‘Rotta Can Move Quickly, Yes’: Jeremy Allen White on Playing a Buffed-Up Rotta the Hutt in The Mandalorian and Grogu

The Star Wars galaxy has seen its share of unlikely comebacks, but few could have predicted that Rotta the Hutt – Jabba’s once-sluggish infant son from The Clone Wars – would return as a muscular, arena-dwelling powerhouse. The first trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu gave fans a fleeting but unforgettable glimpse of the grown-up Hutt, now apparently more gladiator than gangster. Even in that single second of screen time, fans noticed the transformation: Rotta is bigger, stronger, and unmistakably ready to rumble.

According to actor Jeremy Allen White, who voices Rotta in the upcoming film, the Huttling has come a long way from his days as a squealing infant carried through Tatooine. In an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, White discussed his surprise involvement in the Star Wars universe while promoting his new film, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere. When asked about Rotta’s new look, he smiled and teased, “He’s just a bit broader, but still like a Hutt. It’s kinda like him and The Mandalorian running around for a lot of the movie together.”

That comment instantly sent fans into a frenzy. The image of a Hutt – traditionally sluggish, immobile, and enormous – sprinting alongside Din Djarin was absurd enough to be fascinating. When pressed, White delivered the now-iconic line: “Rotta can move quickly, yes.” And just like that, the meme was born. Across social media, fans have already started imagining the improbable duo – Mando and Rotta, side by side, blasting through stormtroopers while Grogu floats along in his pod, giggling.

In the trailer, Rotta appears to be either hosting or participating in a gladiatorial spectacle. Din Djarin and Grogu are seen watching from the crowd as the Hutt hypes up the audience with a surprising amount of energy. Whether Rotta is there to fight or to command attention remains unclear, but one thing’s certain: this isn’t your father’s Hutt. The redesign leans heavily into physicality – a bold, if unexpected, direction for the species. Fans are already dubbing him “Fit Hutt,” and Disney clearly knows the internet will have a field day with that.

Plot details for The Mandalorian and Grogu remain tightly guarded, but the glimpses we have suggest a high-stakes, galaxy-spanning adventure. Mando and Grogu are shown scouting what appears to be a remnant Imperial facility. There’s even a shot of Grogu teaming up with the tiny tinkerer Babu Frik – a crossover sure to delight fans of The Rise of Skywalker. Later, the duo meets a mysterious character played by Sigourney Weaver. In a charming bit of humor, Grogu once again uses the Force to grab snacks mid-conversation, only to be caught and gently scolded.

Longtime fans of Star Wars Rebels will also recognize Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios, the Lasat warrior making his full-fledged live-action return. Once a cornerstone of the Ghost crew, Zeb is shown thrashing stormtroopers – or as he affectionately calls them, “bucket heads.” With Pedro Pascal reprising his role as Din Djarin, and Grogu’s expressive puppetry at its most advanced yet, The Mandalorian and Grogu is shaping up to be a love letter to Star Wars’ most beloved corners.

Notably, this film marks the first theatrical Star Wars release since 2019’s polarizing The Rise of Skywalker. After years of development limbo and canceled spin-offs, The Mandalorian and Grogu will finally bring the franchise back to the big screen on May 22, 2026. Following that, Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling, is scheduled for May 2027. Whether fans love or hate Disney’s stewardship of the galaxy far, far away, one thing’s for sure – people will be watching. And if Jeremy Allen White’s Rotta truly “moves quickly,” audiences might find themselves cheering for a Hutt for the first time ever.