Pedro Pascal is in negotiations to star in The Mandalorian. Next year, the Star Wars franchise will finally make the leap to live-action television with the aforementioned series, which will be an exclusive on the Disney+ streaming franchise. Earlier this year, Lucasfilm announced Iron Man and The Jungle Book director Jon Favreau would spearhead the show, which recently began production. Plot details are being kept under wraps for the time being, but the official synopsis hints at an exploration of a lawless corner in the galaxy.

Lucasfilm has a penchant for secrecy, but even by their standards it's been impressive how little is known about The Mandalorian. Surprisingly, no cast was announced when the show started filming, and fans have had to make do with rumors about names like Pedro Pascal and Carl Weathers. Finally, some concrete news is made on that front, as the former is close to signing on.

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Variety reports Pascal is currently negotiating his deal with Lucasfilm to play the starring role in The Mandalorian. It's worth mentioning nothing is formally locked in place for the time being, but it sounds like it's only a matter of time before Pascal is part of the Star Wars universe.

Pedro Pascal in Prospect

Pascal's profile has risen over the years with roles in numerous films and TV projects like Game of Thrones, Narcos, and Wonder Woman 1984. He's clearly no stranger to high-profile gigs and should prove to be a valuable addition to the Star Wars franchise. At this point, it's unknown which specific character Pascal would play, but it's reasonable to assume he's the one unveiled in the first official still image. Considering that's the case, it'll be interesting to see how frequently Pascal wears the helmet, but he should be able to make for a captivating presence nonetheless. Star Wars is full of instances of talented actors leaving their mark on a character despite having their face covered (see: Adam Driver in the first half of The Force Awakens). Pascal's role in the low-budget sci-fi movie Prospect gives audiences a taste of what kind of roguish, mercenary-type Pascal can be, but fans will obviously get a better idea of what he brings to the table when Mandalorian footage is revealed.

Now that Lucasfilm has found their leading man, the next order of business will be rounding out the supporting cast. On the film side of things, casting has proven to be one of the studio's greatest strengths, so hopefully that carries over to the small screen. With reports that Disney is going to slow the movies down a bit after Episode IX, it'll be up to TV shows like The Mandalorian and the newly-announced Cassian Andor prequel series to carry the torch for a while, and having a talented ensemble of actors will go a long way in helping both of those shows resonate with viewers.

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Source: Variety