New details have emerged regarding The Mandalorian and Giancarlo Esposito's mysterious character. Set five years after the destruction of the second Death Star and the fall of The Empire, the series will mark Disney's first foray into a live-action Star Wars television show since purchasing Lucasfilm. It will also be one of the flagship offerings of their new Disney+ streaming service, with the first episode premiering on the day of the service's launch. With the first season comprised of eight episodes, a new one will subsequently be released on a weekly basis rather than a traditional binge-model demonstrated by Netflix.
Game of Thrones' Pedro Pascal will play the titular character, who will forge a career as a notorious bounty hunter on the increasingly lawless outer planets. Alongside him, the show will star Gina Carano as Cara Dune, a former Rebel Shock Trooper-turned-mercenary, and Carl Weathers as Greef Carga, the leader of a bounty hunter guild. The episodes will also feature appearances Werner Herzog, Bill Burr, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D's Ming-Na Wen, and Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi as the voice of droid IG-11. Run by the MCU's Jon Favreau in collaboration with Star Wars Rebels creator Dave Filoni, the first official trailer for The Mandalorian was released at D23.
During an exclusive set visit, EW was able to glean even more new details about this new corner of the universe. That was especially true of the wholly original characters that will occupy said world and around which the story will revolve. Previously described as having the potential to be a gangster or a savior, the outlet has reported that Esposito will play Moff Gideon. As the title of Moff suggests, Gideon was formerly a governor within the Galactic Empire originally established by Emperor Palpatine. In the wake of the Rebel's decisive victory, the character will have experienced the collapse of his world. Personally discussing the character, Esposito had this to say:
"He’s an Imperial remnant of a very fine officer who then switches to become sort of the guardian of the people. But what does [Moff Gideon] really want? This guy is going to be a big player because he has an idea of how to keep order."
Although the Italian-American actor has worked steadily for over three decades, he came to widespread prominence for his critically-acclaimed turn as Gus Fring on Breaking Bad. He would later reprise the role on the prequel, Better Call Saul. Given the character's ultimate fate on the former, however, he's unlikely to make an appearance on the upcoming Jesse Pinkman-centric movie, El Camino. Instead, Esposito most recently appeared on Amazon's new hit show, The Boys.
With the Skywalker Saga set to officially conclude with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in December, a lot is riding on the show to keep the Galaxy Far, Far Away in the public consciousness and justify the expense of a new streaming platform. Disney and Lucasfilm evidently have a lot of faith in the series, however, with The Mandalorian season 2 already moving forward. Esposito's comments will no doubt add to fans' advanced belief in the show - especially regarding the potential avenues the story could go. His use of the word "order" could be especially curious, given the fact it's now confirmed that the show will explore the origins of The First Order. Thankfully, fans won't have to wait too long to find out.
The Mandalorian premieres Tuesday, November 12 on Disney+.
Source: EW