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We already know that The Mandalorian and Grogu is going to be pulling from multiple Star Wars properties beyond just the TV shows that The Mandalorian helped spawn on Disney+. We’ve got the return of at least one character from The Clone Wars animated series to look forward to, but one obscure piece of Star Wars history is being made canon thanks to Jon Favreau.

Did you know that the AT-AT has an escape pod? Unless you owned the classic Kenner toy version of the walking attack vehicles, you might not know that obscure detail. However, one of the benefits of making a big-budget Star Wars film for Lucasfilm is that you get to play with all their toys – sometimes literally.

In a recent interview, director Jon Favreau explained that digging into the multiple generations of Star Wars creations is where the magic of The Mandalorian and Grogu comes from. “I think that’s where we really roll up our sleeves and get to play,” he explained. “And there’s the escape pod that comes out of the AT-AT, which is based on the mini rigs, Kenner Toys that never existed on screen, and the dragonsnake that comes from animation.” This is apparently in reference to footage that was first shown at CinemaCon earlier this year.

For those of you that don't know what Favreau is speaking about with regards to the mini rigs, no shame! We had to look it up as well. The Mandalorian director is referencing an Empire Strikes Back toyline made by company Kenner in 1982. One of those products was known as the INT-4 Interceptor, which was marketed alongside with Kenner's AT-AT model. As Favreau explains, the smaller, toy-only craft fit inside the larger, iconic Star Wars vehicle, as you can see on the box art below.

(Special thanks to The Kenner Collector on Instagram, from whom we learned the specifics of this toy.)

We’ve already heard Jon Favreau and new Lucasfilm president Dave Filoni describe their approach to Star Wars as deciding who gets to play with what toys, but apparently that may have been a bit literal now that they’ve turned a Kenner toy featured into a new part of the Star Wars canon.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is blasting into cinemas on May 22, 2026.

Get to know, understand, and love the Star Wars franchise more with our Star Wars watch order, guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies & TV shows, and all the Star Wars movies and Star Wars TV shows ranked.