On the felt-covered surface, one might not automatically link the Star Wars universe and Jim Henson's Muppets characters, but such connections exist. The Mandalorian and Grogu will give fans of both a reason to cheer, thanks to the more adorable half of the film's title. (Sorry for the sour grapes, Pedro Pascal.) But as eager as I am to see him on the big screen, I'm always equally enthused to learn what working with Grogu is like behind the scenes.
I was thankfully able to shake a few comments loose from co-star Jonny Coyne (The Blacklist, The Toxic Avenger), who understandably had to stay fairly tight-lipped about anything that happens with his character Lord Janu in the 2026 movie release itself. (Naturally, I talked to him on the very same day my spoilers-related Force powers were at their weakest.) But he did confirm that the puppeteers in charge of handling Grogu share a similar in-character dedication with The Muppets’ squad.
When I asked what FKA Baby Yoda was like on the set, Coyne amusingly implied Grogu is an exception of sorts to a long-held showbiz belief. In his words:
Well, the thing is, there's that old adage: 'You don't work with children or animals on set because you won't get a look in.' Well, you've got a little creature there, all right, and it's a baby creature, and he steals the show. He steals the scenes.
Jonny Coyne
Babies can be whiny, fussy, hungry or a million other non-camera-friendly emotions, while animals have a tendency to do the opposite of what's being asked when filming is happening. But an animal-esque creature that's small and cute enough to be a baby even though it's 50+ years old? That's apparently the happiest medium, and its name is Grogu.
Coyne continued, giving the tech team props for its method approach to keeping the big-eyed character active when the cameras weren't rolling on the upcoming Star Wars movie, which is no doubt inspired by the Henson school of thought.
It is fabulous to watch the animators, who are super-skilled, who are always switched on. Even when you're just passing, and they're not shooting or anything, you just pass by, and they just give Grogu a little tweak on the cheek or whatever. They immediately respond. They're on it all the time. They're just alive with the animal, with Grogu. So it's marvelous to watch, really.
Jonny Coyne
Operating an entity like Grogu is obviously on a wholly different level from the work that Muppets performers bring to their characters, both on-screen and off. They're more physically involved, as well as more vocally involved, given that Grogu isn't so invested in language at this point. But the mindset behind not breaking character is a bridge between both sets of artists.
Grogu himself is as much a tie to the Muppets as anything, given that Yoda was the voiced and co-performed by Frank Oz, the legend behind other iconic characters like Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal and more. (The Yoda team featured other Jim Henson Company performers as well, such as Kathryn Mullen, Wendy Froud and David Barclay.) Plus, three months before The Empire Strikes Back even hit theaters, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels and Peter Mayhew guest-starred in Season 4 of The Muppet Show. (Check out this fun conspiracy theory based on that appearance.)
And let's not forget that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, friends with Henson, also famously allowed Muppet Babies to use footage, character names and plot points from Star Wars movies (and Indiana Jones) for episodes, strengthening that connection while also unwittingly making it impossible for the animated series to ever hit DVD or streaming.
In any case, when I asked Jonny Coyne about his own personal Muppets fandom, he wowed me once more by bringing up a personal connection.
Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. We had Sesame Street, you know, about British we didn't really get it properly. But, you know, it's in there. It's in the makeup. One of my closest friends actually started off as a puppeteer for the Muppets when she was 17 years old. She became a highly regarded singer, and was asked to sing at Jim Henson's funeral. They flew her over. She started as a 17-year-old girl. Big mop of red hair. And I've seen pictures of her with Danny Kaye and a young Sylvester Stallone. It's quite amazing, quite an amazing career.
Jonny Coyne
(Though Coyne didn't namedrop anyone, I believe he's talking about the stage and screen's Louise Gold, star of multiple Muppets series and films, who was part of the cast ensemble that performed at Jim Henson's funeral. But don't quote me on it.)
Hopefully Disney is planning on turning the Seth Rogen-produced Muppet Show revival special into a full-on series, and that Pedro Pascal and Team Grogu have been tapped as guest stars, so that we can finally get Kermit the Frog and Baby Yoda in the same room. Can you imagine a feature where Kermit was the one tasked with keeping The Child safe? MAKE THAT MOVIE RIGHT NOW, DISNEY! And put Jonny Coyne in it, whydontcha?
In closing, I think I'd like to introduce a new adage that can one day be spoken of as a classic one: "Everything is better with, and because of, The Muppets."
Now keep your eyes peeled for any Pigs In Space nods whenever The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters on May 22, 2026.
