Disney does not do things halfway, and after the conclusion of The Mandalorian season two, fans are eager to learn more about the series’ future.
At least fans of Mando and his lovable muppet buddy are aware that a third season is forthcoming, which is very good news indeed.
While a steady stream of Star Wars spin-offs is also being created, with The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka and Andor on the horizon, The Mandalorian remains one of the galaxy’s most popular series.
Here is everything you need to know about season three of The Mandalorian.
The Mandalorian Season 3 Potential Release Date:
As part of the Star Wars celebrations on May 26, 2022, producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni announced that the third season of The Mandalorian will premiere in February 2023. This will be followed by Ahsoka later that same year.
The statement has put to rest a great deal of conjecture around the possible date, with even the cast uncertain.
The actor who portrays Moff Gideon, Giancarlo Esposito, stated on The Rich Eisen Show: “You will receive it as soon as possible.
“To put the finishing touches on my work, I need to do a few additional tasks. However, I believe it will occur this summer. There is currently no precise date, but one will be revealed shortly.”
In a significant Star Wars interview for Vanity Fair, in which Pedro Pascal and the other new prominent stars of the galaxy were featured, it was revealed that the program would premiere “in late 2022 or early 2023.”
According to an earlier rumor by TVLine, The Mandalorian would premiere in December, consistent with the release timetable of prior seasons.
Now we know for certain there will be no further adventures with Din Dujardin and Grogu for the remainder of 2022, but there are plenty of other Star Wars shows to keep us occupied, beginning with the just-launched Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
The Mandalorian Season 3 Cast
As part of the announcement of the release date, it was revealed that Pedro Pascal will reprise his role as Din Djarin, the main Mandalorian upon whom the entire series is based (presumably with help from stunt doubles Barry Lowin, Brendan Wayne, and Lateef Crowder).
Pascal’s stunt double Brendan Wayne verified this in an Instagram post after season two, stating: “No spoilers!!! However, just in case the world was unaware, Pedro Pascal is phenomenal. The path they crafted for him this season was breathtaking. The fact that Pedro transcended the page and created an epic. Merci, Pedro Pascal.”
And he added: “Yes!! Pedro is returning. There never was any doubt. DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ.”
Baby Yoda (we’re not going to call him Grog, you can’t make us) will also return for more galactic adventures, which is a comfort given his current popularity! They are happy to have secured that contract.
The return of Katee Sackhoff, who plays Bo-Katan Kryze, has been confirmed. She noted at the Star Wars celebration announcement conference that the character has “unfinished business.”
This foreboding message may suggest a dispute between Bo-Katan and his erstwhile ally Din Djarin over the Darksaber.
I’m not sure. You are likely to find out before I do. “You people are interested in everything,” she added. “I didn’t even realize I was filming The Book of Boba Fett, so you’re asking the wrong person.”
Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) will play a larger role and be more frightening than ever in season three, the actor has said.
He told Metro, “He is an all-knowing, all-powerful supervillain who is well-versed in technology and everything else. Therefore, suffice it to say that you will see Moff again… soon.”
Greef Karga (Carl Weathers, confirmed) and Ahsoka Tano are two further likely returnees (Rosario Dawson).
Cara Dune is one character that will not be returning. Since filming the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, Gina Carano has been fired for uploading abusive content on social media. Here you can read more about the topic.
“I don’t see Disney as left-leaning or right-leaning as opposed to standing for values,” stated Disney CEO Bob Chapek during Disney’s investor call (via The Hollywood Reporter) in response to a caller’s criticism following Carano’s dismissal.
“Values that are shared by all. Respectful virtues Standards of decency Ideals of honesty and values of acceptance.”
Carano’s representation at the time, United Talent Agency, also dropped her.
Now that The Mandalorian is establishing more ties to a galaxy far, far away, don’t be shocked if additional guest stars, especially those experienced with the Force, emerge in season three. Perhaps young Luke Skywalker (a deepfaked CGI invention in The Book of Boba Fett, complete with a digitally de-aged voice) will visit again. Our money is on one of The Last Jedi’s fish nuns.
Regarding *that* moment from the second season of Mando, Mark Hamill posted an emotional statement online, thanking the episode’s director, Peyton Reed, for the opportunity.
“Dear @MrPeytonReed, I am so glad for the unexpected opportunity to rejoin my character when he represented hope and optimism,” Hamill wrote.
“Your reassuring guidance and kindness were essential to the success of this endeavor, and I cannot thank you enough.”
Oh, and don’t be surprised if the extremely talented Bryce Dallas Howard returns to direct another episode in season three (she’s already working on the fifth episode of The Book of Boba Fett). Check out her opinions on the villainous Baby Yoda and the biggest criticism of the second season here.
The Mandalorian Season 3 Plot
The conclusion of The Mandalorian’s second season felt somewhat conclusive, raising many questions about what may transpire in season three.
Initially, it was believed that the post-credits sequence was included to introduce a brand-new plot involving Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen). However, this was The Book of Boba Fett. Not a Mandalorian narrative, but rather a spin-off that occurs concurrently with the Mandalorian arc.
“When I was told I would be a series regular, I figured it would be for the third season of The Mandalorian,” Ming-Na Wen told Digital Spy. “When the scripts were published, the numbers 301, 302, 303, and 304 appeared. So I figured I was signing on, even though The Mandalorian is not mentioned on my contracts.
