Jon Favreau reveals how 'Star Wars' shaped his life before 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' release

Jon Favreau recently got candid and reminisced about how watching one of the Star Wars movies with his dad, Charles Favreau, impacted his life.

On May 14, the 59-year-old American actor and filmmaker, who has directed The Mandalorian and Grogu in collaboration with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, stepped out to attend its premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.

At the event, Favreau opened up about a special connection he has with the Star Wars franchise since childhood, revealing that his father took him to watch the first Star Wars movie at the age of 10 and it “changed” his life from the “first shot.”

He said in his speech, “Back 49 years ago, I got to see Star Wars when I was 10 years old and that movie changed my life from that first shot.”

The Iron Man 1 director confessed that his passion for filmmaking started from that moment in his childhood, as he could not help immersing himself in the love of Star Wars.

Favreau recalled, “My dad took me to see it, I sat by his side, he pointed things out and explained to me how cool it was that the X-wings had oil stains.”

“He later taught me about [Akira] Kurosawa and all of George Lucas’ influences, and he opened the door for me to love not just Star Wars but cinema,” he stated.

For those unaware, Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope was the first movie in the franchise that was released in May 1977.

Notably, the love for Star Wars movies is increasing over the years, which is evident as the franchise is set to release The Mandalorian and Grogu in theatres on May 22, 2026.

The movie stars Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Jonny Coyne, Martin Scorsese, Steve Blum, Sigourney Weaver, and others.