Over a year before the Marvel Cinematic Universe took over Disney+, the House of Mouse's streaming service was headlined by The Mandalorian. Pedro Pascal's bounty hunter series took the world by storm, introducing fans to an entire new layer of the galaxy far, far away.
When 2020 bore a barren wasteland of new content, The Mandalorian Season 2 came by to quench everyone's thirst. Hit supporting characters like Grogu, Moff Gideon, and a returning Boba Fett took the show to astronomical heights, and a shocking Luke Skywalker cameo in the latest season's finale put the series in an elite class.
Moving forward in Star Wars' Mando-Verse, the spotlight has surprisingly been away from Din Djarin. With spin-offs like The Book of Boba Fett and other live-action spectacles like Obi-Wan Kenobi commanding the headlines, details on Mando's third installment have been rather quiet.
While specifics remain a mystery, one of the show's stars has opened up about The Mandalorian's imminent production.
MANDALORIAN PRODUCTION STARTS SOON
Moff Gideon isn't going anywhere.
Speaking with WRAL, Mandalorian star Giancarlo Esposito confirmed that he will be back filming the third season later this year, joking that fans are "going to see [him] kill this Baby Yoda." Esposito then noted that filming on the third season is starting soon.
"They just finished shooting Boba Fett, and soon they will start on season three."
Leading man Pedro Pascal is currently preoccupied in Canada as he shoots HBO's The Last of Us, but Esposito reminded fans that Pascal's involvement is primarily in the audio booth.
"We never have to wait on Pedro."
As evident from the first 16 chapters of the series, Din Djarin is extremely loyal to his creed, and has only taken off his helmet on three brief occasions. Esposito says he doesn't know if fans can expect more face time for Mando in the next season, but notes that Pedro Pascal would be in favor of it.
"I can't speak to that. I mean, I know he'd love to be more off the helmet, but you know, his job is to be in the helmet. You know what I mean? That, that's the deal."
MORE FACE TIME FOR MANDO?
Specifics on Season 3 remain tight-lipped, but it sounds like Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin could be showing face more regularly moving forward.
The Mandalorian's second season concluded with Grogu going off with Luke Skywalker, presumably to train at the Jedi Temple. Moff Gideon lays defeated, but not dead, and Djarin wields the infamous Dark Saber, making him the rightful heir to Mandalore.
This comes much to the chagrin of Katee Sackhoff's Bo-Katan, who was bent on reclaiming the Mandalorian throne since fans met her in live-action.
Interestingly, Katan is part of a Mandalorian creed that doesn't adhere to the helmet-at-all-times policy. In fact, she claims that Djarin is part of an extremist wing of Mandalorians, ones who do not uphold the true values of the creed.
Djarin might find himself slowly aligning with Katan's point of view, leading him to take off his helmet on a more regular basis. Regardless, fans can expect an evolved Djarin moving forward given his new responsibilities.
HOW DOES GIDEON FIT IN?
With an A-Lister like Esposito on the project, it makes sense that creator Jon Favreau would want to keep him around as long as possible. That said, where does the Imperial leader fit in moving forward?
Moff Gideon is without either of his prized possessions, his Dark Trooper army has been defeated, and fans last saw him in handcuffs. It's unlikely that Gideon would find himself as the main antagonist again given his defeat. There is an avenue for Gideon to show face as a prisoner of the Rebellion, much like Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan was in The Walking Dead after he was beaten.
Having Gideon imprisoned on Rebel soil lays the groundwork for an intriguing storyline, as the Empire loyalist could end up aiding the Rebels with valuable information. Given his history on Mandalore, he could also educate a jealous Bo-Katan with secrets on how to take the throne from Djarin.
Either way, Gideon's return is bound to spice things up in Season 3.
The first two seasons of The Mandalorian are streaming in full on Disney+.
