Fans of Star Wars spinoff series The Mandalorian finally know when season 2 of the wildly popular Disney+ series will return, but with the second season's October 30 premiere looming larger, the biggest question that remains is when will see the season 2 trailer?
Although there's no official word on when Disney will give us some new, much-needed footage of Baby Yoda (and that other guy) at this point, there have been some indications of when we might - and again, nothing's certain - see the season 2 trailer for The Mandalorian. Here is what's official and what the clues might lead us to expect when it comes to the first trailer for The Mandalorian season 2.
What we know
Disney has not announced an official premiere date for The Mandalorian season 2 trailer yet. The season will premiere October 30, though, so it's reasonable to expect a trailer will debut in the next few weeks.
In the past, Disney has frequently chosen to release new trailers for its Star Wars projects during sports events, particularly when they're broadcast on ABC or ESPN, two of the major television networks owned by the company. NFL games in particular have been a favorite for the studio's Star Wars marketing campaigns, with trailers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Star Wars: The Force Awakens both making their debut during Monday Night Football broadcasts.
Similarly, a trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story debuted during the NFL's Super Bowl championship game in 2018, while a trailer for fellow spinoff film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story premiered during the Summer Olympics in 2016.
The first trailer for The Mandalorian season 1 (as well as various other Star Wars-related projects) debuted during one of Disney's D23 conventions, but that isn't an option for season 2 of the series, as there aren't any events of that sort happening between now and the second season's premiere.
When it might happen
If Disney does indeed plan to release the season 2 trailer for The Mandalorian during a sports broadcast, it has plenty of options this month - particularly on its own TV networks.
A widely circulated rumor from August initially had the season 2 trailer premiering during the NBA playoffs. That rumor was eventually debunked, but ESPN is currently scheduled to broadcast up to three remaining games in the first two rounds of the playoffs. After that, ESPN and ABC alternate covering the NBA's Conference Finals and Finals, respectively, which offers big opportunities for a new Star Wars trailer to reach a wide swathe of viewers.
If Disney chooses to continue its habit of tying Star Wars projects to NFL broadcasts, though, the time between now and October 30 presents quite a few noteworthy games for Mandalorian fans to make note of.
Disney-owned network ESPN will broadcast the first Monday Night Football game of the 2020 NFL season on this Monday, September 14. As the first Monday Night Football of an NFL season few expected to happen just a month ago, that broadcast is expected to attract a big audience.
However, an even bigger audience might be available if Disney waits just a week and releases the first trailer for The Mandalorian season 2 during the September 21 broadcast of Monday Night Football, which will air simultaneously on both ESPN and ABC. Premiering the trailer during that game between the NFL's New Orleans Saints and the Las Vegas Raiders will give Disney a chance to double-dip into the Star Wars franchise with its TV networks.
Given that synergistic opportunity and the monthlong lead-up to the season premiere it provides, the September 21 broadcast of Monday Night Football becomes the most likely release date for The Mandalorian season 2 trailer.
Nothing is official at this point, but when it comes to Baby Yoda's adventures, any insight about the future that we can glean from the past is worth considering. This is the way.
