The sophomore season of The Mandalorian is rapidly approaching, and anticipation is already sky-high for the hit Star Wars series. The Jon Favreau-created Disney+ show is coming off of a successful debut season run, bagging multiple Emmy wins and earning admiration from Star Wars fans everywhere.
Given the show's success during the first season, expectations for the second season of The Mandalorian are high. Despite that, the Disney+ series looks set to deliver once again, especially after an impressive season two trailer as well as the notable additions of iconic Star Wars characters.
The marketing for The Mandalorian has increased in the past few days, with several TV spots and posters providing an in-depth look at what's to come. And now, a new interview with the show's lead star could dial up the hype for the show even further.
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While speaking with Variety, The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal admitted that he did feel uneasy "about not, in some instances, being able to totally author" Din Djarin in season 1 due to his prior commitments to other projects like Wonder Woman 1984 and the Broadways run of King Lear conflicting with some of the production schedule for the Star Wars series. This resulted in stunt performers Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder having to wear the armor for many scenes during filming, something that Pascal slightly struggled with at the beginning:
“If there were more than just a couple of pages of a one-on-one scene, I did feel uneasy about not, in some instances, being able to totally author that. But it was so easy in such a sort of practical and unexciting way for it to be up to them. When you’re dealing with a franchise as large as this, you are such a passenger to however they’re going to carve it out. It’s just so specific. It’s ‘Star Wars.'”
For this upcoming season, Pascal confirmed that he was on the set far more than during the debut season, but he did reveal that he still sat out many of the character's stunts. Still, even if the actor is not always inside the body of Din Djarin, Pascal shared that he is still aware of the bounty hunter's motivations:
“The transience is something that I’m incredibly familiar with, you know?.Understanding the opportunity for complexity under all of the armor was not hard for me.”
Meanwhile, Pascal and The Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau recalled their initial meeting about the Disney+ series. Favreau admitted that Pascal was his first choice to star as the titular bounty hunter since "he's somebody who takes his craft very seriously:"
“He feels very much like a classic movie star in his charm and his delivery. And he’s somebody who takes his craft very seriously.”
Favreau then recalled the first time he told Pascal about the outlook of The Mandalorian, with the Iron Man director sharing that "everything was locked and loaded" at that point:
“When he walked in [the conference room], it must have felt a little surreal. You know, most of your experiences as an actor, people are kicking the tires to see if it’s a good fit. But in this case, everything was locked and loaded.”
After that meeting, Pascal eventually agreed to join the show, revealing that he was impressed with Favreau and his pitch:
“I hope this doesn’t sound like me fashioning myself like I’m, you know, so smart, but I agreed to do this [show] because the impression I had when I had my first meeting was that this is the next big s—."
Additionally, Pascal also reflected upon seeing Baby Yoda a.k.a. The Child for the first time, expressing his excitement about the Force-wielding character:
“Literally, my eyes following left to right, up and down, and, boom, Baby Yoda close to the end of the first episode. That was when I was like, ‘Oh, yep, that’s a winner!'”
Lastly, Favreau chimed in and revealed that Pascal understood the relationship between Mando and Baby Yoda, even mentioning that the actor's insight "made us rethink moments over the course of the show:"
“He’s tracking the arc of that relationship. His insight has made us rethink moments over the course of the show.”
WHAT THIS MEANS
One of the notable elements of The Mandalorian is the bounty hunter's code with regards to not taking off the helmet, and this proved to be a challenge for the show's creative team in terms of showing raw emotion. While Pascal admitted that the task was daunting at first, the actor was seemingly unfazed by that notion based on his remarks about understanding the character's "complexity under all of the armor."
Part of the fun of being a member of Star Wars is the franchise's vast history and fan base that comes along with it, and Pascal seems to be enjoying that part of the bargain. Moreover, the reveal that Pascal was more hands-on while filming the second season shows further promise since it presents an opportunity for the actor to deliver lines in a more natural way. Not only that, there's a good chance that there will be more intimate moments for the runaway duo of Mando and Baby Yoda this time around.
The reveal that Pascal was the first choice of The Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau as Din Djarin was definitely exciting, and it goes to show the good-working relationship was present from the get-go.
Baby Yoda is no doubt the breakout star of The Mandalorian, and Pascal's excitement about the addition of the character is strong evidence of that. More so, it's nice to think that the actor served a huge part in terms of providing a lot of insight about the direction of the relationship between Mando and The Child.
The chemistry between Mando and The Child was top-notch during the first season, and it's a safe bet that the friendship between the two characters will further elevate this season, with Pascal serving as the glue to keep it intact.
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