anthony Daniels is 80, and Billy Dee Williams is 89 Frank Oz is 81, as is Ian McDiarmid. Mark Hamill is the spring chicken at 74. And of course Carrie Fisher, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Alec Guinness, and Peter Cushing have already passed away.

I don’t say this to try to bring you down on what is otherwise going to be a fun week of Star Wars. But rather a reminder to enjoy what we have, nothing last forever and we’ll all become one with the Force one day. This applies to in the galaxy far, far away and in our own galaxy. Text a friend. Hug a loved one. And then ask them if they’ve heard the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise.

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Ahsoka Is Trapped On Peridea A Little Longer

49 ABY, or as it’s known in our galaxy 2026, will not have a live-action Star Wars TV show or movie. The last time that happened was 2014, the year before Disney released The Force Awakens. To think about how bonkers that is for a second. Imagine telling a Star Wars fan in 1993 that you’re going to get five movies in five years followed by seven different live-action TV shows including one that launches the current face of Star Wars¹ and another show that gets nearly unanimous critical acclaim and completely changes the idea of what a Star Wars show can be. And that doesn’t even get into the animation. It would absolutely blow the mind of a 1993 era fan.

I had assumed that we were going to get season 2 of Ahsoka at the end of the year, in that it was and still is the only confirmed live-action Star Wars show. And considering that Disney has quite a bit planned for the first half of next year, the 50th remastered Star Wars and Starfighter and there doesn’t appear to be anything scheduled the back half of this year, I thought for sure the Mouse House would want something on our screens around the holidays. If for no other reason than merchandising tie ins.

But alas, it's been confirmed that season 2 will arrive “early 2027.” No Thanksgiving dinner followed by watching Ahsoka and Sabine escape Peridea or watching Ezra and Chopper bicker among themselves and maybe plot warcrimes. Lady Tano herself, Rosario Dawson was on stage with Chopper and a Loth-cat at Disney Upfront and gave this little update about what fans can expect:

“It’s truly special seeing all the love from fans out there for Ahsoka and her crew,” Dawson remarked. “I can tell you this season, the battles are bigger and the stakes are higher. We cannot wait for you to see.”

Those in attendance saw an early look at the action packed second season, with a glimpse at epic space battles and thrilling lightsaber combat featuring Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano, Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn, Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. Ivanna Sakhno will reprise her role as Shin Hati while Rory McCann joins the cast to continue the journey of Baylan Skoll.

I wasn’t able to find any video from Dawson’s remarks. It’s also been reported a while ago that we’re going to see an epic space battle between Admiral Akbar and Grand Admiral Thrawn. Once again, Star Wars belongs on the big screen because that is the type of scene you need to see in IMAX.

Ultimately, while I was hoping for Ahsoka season 2 this year, moving it back to Q1 of next year really isn’t that big of a deal. It could bring on a whole spring of Star Wars, depending on when they want to release it. We know the remastered A New Hope releases on February 19th and that Starfighter premieres on May 28th. In between the two you have Celebration at the start of April and then May the 4th. You could very easily have Ahsoka between A New Hope and Celebration. And then freeing up May the 4th weekend for the 25th anniversary of Attack of the Clones. Come on, how fun of a winter/spring of 2027 would that be?

• A New Hope 50th anniversary

• Ahsoka season 2

• Celebration 2027

• Attack of the Clones

• Starfighter

The answer is: lots of fun.

The bigger issue is not the few months between the end of 2026 when we thought we’d get Ahsoka season 2 and whenever we actually see it next year. It’s the almost 4 years in between season 1 and season 2. And I say this with the full understanding that there are tons of moving parts involved with making a TV show. Everyone, from the actors to the directors to the crew has to be available. We’re not in the network or even the cable universe of shows where you could count on another season of your favorite show every fall, with the same actors. Streaming shows just kinda happen when they happen. It took what, 9 years to do 5 seasons of Stranger Things? The kids are supposed to be in high school when really they look like they’re old enough to hurt their back because they slept wrong.