“Therefore, while I was working with Tem and Robert [Rodriguez] for two weeks, I was unaware that I was filming the spin-off.”
“When the staff and cast discovered the news, they were dying. It was bizarre. So, yes, it was great to finally realize I was filming The Book of Boba Fett [laughs]. In a sense, they call it The Mandalorian 2.5. So I wasn’t completely off.”
Fans who have completed The Book of Boba Fett are already aware of the following delicious tidbit: the closing episodes of Boba Fett establish the premise for the next season of The Mandalorian.
Boba and Fennec feel uncomfortable with the notion of being viewed as heroes, which is understandable given their violent background. Fennec’s response to Boba’s claim, “We are not suited for this,” is: Who else if not us?
This is answered when an unknown person delivers them a watermelon. Fett throws it to Black Krrsantan and Sophie Thatcher’s Drash, leaders of the cyborg street gang of Mods. In theory, these characters could end up being the ones to replace Boba Fett in Jabba the Hutt’s old seat, leaving room for Boba to leave and become a bounty hunter again. A transfer of the watermelon, if not the flame.
The scene then cuts to a brief, charming view of Mando and Grogu soaring away.
So thus, we anticipated that the story would begin with The third season of The Mandalorian (the reunion of Mando and Grogu) has now occurred in Boba Fett. (Here, we’ve performed a thorough dive for you.)
Speaking to People, Giancarlo Esposito has also hinted at what’s in store during The Mandalorian season three, saying: “We’re living in a huge universe and [that has] so much to explore.
“So I think this show is going to start to lay the groundwork for the depth and breadth that’s going to come in season three and season four, where you’re gonna start to get answers.”
“I believe it’s a delicate balance,” she remarked. “As an actor, I’m familiar with such questions because, for instance, when working on the Jurassic franchise, it was like, ‘OK, we can have some fun with deep cuts for the fans, but at the end of the day, it’s about a good tale, properly told.
“What is that equilibrium? How might anything established in The Lost World or elsewhere influence the plot of Jurassic World: Dominion?”
She continued, “If you’re telling a story that is a biopic and there are several minor characters – but you can read about all of them because they existed and their lives are well-documented – it will only enrich the biopic that is centered on the main character.
“Because you will have these other fully-developed characters that are a part of the story even though they are not the focus.”
These remarks make a great deal more sense now that we know three new spin-off shows are forthcoming. Rangers of the New Republic, Ahsoka, and The Book of Boba Fett are all set in the same chronology as The Mandalorian, so don’t be surprised if they tie to the main show in some way, as BoBF already did. Season three may directly establish all of them.
Following Ahsoka’s live-action début in The Mandalorian season two, the Rangers of the New Republic spin-off was essentially a foregone conclusion. And Boba’s solo album has already been released.
Pascal stated (via Indiewire) regarding the third season’s plot, “I am told what is happening and what the goal is, but I am unable to reveal it. They are in the expansion phase of our world, where so many unanticipated surprises and deadlines must be addressed.
“If the character were to cross over into these universes, it would be utilized unexpectedly. I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise by revealing whether or not characters from existing shows would cross over.”
And there’s a decent chance Pascal hasn’t been told everything – season two’s stars were kept in the dark about some pretty important storylines, and even the shocking Luke Skywalker cameo was hidden from those in the scene with him.
“I had no idea. “They never told us,” Katee Sackhoff responded when asked who she believed the role to be throughout filming. “An actor was present with dots on his face. “I assumed to myself, ‘They would have informed us if it was Luke,'” she explained. “You know, they claimed… Who were they claiming?
“I believe that Robin (Gadsby, Sackhoff’s partner) knew who it was, but it was a complete red herring. So we were in the dark. I suspected it was a Jedi. I recognized it as an X-Wing. So you begin to connect the dots, but you don’t know.”
However, it may not have been in the screenplay because Jon Favreau chose to insert the cameo at the last minute.
“The plot developed as I wrote it,” remarked Favreau (via IndieWire). “The Mandalorian inherits a great deal from previous Star Wars stories, and I always keep this context in mind when writing. Within the established continuity, it became apparent that certain events were likely to occur.”
Hamill was surprised when Favreau presented him with the concepts.
On The Tonight Show, he stated, “I had completed performing that role and never anticipated reprising it.” “I assumed that if they ever told stories about Luke at that period after the originals and prequels, they would cast an actor of the appropriate age. I was astounded when [series creator] Jon Favreau and [producer] Dave Filoni told me what they planned to achieve.”
Sackhoff hopes that Bo-story Katan’s will continue, but she is also in the dark(saber) regarding that (via ScreenRant).
“Given how Lucasfilm left me at the end of the second season, one of the paths that could be pursued – without question – would be the unfinished business,” Sackhoff remarked. “But it is so far beyond my pay grade, and you do realize that, don’t you? As a fan of the show, I can’t wait to see what they create.”
The Mandalorian Season 3 Trailer
There does not appear to be much chance for a trailer for The Mandalorian at this time.
In the interim, though, there are a million Baby Yoda memes and videos that must be viewed over and over again.
At least there will be countless other Star Wars shows to keep us entertained. We promise to update you whenever we have more information.
Where Can I Watch Season 3 of The Mandalorian?
@DisneyPlus
The Mandalorian and Grogu will continue their quest in Season 3 of #TheMandalorian, premiering exclusively on @DisneyPlus in February 2023.