The Mandalorian & Grogu cast includes Jeremy Allen White – as Jabba the Hutt’s son!

The Mandalorian & Grogu has recently wrapped filming, but Deadline today dropped some very big news about the movie, revealing that Jeremy Allen White is part of the cast. The significance of this news lies in the character he’s playing: White will be playing Rotta the Hutt, the son of the infamous Jabba the Hutt.

Deadline added that the role is “a notably sized role; no cameo here.” Which, of course, suggests that Rotta might actually be a crucial part of the movie’s plot and not just a side figure who makes a brief appearance or two.

Fans of The Clone Wars will be familiar with Rotta, who was a major part of The Clone Wars movie. In that film, set during the earlier days of the war, the Separatists secretly kidnapped Rotta in an attempt to stir distrust in the Republic and turn the Hutts against it. But the Republic lanched a rescue mission, led by Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, who were able to retrieve the kidnapped Hutt and return him to Jabba, safe and sound. That movie kicked off the animated series, but Rotta only showed up (briefly) in one other episode, in season three. Because of that, fans have wondered what happened to him, since he obviously doesn’t show up in the original trilogy when we see Jabba. It sounds like we’re about to find out.

This really came out of left field, so it’s a big surprise to hear that Rotta will appear in the movie. It raises lots of questions without any answers yet, but just as surprising is the fact that they cast a well-known actor in the role. Does it mean that Rotta will actually be motion-capture? Does it mean that Rotta will actually speak basic? And, if so, how would that work? Jeremy Allen White has established himself as a successful actor in the industry, being best-known for his role in the FX series The Bear, for which he has won two Golden Globes and two Primetime Emmys.

The Mandalorian & Grogu is slated to be the next Star Wars movie to hit theaters, releasing on May 26, 2022. It is directed by The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau, with a script that Favreau co-wrote with Dave Filoni. The film will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Favreau, Filoni, and Ian Bryce.