If you’re waiting almost 4 years between seasons, it almost feels like you have to rebuild your audience. Of course, the Sickos like me, and many of you, are going to watch Ahsoka no matter what. It doesn’t matter if it was 1 year or 5 years between seasons. I’m tuning in to season 2 no matter what because I need to know who’s been feeding Sabine’s Loth-cat. But you’re trying to get new fans, because the name of the game is expand or die, how do you expect people to get invested in characters if we’re only going to see them every four years?

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Great Moments in Star Wars Merchandising

Do you love Grogu, adorable little scamp that he is, and have too much money? Well then Hasbro has got the Star Wars collectable for you. For a mere 600 Republic Credits, you can own an animatronic Grogu that quite frankly, looks almost as good as the puppet they use in the movie and shows.

Do I want one? Obviously. Am I worried that it can actually use the Force and would Force choke me if I don’t give it treats? Not really but just a little bit.

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This Day in Star Wars History

May 17th was a pretty slow day in the Star Wars universe. Two things to mention.

• The Children’s World Premiere of The Empire Strikes Back took place in 1980 at the Kennedy Center (not calling it by its new name). This was 4 days before the wide release of the movie. It was a special charity screening to benefit the Special Olympics. Before he was an ESPN talking head, Tony Kornhieser was a DC sports reporter with The Washington Post and I guess got the assignment since the premiere was related to the Special Olympics? The whole article is worth the read, but if nothing else it’s a good reminder that Carrie Fisher was a real one.

  The highlight came in a question posed to Hamill -- Do you feel responsibility as a role model for kids?

  Hamill (giggling): “Ask Carrie about rolls. She wears so many rolls in her hair.”

  So Fisher approached the microphone, wearing a baseball cap, and strutting around like a Ricki Lee Jones wind-up doll. The daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher -- think about that childhood, movie fans -- appeared as loose as a Slinky toy.

  Fisher: “You mean like I can’t smoke or read Playgirl in public? (pause) Well, I don’t got my cigarettes or my Playgirl up here, do I?” Real People.

• There used to be Star Wars comic strips in newspapers. Remember those? Does anyone in the Death Star HR galaxy still get an actual newspaper made out of a dead tree? Anyway, in 1982, the LA Times Syndicate published The Return of Ben Kenobi storyline, which ran until July 25, 1982. That’s only a few word off from The Hunt for Ben Solo. Make it happen, Disney!

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From the Depths of Wookieepedia

Anyone hungry? Because this week we’ve got Tatooine Sun-scorched Tip-Yip with Golden Lichen Grains and Yavin IV Papaya Salad. That’s quite the meal. And unlike most of the Star Wars food that’s been featured here, you can actually try this one. Just make a trip to Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo at Galaxy’s Edge and you can try this for, well not a low price, but a higher price than you’d pay in the real world but is probably reasonable for Disney. I don’t know, we didn’t eat at Docking Bay 7 when I was there.

The meal itself is "Roasted Quarter Chicken, Turmeric Garlic Rice, Roasted Lemon, Green Papaya Salad." I usually remove links when I post quotes, but this time I’m leaving them in. Chicken, garlic, and rice all have their own Wookieepedia entries while numeric, lemon, and papaya link you to Wikipedia. I would have at least thought lemons existed in the Star Wars galaxy, especially if garlic does.

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News From the HoloNet

How do you expand a canon Star Wars love story without infuriating fans?

Very carefully.

Daisy Ridley Drops Out of Film Amid Uncertainty on ‘Star Wars’ Future

I don’t like how this headline is worded. Ridley dropped out of a different movie, not a Star Wars one. Maybe the Rey movie is gearing up, but who knows.

Can you make money from Star Wars toys?

You can. From a certain point of view, I traded my collection of POFT2, POTJ, Episode I, and Episode II figures in exchange for Emperor Palpatine’s #1 Fan.

More Than Anything, I Want “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” to Surprise Me

This is a pretty fair take. I’m not expecting a Baby Yoda level of a twist, but something unexpected would be nice.

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That’s it for this week. If you like what I’m doing, please subscribe. I’ll catch you next week, and may the Force be with you.

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1. Sorry Rey, but Grogu is the face of Star Wars.