The Mandalorian Season 3's first teaser was officially released at Celebration, except it was exclusively shown to attendees of that specific panel, and it has not yet been released publicly.
One of the burning questions that many Star Wars fans have when it comes to The Mandalorian is what the future holds for Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon. The character was defeated in a one-on-one duel by Mando at the end of Season 2, and it appeared as though he was taken into custody by the New Republic.
The ruthless leader wasn't featured in the teaser from Celebration, but rumors have suggested that he will play some sort of role in the upcoming season, and may even don a Mandalorian helmet. Esposito recently teased that his presence could be felt sooner rather than later.
Giancarlo Esposito's Return to The Mandalorian
In an interview that took place at Thomas J. Henry's Superhero Car Show & Comic Con over the weekend, via @countdowncitygeeks on TikTok, Moff Gideon actor Giancarlo Esposito was asked about returning to The Mandalorian, and how likely it is for fans to get to see him in the role again.
When asked about the chances of Moff Gideon appearing again in the future in The Mandalorian, Esposito replied by saying, "The chances are high."
The actor went on to then tease just how good Season 3 of the show will be, claiming that it is "off the chain," and even told the audience that viewers will "be amazed" when they finally get to see it:
"I got to tell you, just to share something with you without spoiling anything, that Season 3 of The Mandalorian is off the chain! You'll be amazed!"
How Moff Gideon Will Play Into Season 3
At the end of The Mandalorian Season 2, Gina Carano's Cara Dune stopped Moff Gideon from taking his own life, and instead took him into custody to answer for his crimes. That was the last time that viewers saw the character, and The Book of Boba Fett didn't reveal anything about his fate or if he was still being held captive. However, it must be assumed that he wasn't executed, or Esposito wouldn't be so confident that he would be returning in the future. If anything, it means that he somehow escaped from the New Republic... or was let loose.
Considering that the New Republic is still not completely established, and many of the laws and procedures are probably still being ironed out at that point in the timeline, it is completely possible that Moff Gideon could somehow find a flaw in the system and escape from prison. The more likely scenario, though, is that he is rescued by Imperial loyalists that believe in his cause.
It has been confirmed that his role within the Empire has something to do with cloning due to how closely he worked with Dr. Pershing and his interest in Grogu. There are still theories floating around that he was in direct communication with Emperor Palpatine and was even a main component of his contingency plan if he was somehow killed. If these theories are true, then other powers within the remnants of the Empire would know just how much information Gideon possesses, and they would probably be willing to send quite a rescue party in order to save their entire operation.
From a storytelling standpoint, it seemed as though Gideon's story came to an abrupt ending in Season 2, and most people had no doubts that he would be returning at some point. However, due to Esposito's comments, it is likely that the character will be coming back sooner rather than later, and the possibility that he could play a role in Season 3 is now more likely than ever.
Season 3 of The Mandalorian is set to be released on Disney+ in February 2023.
