Given the reveal that The Mandalorian's showrunners have picked Star Wars creator George Lucas as their dream choice for a cameo, there is a way to conceivably make that happen based on Lucas' past cameo in the galaxy far, far away. George Lucas been received in a much more favorable light by Star Wars fans since Disney's controversial sequel trilogy. Likewise, The Mandalorian also seems like the kind of show Lucas might actually agree to appear in, having visited the show's production in the past.
In a recent interview, Mandalorian showrunners Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni spoke about how fortunate they've been with all the amazing guest stars they've had on The Mandalorian, such as Mark Hamill, Werner Herzog, and more. However, they both agreed that having George Lucas cameo on the show would be a major win. Ever the Star Wars scholar having produced The Clone Wars animated series for Lucas as well as Star Wars Rebels prior to The Mandalorian, Filoni noted that Lucas would need to theoretically play the son of Baron Papanoida, his cameo role in Revenge of the Sith.
Hailing from the world of Pantora, Papanoida's world was part of the Republic which eventually became the Empire. Due to their shared blue skin with the Chiss, both races were often mistaken for one another. To that end, one of the most notable members of the Chiss named Mitth'raw'nuruodo once disguised himself as a Pantoran while undercover. This Chiss would eventually become better known as Star Wars' Grand Admiral Thrawn, the mysterious Chiss leader from the Unknown Regions who became favored by the Emperor. Because The Mandalorian and other shows set in the same era (such as The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka) have all been building towards Thrawn's live-action debut, a return to Pantora and a new George Lucas cameo could happen in theory, especially if Thrawn brings more of his race from the Unknown Regions in an attempt to infiltrate the galaxy in the wake of the Empire's demise.
George Lucas In The Mandalorian Could Complete His Star Wars Redemption
Going beyond the narrative and canonical feasibility of a new George Lucas cameo, a return to Star Wars in general would be quite fitting. Although many fans disliked what Lucas did with the prequels at the time, the trilogy has aged very well and been put under a much kinder lens in recent years. Case in point, appreciation abounds whenever any of Disney's Star Wars series make references to the prequel era. Lucas himself is now being seen in an increasingly favorable light again, especially after the sequels.
Considering the fact that Dave Filoni has been George Lucas's protégé for years and that the Star Wars creator has visited The Mandalorian's set when Filoni has directed, it just makes sense to give Lucas a cameo at some point in the near future, bringing things full circle in a redemptive sense. While playing Papanoida or his son could feasibly work, nothing says Lucas couldn't play a brand-new character either. Here's hoping Filoni and Favreau see their wish fulfilled in future seasons of The Mandalorian.