Did you spot the two Anzellans in the most recent trailer? Have you heard that a "Back
to the Future" star will reportedly make an appearance? Here's everything you need
to know about "The Mandalorian" Season 3 before the big premiere.
The wait for "The Mandalorian" Season 3 is almost over. At Brazil's CCXP in December 2022, it was
announced that the third season of the Disney+ "Star Wars" series would be premiering on March 1,
2023. Granted, the stretch of time between Season 2 and Season 3 has been pretty long,
as the second season hit Disney+ all the way back in October 2020.
Din Djarin did, of course, continue his journey in a few episodes of "The Book of Boba Fett"
alongside that titular character, but it's been a while since he was front and center
on his own show. But now, his return is nigh. Of course, if you're itching for more "Star
Wars" to hold you over until then, there's plenty of content on Disney+, from other
Disney+ series to the actual "Star Wars" movies themselves. Or it might be the perfect time to go
back and revisit Din Djarin's adventures in the first two seasons of "The Mandalorian."
There have been two trailer drops thus far,
which have undoubtedly wetted the appetites of many fans. From Djarin's homeworld of
Mandalore to Grogu using the force to throw an enemy, we're all excited for March 1st.
"The Mandalorian" Season 3 will feature a major change of scenery as Din Djarin travels to
his homeworld of Mandalore, the planet of the Mandalorians. Djarin hasn't been on Mandalore
since he was a child. There's no telling what the journey will bring as we've only heard stories of
the war that destroyed the once-great planet and drove the Mandalorian across the galaxy.
In footage screened at the 2022 "Star Wars" Celebration,
Djarin says he's headed to Mandalore to seek forgiveness for his transgressions.
The worst of which was him removing his helmet by choice in order to rescue Grogu.
"Then you are a Mandalorian no more."
There, he'll have to bathe in a pool of water in order to wash away his sins. Speaking with
IGN in September 2022, executive producer Rick Famuyiwa confirmed that Mando grappling
with his Season 2 decision would be a major part of the upcoming installment. He said,
Of course, things will get complicated once Din Djarin returns to his homeworld. As we know,
he belongs to a very specific sect of Mandalorians who never remove their helmets — the Children of
the Watch. However, that doesn't apply to most other Mandalorians, something showrunner Jon
Favreau elaborated on while talking to the Dagobah Dispatch Podcast. He said,
It probably won't help matters that Mando is in possession of the fabled Darksaber,
a legendary blade that Mandalorian leader Bo-Katan Kryze desperately
wants to get her hands on. And of course, the remnant of the Galactic
Empire will be working in the shadows, as the official plot synopsis reads,
"Alright, kid. Hang on. You ready for an adventure?"
Never fear — Pedro Pascal is, of course, returning as Din Djarin. And he won't
be the only familiar actor coming back. Giancarlo Esposito will reprise his role
as the villainous Moff Gideon. Carl Weathers is returning to play Greef
Karga. Katee Sackhoff will be making things interesting as Bo-Katan Kryze.
Additionally, expect to see Amy Sedaris as mechanic Peli Motto,
Omid Abtahi as Imperial scientist Dr. Pershing, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as
New Republic pilot Captain Carson Teva. And of course, we'll get to hear the commanding
voice of Emily Swallow as the Armorer, the leader of Din Djarin's Mandalorian tribe.
Of course, there will be plenty of new faces as well, and if you're a fan of "Back to the
Future" or "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," then you have a lot to get excited about. According to
The Hollywood Reporter, Christopher Lloyd will be showing up in Season 3, reportedly as a guest
star. It's also been said, via ComicBook.com, that comedian Tim Meadows from "Saturday Night
Live," "The Ladies Man," and "The Goldbergs," will make an appearance. /Film has also reported
that Taika Waititi will be returning to the series after having played the droid IG-11 in Season 1.
"This is acceptable."
Ever since the first season, "The Mandalorian" has played host to some of the most interesting
directors in the business, like Taika Waititi and Robert Rodriguez. And over the course of the show,
several filmmakers have been invited back again and again as they seem to have that special
something when it comes to bounty-hunting action and that emotional Mando-Grogu bond.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bryce Dallas Howard will be directing an episode,
which makes it the third she's contributed to the series thus far.
