Fans are rilled up now that the second season of The Mandalorian is due to release next month . Audiences have much to look forward to seeing this season from Rosario Dawson appearing as Ahsoka Tano and Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon .
It's only expected that the marketing for the show should ratchet up now that the release is so close, which is starting with a new interview and images to accompany it.
NEWS
In an interview with The Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau , Entertainment Weekly asked what is to come with the upcoming season, while also releasing multiple new images from season 2 which will be released on Disney+ on October 30, 2020.
Jon Favreau describes that this new season is "...about introducing a larger story in the world,” and that some episodes will go beyond focusing on the titular character. “The stories become less isolated, yet each episode has its own flavor, and hopefully we’re bringing a lot more scope to the show." EW reports that Season 2 will consist of eight episodes, just like Season 1, with Favreau commenting that "there's probably even variation [in episode lengths] this year."
“Everything gets bigger, the stakes get higher, but also the personal story between the Child and the Mandalorian develops in a way I think people will enjoy," added Dave Filoni. Jon Favreau continued this train of thought and explaining how this season would see the addition of new characters and storylines, comparing it to Game of Thrones .
“As we introduce other characters, there are opportunities to follow different storylines. The world was really captivated by Game of Thrones and how that evolved as the characters followed different storylines — that's very appealing to me as an audience member.”
The interview starts with Favreau realizing when The Mandalorian became a global phenomenon was when he saw street graffiti in France of the sensation who is now Baby Yoda.
“The show wasn’t there! Something was going on where people were connecting with the characters, with social media allowing them to see aspects of the show before they even knew what it was.”
When asked about what made The Mandalorian different compared to other Star Wars titles, like Solo: A Star Wars Story , Favreau said that it was mostly due to a lack of expectation from audiences since this would be the first ever live-action show based on the property.
“I think it was the fact it was live-action Star Wars on TV for the first time. Having worked on bigger, higher-profile films, there’s a much different set of standards that you’re judged by. We’ve benefited from the smallness of our world.”
He also credited executive producer Dave Filoni for his creative input on the show due in no small part to being mentored by Lucas himself when producing all seven seasons of Star Wars: The Clone Wars . Considering the expectation of Ahsoka Tano appearing this season, his influence should feel even more apparent.
The way the writing works for The Mandalorian is that Jon Favreau does the majority of the writing, while Filoni acts as an editor of sorts to keep his writing in line with Star Wars and the universe around it. Filoni described the process as keeping it simple, saying that “Quite simply: We didn’t overthink things."
“George started with these very iconic characters whose relationships are very clear, and then introduced what’s at stake — for us, the [fate of] the Child. An audience tends to enjoy a story by sticking to tropes and characters they understand — like a gunslinger in the Old West. So it was a clear story and a fun adventure even if you’ve never seen anything [in the Star Wars universe]."
Filoni describes his relationship with Jon Favreau as “bringing balance to the Force.”
Favreau further describes the writing process between him and Filoni as that of a lawyer to a judge.
“I’ll come up with ideas and sometimes Dave will say, ‘You can’t do this in Star Wars .’ Then I’ll cite examples from the movies, or Clone Wars , to try to use as a justification. I’m like a lawyer talking to a judge; I am to him as he was to George. I won't do anything without Dave's approval. And to his credit, he understands that Stars Wars needs to be fun and ever-evolving.”
Even something as simple as the phrase “a dime a dozen" doesn't get past Filoni, who quickly points out “There aren’t dimes in Star Wars ,” which leads to the two of them trying to translate this common idiom into Star Wars, while in keeping with the lore.
When asked about the many rumors surrounding the show, all Gina Carano could say was “Some of them are true, some are not true." Carano describes the security and measures to avoid spoilers leaking out on set as being so severe that actors only got scripts for their own episodes, all while they're shuffled on and off set wearing black cloaks like Siths.
The new image of a Tusken Raider riding a Bantha confirns that the second season will be headed back to Tatooine after Mando explored the world in Episode 5 of Season 1.
So, it's expected for this show and universe to become a little more crowded, especially with the plot finally in motion with Mando finding the Child’s own kind, and Moff Gideon pursing them with the legendary Darksaber in hand.
WHAT THIS MEANS
The mention of other storylines outside of Din Djarin and Baby Yoda are an exciting surprise, which only gives more credence to Ahsoka Tano appearing this season , alongside Sabine Wren . Both of whom were last seen together not long after the fall of The Empire searching for Ezra Bridger. Not to mention the villain Moff Gideon being in possession of the Dark Saber, something very important to Sabine and her own people.
Additionally, it's nice to see Dave Filoni receiving the credit he deserves and to know how much he truly contributes to the show and its writing, which seems to be a lot, considering the praise Jon Favreau lavishes on him and the respect he gives him. It'll be exciting to see what he does directing, and now writing, another episode for The Mandalorian , especially now that it doesn't have to be directly connected to the show's two most popular characters.
