Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 will answer a potential The Mandalorian connection, says supervising producer Brad Rau. The popular Disney+ animated series centers on Clone Force 99, also known as the Bad Batch, a team of elite clone troopers who were created with select genetic enhancements. Team members Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, and Echo face off against one of their own, Crosshair, a cunning sniper who will stop at nothing to eliminate his old team and retrieve the unique child clone, Omega.
In a recent interview with SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar), Rau teased answers to a potential The Mandalorian connection in Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2. The conclusion of season 1 saw Kaminoan cloner Nala Se brought to a hidden Imperial facility where she is greeted by a human wearing a similar uniform to that of the scientist Dr. Pershing (Omid Abtahi) from The Mandalorian. Although the director did not reveal any story details, Rau hinted that the significance of the final scene will be explored further in the upcoming season. Read what Rau said below:
That's not a coincidence, but I don't want to talk too much about what's going on there. We've got to leave some things in the dark, but we do get into all of that, one hundred percent.
How Bad Batch Season 2 Can Connect With The Mandalorian
Although Rau did not reveal any details pertaining to The Mandalorian's clone connection to Star Wars: The Bad Batch's narrative, it is unlikely that the two storylines will cross over due to their distance apart on Star Wars' timeline. Star Wars: The Bad Batch features the fall of the Republic and primarily takes place during the immediate aftermath of Order 66. However, The Mandalorian is set nearly 30 years later after the events of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
However, due to the fact that Grogu, the young Force sensitive being that Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) swore to protect, is 50 years old, it is possible for the child to appear in the animated series. With both Star Wars: The Bad Batch and The Mandalorian featuring cloning at the center of its overarching narratives, the franchise is seemingly providing justification for Emperor Palpatine's inexplicable return in Star Wars: Episode IX — Rise of Skywalker. The scientist in the Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 1 finale may be a part of the same Imperial unit that employs Dr. Pershing decades later.
As Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 delves deeper into the backstory of the Empire's cloning efforts, it will likely enlighten and enrich The Mandalorian by giving audiences a better understanding of the underlying lore. Since Dave Filoni produces both series, he undoubtedly has connected the events of animated show to the later live-action series. With Star Wars: The Bad Batch premiering on Disney+ January 4, and The Mandalorian returning later in the year for season 3, audiences do not have to wait much longer to see how the two popular shows connect.
Source: SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar)