The Mandalorian gets a teaser trailer introducing Ming-Na Wen as the mysterious galactic assassin Fennec Shand. The Agents of SHIELD veteran officially joined the live-action Star Wars TV series' cast at the D23 Expo back in August. At the time, however, it wasn't clear if she would be playing an important recurring character or doing a voice-only part (a la Taika Waititi as assassin droid IG-11). Regardless, the role gave Wen a Disney EGOT (not a real thing), making her the rare actor to work with four major Disney-owned studios.
Pedro Pascal stars as The Mandalorian's namesake, a loner bounty hunter who goes looking for work in the outer rim of the Star Wars galaxy, five years after the Empire's defeat in Return of the Jedi. He eventually crosses paths with Wen's character about midway through the season, though it's not clear if the pair will be friends, foes, or something in-between when they meet. So, in lieu of additional plot details, this first look at Fennec Shand will have to do for the moment.
Vanity Fair has the exclusive on The Mandalorian teaser trailer with Shand, along with the first photo of the character. You can check out the image and follow a link to the trailer below (we will post it here as soon as an embeddable version is made available).
Click for The Mandalorian Teaser Trailer
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Wen confirmed that Fennec gets her name from the fennec fox, describing her as being "tricky, and yet she’s able to maneuver and survive, and be stealthy-so very graceful and agile. I just love that whole image with the name". Agents of SHIELD fans know all too well Wen is up to the physical challenge of the role, having watched her kick butt as Agent May on the Marvel TV series for six seasons and counting. This Mandalorian teaser also provides a sneak peek of scout troopers on the TV show, along with Nick Nolte as the voice of an Ugnaught named Kuiil. It was speculated that Nolte's character was featured in The Mandalorian posters released a week ago, but it's good to have official confirmation now.
Based on the latest footage and details, The Mandalorian is really leaning into its western movie influences. Pascal's Mandalorian, for example, has been likened to Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name (from Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns) many times. Wen's Fennec Shand is similar in that she feels like an Old West mercenary archetype at her core, even in the fantastic settings of the Star Wars universe. Early reactions to The Mandalorian have praised it for its gritty wild west style, so it's encouraging to know the series is embracing that aesthetic across the board. Here's hoping Wen's assassin gets to participate in a classic western-inspired showdown at some point during The Mandalorian, too.
The Mandalorian premieres Tuesday, November 12 on Disney+, and will roll-out new episodes on a (typically) weekly basis thereafter.
Source: Vanity Fair