Disney needs “The Mandalorian” now more than ever

After a disastrous year and with more rough terrain ahead, Disney really needs The Mandalorian to keep leading the way.

The second season of the hit Star Wars series premiered on Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, today—and the early returns suggest it will be another success. Critics are so far impressed, while search interest has skyrocketed in the past week. Disney has not divulged how many subscribers stream the show, though it was largely credited with helping to sign up nearly 30 million customers in the service’s first three months. (As of August, it had more than 60 million.)

But that was because The Mandalorian was—and still is—the only real hit series on Disney+. When the first season came out in November 2019, it anchored the release of Disney’s nascent streaming service as its first significant original series. Expectations were high, and it was important the show meet them, but the company didn’t necessarily need The Mandalorian like it does now.

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