Warning: Spoilers for The Mandalorian season 2 finale.
Giancarlo Esposito wants to return as Moff Gideon for a spin-off of The Mandalorian. Esposito first appeared on The Mandalorian in season 1, "Chapter 7: The Reckoning," where it was revealed that he wanted to capture The Child. The first season set him up as the main villain of the series, with season 2 expanding his role to reveal he was after Grogu's blood to create other Force-sensitive beings.
The Mandalorian season 2 ends with Mando defeating Gideon, not only rescuing Grogu but also winning the Darksaber in battle. As Gideon watches his Darktroopers being destroyed by Luke Skywalker, he shoots Bo-Katan and attempts to kill Grogu. After realizing his defeat, he tries to kill himself before Cara Dune knocks him out. This is the last we see of Gideon in season 2, leaving fans to wonder what his story will be in season 3 since he is now in custody. Esposito previously said that he thinks Gideon will have a big role in The Mandalorian season 3, but he is also down to play the character outside the main series.
While talking with Esquire, Esposito said he would be interested in returning as Gideon for a spin-off series. After hearing about the multiple Star Wars TV shows Disney is planning, Esposito joked that Gideon should get his own TV series before clarifying that he would be interested in appearing in any of the upcoming spin-offs.
"I sat there and went, 'Hey, what about me?!' People keep asking me, 'Why aren't you in Season Two more?" I said, 'Because we're teasing you. I'm the heavy, and it'll take a little time to get to what Moff really wants.'"
"The answer is, yes, I would be interested in that if there was enough material and storyline to indulge that," he says. "But first I want to be true to this project."
Disney Investor Day 2020 was bigger than anyone could have imagined, with the studio announcing 61 movies and TV shows. There are actually ten new Star Wars spin-off shows coming to Disney+, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, Rangers of the New Republic, Andor, The Acolyte, The Bad Batch, Lando, Star Wars: Visions, A Droid Story, and The Book of Boba Fett. If Gideon were to appear in one of these spin-offs, he would likely appear in Ahsoka, The Book of Boba Fett, or Rangers of the New Republic since those are set around The Mandalorian's timeline. In fact, if Gideon continues to be a main character in The Mandalorian season 3, it's incredibly likely he could appear in one of the spin-off shows since Disney is planning a giant crossover event similar to what The CW has done with the Arrowverse.
While Esposito seemed to be joking about getting his own spin-off series, it's not out of the realm of possibility. Disney is aggressively expanding the Marvel and Star Wars franchises, and with the popularity of The Mandalorian, Gideon very well could get his own show in the future. The Mandalorian still hasn't explained how Gideon gained possession of the Darksaber or how he rose to power, so that could easily translate into a prequel series of The Mandalorian. Regardless of Gideon's future in the franchise, it's clear that Disney has no intentions of letting the franchise die anytime soon.
Source: Esquire
