We’ve been following the stream of news concerning the new Star Wars series The Mandalorian for a bit here at the site and last night we got some confirmations. Straight from the mouth of StarWars.com to be exact. Not only has space cowboy extraordinaire (not sure if true, but should be) Pedro Pascal been officially announced as the lead, but he’s bringing a few big names along with him.
“Pedro Pascal (Narcos) has been cast in the title role as a lone Mandalorian gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy. He is joined by Gina Carano (Deadpool), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Emily Swallow (Supernatural), Carl Weathers (Predator), Omid Abtahi (American Gods), Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man), and Nick Nolte (Affliction).”
That’s an impressive list of heavy hitters, right there. It’s nice to see Pascal, who’s been snatching up roles left and right, get a chance to shine as the lead. His co-stars arren’t bad either. I mean, Gus Fring himself is in the line-up! The most grizzled man in the Universe, Nick Nolte, will possibly be acting beside him. If there’s justice in the world, that is. Overall, it’s a rather diverse set of actors and hopefully signals that The Mandalorian will at least feature colorful characters.
Yet there’s one name above that takes things from “you had my curiosity” fully over to “now you have my attention”. Of course we’re talking about Werner Herzog. That’s right, the director of Fitzcarraldo and Encounters At The End Of The World. The man who menaced Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher. A guy who was shot during an interview and saved Joaquin Phoenix after a car accident. Herzog is a living legend and he’s going to be part of Star Wars cannon. What a time to be alive.
With that out of the way, you might need a quick refresher as to what The Mandalorian will be about. We’ve got you covered on that front as well:
“After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic…”
In addition to the confirmed actors, the already announced set of directors was reiterated. Star Wars veteran Dave Filoni (Clone Wars, Rebels) is set to direct the first episode. Succeeding him on other episodes will be Taika Waititi, Bryce Dallas Howard, Deborah Chow, and Rick Famuyiwa. An extremely solid crop of directors to wrangle the ultra talented cast. It’s hard to imagine this show not being a major hit. Filoni, Jon Favreau, Colin Wilson and Kathleen Kennedy will all serve as executive producers on the series.
Now for the sad news. We have absolutely no clue as to when this will air. Part of that is due to Disney’s streaming service, the aptly named “Disney+”, still doesn’t have a release date. They’re aiming for fall 2019, so we’ll know in about a year if they were successful. At the same time, it stands to reason most would rather they take their time filming the show. Allowing them to make the best program available. Plus, it’s not as if there will be a point anytime soon, when people aren’t clamoring for more Star Wars.
We’ll be sure to update you as soon as any footage or further announcements, concerning The Mandalorian, become available.
