The Mandalorian star Giancarlo Esposito had no idea the season 2 finale would feature Luke Skywalker. Like any good season of television, The Mandalorian's sophomore run included plenty of twists and turns for fans to enjoy. From the first live-action appearances of beloved animated characters like Ahsoka Tano to the exploration of new planets, the Star Wars series continued to deliver stories that pleased fans all the way through the final moments of the finale. Audiences everywhere were stunned when The Mandalorian revealed none other than Luke Skywalker himself had arrived to answer young Grogu's call through the Force.
Those at Lucasfilm worked hard to keep The Mandalorian's Luke twist a secret. Mark Hamill was on set for the scene, though he had to be carefully concealed on his way to and from the area. Deepfake technology was used to create a younger Luke, and while some have criticized its quality, it did little to erase the thrill of the moment. The Mandalorian episode saw Luke take Grogu under his wing with the promise of teaching him in the ways of the Jedi, leaving his caretaker Din Djarin sad to see him go.
Speaking to Screen Rant about the upcoming release of Far Cry 6 (which debuts on October 7), Esposito recalled what it was like on set for that surprising moment. Esposito, who plays the villainous Moff Gideon, wasn't told about the Luke twist ahead of time, which only made it more special for him and the rest of the cast. He said:
I got to tell you, they're so good at keeping secrets and allowing us to know just enough, but not enough to be able to really get what's happening. None of us knew. I mean, it is such a great thing that they're able to keep the lid on that. I know that they trusted us to not let it out in the world, but I think by virtue of the fact that it was such a secret, it also gave us the ability to surprise ourselves.
The final moments of the Mandalorian season 2 finale also featured Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Ming-Na Wen, and Gina Carano, who has since been fired from the show over offensive tweets. Few people were informed about both the Luke scene and Hamill's appearance, which meant most of those on set were stunned by the development. Some might like to accuse Lucasfilm of being too overprotective with their secrets, but in this case, it paid off. And even though Esposito didn't get to see it unfold like the audience did, he was still able to appreciate this pivotal moment in The Mandalorian's run.
Both the series and Esposito will be back for season 3, but fans shouldn't expect to see those returns any time soon. Production is only just getting started on The Mandalorian season 3, and it likely won't premiere until late 2022. The next episodes will have some large shoes to fill after all the acclaim season 2 received, but surely the creative team is up to the challenge. Only time will tell if The Mandalorian can pull off another surprise like Luke Skywalker's finale cameo.