The actor/filmmaker previously helmed Season 1's "Sanctuary" and Season 2's
"The Heiress." Greef Karga himself will also be stepping back behind the camera,
as Carl Weathers will direct at least one episode. Previously, he directed Season 2's "The Siege."
A "Mandalorian" mainstay will also be calling the shots behind the camera. Rick Famuyiwa
will sit in the director's chair for Season 3, after helming Season 1's "The Child" and
Season 2's "The Believer." Famuyiwa is going to be extremely busy this season,
as he was also promoted to executive producer, alongside Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni.
As for newcomers, Rachel Morrison has joined the director's fold. Morrison has served as
cinematographer on projects like "Fruitvale Station," "Mudbound," and "Dope." She also
became the first woman to earn an Oscar nomination for best cinematography thanks to her work on
"Black Panther." Lee Isaac Chung is also having a moment. After directing the moving indie drama
"Minari," he was tapped not only to helm the sequel to 1996's "Twister" but also at least
one episode of "The Mandalorian" Season 3. Plus, Peter Ramsey — who co-directed and won an Oscar
for "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" — will also be directing Din Djarin on
his journey through a galaxy a long time ago, per The Hollywood Reporter.
There are many creative minds working behind the scenes of "The Mandalorian,"
but if we had to lay credit for the show at one person's feet, those shoes would
belong to Jon Favreau. The man behind "Iron Man" and "Elf" kickstarted the whole series,
and he'll remain the showrunner in Season 3. In fact, he's been at work on the new scripts for
years, with Variety reporting all the way back in April 2020 that he'd been writing
Season 3 for quite some time. And while he did pen most of the episodes by himself,
he did receive some help on a few from Noah Kloor and "Star Wars" mastermind Dave Filoni.
In addition to leading the show, Favreau will be executive producing alongside Filoni and
previous "Mandalorian" director Rick Famuyiwa, per Collider. With this talented trio at the helm,
we expect "The Mandalorian" Season 3 to raise the bar for what "Star Wars" TV shows can be.
If there's one thing "Star Wars" fans love, it's digging into all the fun little details.
On that note, what other little tidbits do we know about Season 3 of "The Mandalorian?"
Well, the Anzellans are coming back. Remember Babu Frik from "The Rise of
Skywalker?" That's an Anzellan, for those not in the "Star Wars" know. Two of the
little droidsmiths pop up in the official trailer, although we're unsure if either of
them is Babu Frik or if they're voiced by original actor Shirley Henderson.
We've also gotten glimpses of a tree filled with Kowakian monkey-lizards, so prepare for
a lot of obnoxious laughter. It also looks like the B1 battle droids are back, as these rather
useless robots are seen in the official trailer, hanging out in what appears to be a robo-bar.
We've also heard about some of the incredibly cool ships that might factor into the upcoming
season. According to ComicBook.com, two new LEGO sets connected to "The Mandalorian"
Season 3 are dropping in May 2023, with one set revealing a Pirate Snubfighter
and another revealing a Mandalorian Fang Fighter vs. a TIE Interceptor. In fact,
the official trailer seems to show this exact scene in action.
Additionally, at Brazil's Comic-Con Experience in December 2022,
attendees received a poster displaying some Season 3 concept art. According to Collider,
the poster depicts the Mandalorian at Nevarro, the desert world with a dingy
town run by Karga in Season 1. However, in the poster, the town now looks like a lush utopia,
indicating things have changed a lot since Din Djarin's been away. The poster details seem to
have been confirmed in the official trailer, where we see Karga's community thriving.
We also get a glimpse of what appears to be the busy city planet of Coruscant,
and the official trailer also shows a group of Jedi in the Jedi Temple, bracing for what
seems to be the onslaught of Order 66. And while we don't have any inside info here,
it looks like somebody with a lightsaber is trying to cut their way through the Jedi Temple door,
indicating that Anakin Skywalker could possibly be making a comeback.
"Make things the way we want them to be!"
Perhaps most interestingly, Making Star Wars — a source that usually has pretty solid "Star Wars"
scoops — has said that Snoke's Praetorian Guard will be appearing in "The Mandalorian" Season
3. The same site has also reported that we might see Moff Gideon wearing a horned
Mandalorian helmet and that Bo Katan might be sporting armor made from a fallen Mythosaur.
These details aren't confirmed, but if they pan out, they will be absolutely incredible to see.