So while we miss the standoffs, shootouts, comedian cameos , and space heists that season one of the Disney+ flagship show brought, we're already shifting into what's going to happen in season 2 mode. Here's everything we know about what lies in store for Mando, Baby Yoda, and friends.
When's Season 2 coming out?
While no exact date has been confirmed yet, showrunner Jon Favreau announced on Twitter that the second season ofThe Mandalorian would be coming to Disney+ later this year in the fall, to be exact. In the same post, Favreau gave fans a sneak peek at one of the aliens who will be making an appearance in season two, and it looks like a Gamorrean. (The last time one of this species showed up in Star Wars, they were guarding Jabba's palace in Return of the Jedi.)
Season 2 of #TheMandalorian coming Fall 2020 pic.twitter.com/8VQYLDMQ0V Jon Favreau (@Jon_Favreau)
While its far from official, a recent episode of Black Series Rebels says that the show will be debuting in October this year (rather than the November premiere of Season 1).
Who's directing?
The BSR podcast above also made a few things clear about who would be directing for season two, according to Star Wars blog Star Wars News Net . Bryce Dallas Howard, who directed the first season's fourth episodeintroducing Gina Carano's Cara Dune character on the planet Sorganwill return to once again helm her own episode.
It was also made clear that famous film directors James Mangold (Logan, Identity, Walk The Line, Ford V Ferrari) and Robert Rodriguez (Machete, Planet Terror) had directed sequences for Season 2, if not their own episodes. Rodriguez has long been a fan of westernshis Desperado series centered on Antonio Banderas' Mariachi character has a lot in common with The Mandalorian, so he's a natural fit.
Mangold is one of the industry's most underrated directors, and someone who has basically proven that he can tackle a movie in any genre (he was recently attached to both a Bob Dylan biopic and Indiana Jones 5 ). There was a point where he was attached with Lucasfilm to direct a Boba Fett standalone movie (similar in scope and style to 2018's Solo), but that movie eventually evolved into The Mandalorian. If he wound up directing an episode, it would be a fun full-circle situation for everyone, wouldn't it?
The Cast
Pedro Pascal will return as the title character, whose given name we learned in the season one finale is Din Djarin . While little other news is out there regarding the cast of season two, it stands to reason that Carl Weathers and Gina Carano will also reprise their roles as Greef Carga and Cara Dune respectively. At the end of season one, Moff Gideon was set up as the main antagonist moving forward, so fans can also expect Giancarlo Esposito to return.
Other actors in the season one ensemble whose stories remain unfinished include Ming-Na Wen as sharpshooter Fennec Shand , whose unconscious body was shown being taken by an unseen figure, Natalia Tena as the vengeful Xi'an who is currently incarcerated and no doubt planning her escape, and Emily Swallow as the exposition-spouting Armorer, who was last shown handing out whoopings to a roomful of Stormtroopers.
Deadline also reports that at least one character from the Star Wars movies will make an appearance in season two of The Mandalorian.
The Plot
Much like that adorable reveal at the end of the series premiere, the plot of season two of The Mandalorian is shrouded in secrecy. That said, the season one finale did tease a number of upcoming storylines. For instance, Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) emerged from the wreckage of his TIE fighter wielding a Darksaber , a weapon with great significance in the wider Star Wars mythology. The original Darksaber was forged by a Mandalorian, and may hold the key to helping audiences who haven't watched the animated spinoff shows understand the esoteric connections between the Mandalorians and the Jedi, who were finally mentioned by name in the season one finale.
Fans are also likely to learn more about the powers and origins of Baby Yoda in season two. The last we saw of Mando, he was taking his newly adopted charge on a quest to reunite him with his people. This means that we might finally end up learning the name of Yoda's species, a piece of Star Wars lore that George Lucas has never deigned to reveal. It's possible that the cutest green puppet of all time (sorry, Kermit) may even be given a name other than "The Child" but good luck getting the internet to refer to him as anything other than Baby Yoda.