Like all Star Wars media, The Mandalorian has a fanbase concerned with the smaller details of the universe. However, it appears that a major detail made its way past fans' attention. According to Jon Favreau, the show takes place over several years.
The Mandalorian tells the story of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), a foundling Mandalorian subscribed to the extremist Death Watch faction. Clad in his iconic Mandalorian armor, Din travels the galaxy, working as a bounty hunter, even as most Mandalorians have gone into hiding thanks to the Empire's campaign against them. His fortunes change drastically when he rescues young Grogu, a former Jedi trainee, and begins to form a fatherly bond with him.
While appearing on the Skytalkers podcast, Favreau revealed that The Mandalorian takes place over a longer period than fans had realized. Favreau clarified the timeline by explaining that Grogu "rescued and spent many years with The Mandalorian, went back with Luke [Skywalker], now he's been two years apart from him, training." Notably, Favreau did not say how many years the show takes place, though it is known that the series begins about five years after The Return of the Jedi.
For Mandalorian fans who need a refresher on The Book of Boba Fett, Grogu was sent to train with Luke (Mark Hamill) in the season 2 finale. In The Book of Boba Fett, Grogu had second thoughts about the Jedi way and instead chose to reunite with Din, with whom he had built an inseparable bond with (ultimately, this is antithetical to the Jedi path). Therefore, Grogu became an official and permanent part of Din's clan, and the two continued to travel the galaxy together.
New The Mandalorian teasers have shown a more powerful Grogu is ready for season 3, which fits nicely with an extended timeline. While fans had previously assumed Luke and Grogu spent, at most, a few months together, a two-year time skip allows Grogu to become even more powerful with the Force. Since his species ages much more slowly than humans, there's also little concern about Grogu looking older. He'll probably be stuck looking as he does for a few more decades.
When fan-favorite characters return to The Mandalorian in season 3, it's also possible that they'll have a new status quo. Two years is a long time - longer than the gap between The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi - so some fan favorites might be in different circumstances when fans see them again.
The Mandalorian is currently airing its third season on Disney Plus.
Source: Skytalkers/YouTube