The Mandalorian guest star Adam Pally was told not to punch Baby Yoda that hard. The actor joined Jason Sudeikis in playing two of the Scout Troopers in the show's season 1 finale, "Redemption" directed by Taika Waititi.
Created by Jon Favreau for Disney+, The Mandalorian is the first live-action Star Wars series. Its eight-episode season 1 introduced fans to Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) as he accidentally became the caretaker of Baby Yoda - the 50-year-old mysterious Force-sensitive infant from the same species as Jedi Master Yoda. At the end of its debut year, the duo becomes a clan of two with Mando given a new mission - reunite the child with its people. However, with Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) on their tails and armed with the Darksaber, it's safe to say that their lives will still be on the line. As a formal Imperial Governor, Gideon has an army of Stormtroopers at his disposal - two of which left a mark on viewers after they ruthlessly abused the adorable infant in the short while they got their hands on it.
One of those Scout Trooper was Pally. Credited as Bike Scout Trooper #2, he and Sudeikis (who was Bike Scout Trooper #1) took turns punching Baby Yoda when it made a fuss in The Mandalorian. However, after the first take of the scene, Favreau reached out to to Pally and told him not to punch too hard because of how expensive the puppet is, according to Liz Shannon Miller. Check out her tweet below:
Sudeikis and Pally's Scout Troopers were able to capture the infant after killing Kuiil (Nick Nolte) as he raced to get to Razer Crest as per Din's order. Fortunately, IG-11 (also voiced by Waititi) got in the way and successfully retrieved Baby Yoda from them. It doesn't seem that fans will get to see them again after The Mandalorian finale since the Scout Troopers appeared to be done for when the droid left them to rescue Din and the rest of the team.
Aside from the financial reason to not punch Baby Yoda too hard, there's also something to be said about the violence inflicted on such a beloved character. After the finale, the particular scene became a favorite talking point for those who watched the outing and were horrified to watch such brutal treatment of an infant. Although the bit didn't show the pair directly hitting Baby Yoda because it was put inside a sack, it still caused an uproar from fans. In any case, this is a testament to how the mysterious child captured the hearts of many in such a short period of time. And it's safe to say that The Mandalorian season 2 will fully take advantage of this.
Source: Liz Shannon Miller