Disney+ Will Not Release 'The Mandalorian' Episodes All At Once

As the first live-action Star Wars TV series (barring a few holiday specials) and the flagship series for the new Disney+ streaming service, The Mandalorian has captured the attention of Star Wars fans and non-fans alike. But the question remains: how long will our attention be held?

While Netflix has pioneered the idea of binge-watching by releasing its original shows in blocks that are made to be consumed in a weekend, Hulu and Amazon Prime have gone different routes by releasing episodes weekly or biweekly. But during the buzzy Disney+ unveiling, no answers were given on whether Disney's streaming service would go the weekly or binge route. According to a new report, The Mandalorian episodes won't be following Netflix's strategy, and will only release the first episode upon its debut in November. But could this mean the show will be released weekly?

Entertainment Weekly reporter Anthony Breznican broke the news that The Mandalorian, which debuts on the day of Disney+'s launch date, will air only the first episode on November 12, 2019.

"Only the first episode of The Mandalorian will be released on Disney+ on Nov. 12. [Maybe] they'll decide to add a second, but it won't be the full binge," Breznican reported in a tweet.

As one of the first series to debut on Disney's highly anticipated streaming service Disney+, The Mandalorian will likely be setting the standards for all shows to follow it, suggesting that this is the release strategy that Disney's streaming service will follow. Disney did not confirm that they will be abiding by a weekly release schedule, but with just the first episode getting released upon debut, that seems likely that the show will be airing weekly

While binge-watching is all the rage these days, it has somewhat dissolved the watercooler culture that was once a part of event television, and Disney could be trying to bring about a return to that. And there's no better title to test that out with than The Mandalorian, which will blend new and old Star Wars mythology and is a great candidate to be the next event TV series after Game of Thrones slays its last White Walker.

Here's the official description of The Mandalorian:

"After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic."

The series stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Nick Nolte, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Carl Weathers, Omid Abtahi, Werner Herzog, and Taika Waititi, and some of the episodes will be directed by filmmakers like Dave Filoni, Taika Waititi, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, and Deborah Chow.

The Mandalorian will debut on Disney+ on November 12, 2019.