Star Wars fans were hoping from the very start that The Mandalorian would find a way to include the previous most iconic Mando in Boba Fett. But now that it seems those dreams will be coming true, with Temuera Morrison playing Boba Fett in season 2 of The Mandalorian, there is one hint of evidence suggesting he could still appear as Jango Fett -- who could be far less dead than the prequels implied.
As the news now stands, Morrison will be playing Jango’s adult son/unaltered clone Boba Fett, since his original character Jango was decapitated by Jedi Master Mace Windu during the Battle of Geonosis. However, a now-out-of-continuity Star Wars comic offers a curious line of thought that suggests Jango may actually still be alive in the Star Wars universe even after his apparent demise. While this remains a fan theory (thus far), it wouldn’t be the first time a Fett has survived certain death and could suggest a possible way Morrison won't just play Boba Fett.
Those familiar with Episode II will know that Jango Fett was recruited by Count Dooku to be the genetic template of the Republic’s Clone Army, spawning popular Clone Troopers including the fan-favorite Captain Rex. Jango also helped train the army and requested an unaltered clone along with his monetary payment. Where other clones grew at an accelerated rate and had chips implanted in their brains (which made them follow Palpatine’s Jedi-killing Order 66), this clone grew at a normal rate and was capable of completely independent thought.
Jango raised this unaltered clone as his son Boba – only to have Boba witness Jango’s demise on Geonosis when he attempted to kill Jedi Master Mace Windu, who decapitated the bounty hunter. However, a Dark Horse Star Wars comic book offers the implication that this may have not been the real Jango Fett. The parody comic, entitled, Tag & Bink Episode I: Revenge of the Clone Menace, follows the adventures of two inept Jedi Padawan students named Tag and Bink. After accidentally erasing some files from the Jedi Archives (preventing Obi-Wan Kenobi from finding a planet during Episode II) Tag and Bink run to Dex’s Diner and meet Jango Fett who encourages the two boys to come clean with the Jedi (remarking that he’d want his son to come clean with him if he ever got in trouble).
Jango appears friendly enough at first – but when the short-order cook yells out “Order Sixty-Six!” the bounty hunter suddenly gets the urge to kill Jedi, and opens fire on Tag and Bink. While this was intended as a parody comic book (and likely not meant to be in-continuity even when Dark Horse Star Wars comic books were considered canon) it does raise some interesting questions. First, as the genetic template of the Clone Army (but not a clone himself) Jango should not have been affected by “Order 66,” meaning the man Tag and Bink were speaking to had to be a clone of Jango. Again, his scene in the comic is meant as a joke, but one has to ask – could the in-continuity Jango Fett have employed clones to pose as himself?
It’s certainly possible. Remember, Jango was completely fine with employing outside contractors to help fulfill his assignments. He hired the shape-shifting Zam Wesell to help him assassinate Senator Padme Amidala during Episode II, indicating he outsourced some of his jobs. Moreover, as the trainer of the Clone Army, Jango had regular access to thousands of clones with his face, giving him a ready supply of decoys and minions.
Jango could have even seen the clones as his own way to start his own “bounty hunter franchise” – allowing “Jango Fett” to take multiple jobs around the galaxy while the original Fett relaxed at home. Even if he didn’t take things quite this far, he would have definitely seen the value of sacrificing a few clones if he ever needed to fake his own death or enter a no-win situation. Of course, if Jango did order a clone to appear in his place on Geonosis, one has to ask: why didn’t he reveal himself to Boba after the fighting was over? By all accounts, Boba Fett believed his “father” had died during the battle and had to raise himself over the next several years to become a battle-hardened bounty hunter.
One possibility is that Jango did reveal himself secretly to Boba. Some of Boba Fett’s stories are now considered non-canon (and many contradicted themselves earlier anyway), so it’s possible such a scenario could be retconned into Star Wars lore. Alternatively, Jango could have continued to watch over his boy but from a distance, offering anonymous advice and protection while allowing Boba to endure the hardship he believed would make him into a more effective bounty hunter. This opens the possibility that Jango and Boba could reunite as adults. It may seem unlikely, but considering Boba Fett himself has survived apparent death from the Sarlacc pit, it’s not out of the realm of possibility either.
The harshest (and saddest) possibility is that the Jango Fett seen in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones was never the real Jango Fett, but a clone the actual Fett left to care for his clone/son. Meanwhile, the real Jango simply chose to assume a new identity, continue with his business, and basically abandon his son. While many Star Wars fans (understandably) wouldn’t like this theory, it could fit with some of the conflicting stories about the kind of person Jango Fett really was.
In the end, the decision to resurrect Jango Fett (or let him stay dead) lies with Disney and their current plans for the Star Wars saga. Resurrecting popular fictional characters from the dead has certainly been done multiple times in the realm of science fiction and fantasy, and most notably with Darth Maul in the celebrated Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Moreover, given Jango Fett’s enormous supply of potential decoys, explaining how he could survive a decapitation would be remarkably simple. As with all things, however, only time will tell if this theory holds any weight.