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Pedro_Pascal_931926448.jpg

The Mandalorian Keeps Casting Awesome People. Is This Going to be a Good Show?

By Kate Hudson | TV | November 15, 2018 |

By Kate Hudson | TV | November 15, 2018 |


Pedro_Pascal_931926448.jpg

The Star Wars Universe keeps expanding, and Disney needs to justify its new streaming service (Disney+) with original content, so we’re getting a show I’m not sure anyone asked for: The Mandalorian.

There are two types of Star Wars fans out there—the first are the ones who find the movies very enjoyable, and that’s about it. The second are the ones who live and breathe the extended universe, have read the books, played the video games, and already know who or what a Mandalorian is. For everyone else, I’m here to do some light Googling to catch you up to speed.

First, for whatever reason, Boba Fett is well-regarded within the Star Wars universe. Other than looking cool and not talking much, I don’t really understand why. All he did was rat out the Millennium Falcon to Darth Vader because he wasn’t good enough to capture it himself, transport Han to Jabba, and then got knocked into a Sarlacc pit because he wasn’t paying attention. That’s not exactly the bio of a badass, is it? Personally, I’d rather focus on the weird looking guy who was Jabba’s right hand, with the weird tentacles on his head, because at least he could probably share some weird stories about all the freaky stuff he saw while in Jabba’s employ. Sorry, I digress.

Basically, a Mandalorian is what Boba Fett was (or is, if you buy that he eventually got out of the Sarlacc pit, but that’s dumb, just like what happened to Darth Maul. You know what I’m talking about)— and Boba wore the traditional armor of the Mandalorians. There is another character named Jango Fett, who looks the same, but only in blue. My knowledge of him is exclusively in relation to the Star Wars fighting game I play, Galaxy of Heroes, but again, I digress. The point is, Boba is a Mandalorian, but so are many others in the Star Wars universe—some of whom are already known to a certain type of Star Wars fan. Now you’re up to speed.

So the Mandalorian is going to follow “a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.” I’m guessing that lone gunfighter is a Mandalorian, but your guess is as good as mine at this point. The timing of the series will take place after the end of Return of the Jedi, but before The Force Awakens. That’s it. That’s all anyone knows—except for who’s been cast so far.

Earlier this week Pedro Pascal, who is good in Narcos, and great in Game of Thrones (and don’t anyone dare post *that* gif in the comments. You know who you are and what I mean) was announced as the lead. Who’s he playing? Your guess is as good as mine! Although probably not the human-slug looking dude I mentioned above. I doubt they’re going to bring him back from the dead.

Are you excited yet? The news gets better.

Gina Carano is also joining the show—which means the actions scenes just got 100 percent more badass. Who’s she playing? I don’t know, do you? It’s up in the air—maybe she’ll be a lady-human-slug person. Maybe she won’t!

Perhaps the BEST news about a show that I didn’t ask for, but am getting pretty excited about, is that there finally is going to be some diversity in the Star Wars universe director’s chair. My internet boyfriend, Taika Waititi, is going to direct an episode, and multiple women have been announced to direct their own episodes: Bryce Dallas Howard and Deborah Chow. Rick Famuyiwa is also signed on to direct—it’s an embarrassment of riches in the form of talented directors who aren’t white guys. Speaking of which, Jon Favreau is going to write the first episode, and as far as I can tell, JJ Abrams has nothing to do with this show.

I mean, we still have no real idea what this show is going to be about, but based on the director list alone, it’s a “shut-up-and-take-my-money” type of situation for me. What about you?



Header Image Source: Getty