Temuera Morrison reveals that he feels his iconic bounty hunter is too talkative in The Book of Boba Fett, preferring his character to be mysterious. Morrison plays the iconic character following his return to live-action in The Mandalorian. Morrison is joined by Ming-Na Wen as Fennec Shand, as the pair try to rule the Tatooine criminal underworld.
A character who caught the audience's eyes and hearts despite having limited screentime across the original Star Wars trilogy, Boba Fett had been seen as a man of few words. A simple man trying to make his way in the universe by taking on deadly bounties, Fett's distinctive armor and gruff voices earned him much interest that saw him become just as prolific as Darth Vader (James Earl Jones), leading to further exploration in the prequel trilogy, animated series, and expanded media. After previous attempts at a Boba Fett project fell through, the bounty hunter made his on-screen return in The Mandalorian season 2 premiere, "Chapter 9: The Marshal", played by Morrison. With the following episodes featuring Fett and the subsequent announcement of The Book of Boba Fett, fans would soon see the character explored with new depth on-screen, though its star has his own gripes with the focus given to the character.
In an interview with NME (via Comicbook), Morrison and Wen sat down to discuss the currently aired episodes so far of the Disney+ series. During the interview, Morrison admitted that he hoped Fett would talk less in order to remain mysterious, asking if Wen could perhaps deliver some of the lines. Morrison then recalled calling staff writer Noah Kloor about cutting down his dialogue, with Jon Favreau telling him the lines could be cut later, as the show sought to explore the man behind the armor. Check out Morrison and Wen's full response below.
Morrison: I was not very successful, I was hoping not to say as much as I have already in the first two episodes. I speak far too much. In fact, in the beginning, I was trying to pass my lines on to Ming-Na [Wen]. I said: 'Excuse me director, I really feel that Ming-Na should say these lines, 'cause I wanna stay mysterious. I wanna stay quiet.'.
Wen: He wasn't just trying to be a very generous actor — which he is — he was just trying to parlay some of the work to me (laughs).
Morrison: Sometimes, I'd say [to Favreau], 'I think this is too much, I think this is too much. I said: 'Noah, this scene tomorrow. I'm talking too much! This Boba Fett doesn't talk this much. Look, I've got all these paragraphs. I think we should get rid of it and Jon's going to Atlanta so don't tell him!'. Then, that morning on set, I get a call from Atlanta: 'Jon wants you to say all that dialogue. We'll cut it out later.' (laughs) So he was even keeping an eye on us from all areas." ... I had to start talking I guess. We had to fill in the gaps and give out a little bit of information… But yes, I think I did speak a bit too much."
With Wen promising a story like The Godfather, The Book of Boba Fett has taken its time to see Fett adjust to a new place in the power structure of Tatooine after spending most of his career as an enforcer of the old ways. The first episode saw Fett and Shand do dealings with wealthy families, businesses, and political figures of Mos Espa, as well as dedicating himself to returning power and land to Tatooine's indigenous Tusken population. Boba is also placed into a leadership role, as the oncoming threat of the Pyke Syndicate has seen him gather his own forces, such as his two Gamorean bodyguards and Drash's (Sophie Thatcher) gang of cyborg punks, as well as his own rancor provided by Danny Trejo's rancor keeper.
While Morrison feels that Fett is too talkative in The Book of Boba Fett when compared to prior appearances, the change in character does make sense. Like Morrison stated, Fett being a greater focus makes more dialogue necessary, but as a character, the bounty hunter has been reborn after escaping death from digestion in the Sarlacc. Fett has been exposed to the galaxy from a perspective he didn't have much insight into, and now is having to assume a new life and responsibilities rather than being a wandering gunman. With more responsibility on his shoulders, Fett must work in a team in the coming conflicts, as he seeks to bring some order to one of the Outer Rim's most lawless worlds.