Jeremy Allen White is coming to the Star Wars galaxy. The Bear star is joining The Mandalorian and Grogu, the big-screen spinoff of The Mandalorian, in a role nobody was expecting. Variety reports that White will voice the son of grotesque alien crimelord Jabba the Hutt.

White will play Rotta the Hutt, the Jabba-spawn who first appeared in the Clone Wars animated series. He’s the latest addition to the film, whose plot and character details remain as cloudy as a November day on Dagobah. The film will depict the further adventures of the Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his foundling ward Grogu, a juvenile member of Yoda’s species. The film is being directed by Jon Favreau, who is also co-writing the film with Dave Filoni. In addition to Pascal and now White, the film’s only other confirmed cast member is Sigourney Weaver, whose role has yet to be revealed. The movie recently completed filming, and is set to be released on May 22, 2026, which will make it the first Star Wars film in nearly seven years.

Who Is Rotta the Hutt?

Rotta the Hutt first appeared in 2008’s theatrically released Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In the film, the grub-like Rotta is kidnapped by Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), who wants to ensure the Hutts ally with his faction, the Confederacy of Independent Systems, in the Clone Wars. Rotta is rescued by Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) and his apprentice, Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein), who grow fond of the helpless alien; they also help expose Jabba’s uncle, Ziro (Corey Burton) as Dooku’s co-conspirator. The Mandalorian and Grogu will take place decades hence; The Mandalorian and its spinoff, The Book of Boba Fett, have explored the aftermath of Jabba’s death and the power vacuum it left, with would-be successors like Bib Fortuna, Boba Fett, and two of Jabba’s Hutt cousins attempting to fill the void. The presence of Rotta in the film implies that he too may attempt to take up the family business.

When not voicing big alien slugs, White will star as Bruce Springsteen in Scott Cooper‘s Deliver Me From Nowhere, a chronicling of the recording of Springsteen‘s acclaimed album Nebraska. He will also return to his Emmy-winning role of troubled restaurateur Carmy Berzatto in the fourth season of The Bear.

The Mandalorian and Grogu will premiere in theaters May 22, 2026.

via Collider